Egypt... Facts about the country... Country Full Name |
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The Arab Republic of Egypt (A.R.E)
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| Geography |
Egypt is located in the north-east corner of Africa. It is surrounded by Israel and the Red sea from the east, Sudan from the south, Libya from the west and the Midditerian Sea in the north.
Egypt is a square in shape, more than 94 % of its whole surface is desert, and 96% of its population lives on the River Nile that divides Egypt into two sections, Eastern desert & Western desert.
The fertile land on the banks of the river ranges from 2-30 km. A few km north of Cairo the Nile is dived into two branches forming the fan shape of the delta. The highest elevation in Egypt is Mt. St. Catherin 2642 m above sea level, the lowest elevation is located on the west desert is called Qattara depression 133m below sea level.
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| Religion |
In the Egyptian culture religion is something so important whether you are Christian or Moslem that affects the attitude of the Egyptians, 90% are Moslems from the Sunni sect, 10% are Christians known as Coptic Christian.
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| Population |
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The population of Egypt is 76 million. 17 million live in Cairo, the capital city. The annual population growth is one million.
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| People |
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The Egyptians are from different races, a mix of hamatic and simatic race.
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| Language |
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The official language of Egypt is Arabic, although there are other languages spoken by the minorities of Egypt including the Nubian & the Barbarian language.
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| Currency |
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Egyptian Pound (L.E).
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| Government |
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a presidential republic. The head of state is the president, elected by popular referendum to a six-year term. The prime minister, appointed by the president, is head of government. The legislature is unicameral and made up of the Majilis ash-Sha'ab (People's Assembly), with 454 members. Voting age is 18.
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| Weather |
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Egypt is generally hot and dry year-round, except during the winter (November to March). Summer temperatures range from 311 C (888 F) along the Mediterranean coast to as high as 500 C (1222 F) in the inland southern town of Aswan. Desert areas experience a notably large temperature range, getting as cold as 88 C (466 F) on winter nights. Winter rains are common along the Mediterranean coast, as is humidity. In Cairo, however, rain is rare. One distinct characteristic about Egypt's climate is the khamsin, a hot, dry wind that brings sand and dust storms in from the Sahara during the spring season.
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| Emergencies |
In an emergency dial 123 for an ambulance, 122 to reach the police, and 125 for a fire emergency. Note: The tourist police are often more helpful to foreigners than the regular police.
Pharmacists and Doctors in Egypt usually speak English, and in Cairo a few pharmacies are open 24 hours.
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