Population 78,887,007

Capital City Cairo (8.7 million)

Largest Cities Cairo, Alexandria, El Qahira

Currency Egyptian Pound


Latitude/Longitude 30º06 N, 31º25 E

Languages Arabic (official), English, French



Religions Muslim (94%)

Land

Land Area 995,450 sq km (384,343 sq miles) - slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Landforms Most of Egypt is covered by the low-lying sand dunes and depressions of the Western and Libyan Deserts. East of the Nile River, the semi-arid Arabian Desert extends to the edges of the Red Sea.

In the far southwest, the land rises into the Gilf Kebir Plateau, with elevations near 2000 ft. Sandstone plateaus front the Nile and the Red Sea, with cliffs as high as 1,800 ft. In the far southeast, the Red Sea Mountains, an extension of the Ethiopian Highlands, continue on into Sudan.

The country is dissected by the amazing Nile River, as it flows north to the Mediterranean Sea from it source in central Africa. The surrounding Nile Valley, 5-10 miles wide, is the country's only fertile land. and home to 98% of the population.

The Red Sea is extended into the Mediterranean by the man-made Suez Canal. The Sinai Peninsula lies east of the canal, and this limestone plateau rises to Mt Catherine in the south.

Lake Nassar, the largest lake, is man-made, and created when the Aswan dam was constructed, then finished in 1970.

Highest Point Mt. Catherine (2,637 m) (8,652 ft)

Lowest Point Qattara Depression (-133 m)

Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc