Country Name: EGYPT
Capital: Cairo

US Contact:

Chancery:
3521 International Court NW
Washington, DC 20008

1.202.895.5400
1.202.244.4319
1.202.244.5131

Related Link: http://www.sis.gov.eg/

Geography

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip
Land: 995,450 sq km
Water: 6,000 sq km "
Total: 1,001,450 sq km
Geographic coordinates: 27 00 N, 30 00 E

Population

69,536,644 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.69% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 24.89 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Climate

Desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters.

Natural Resources/Land Use

Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc.

Arable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 32,460 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural Hazards/Environmental Issues

Periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms.

Agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining natural resources.

Economy

A series of IMF arrangements - along with massive external debt relief resulting from Egypt's participation in the Gulf war coalition - helped Egypt improve its macroeconomic performance during the 1990s. Sound fiscal and monetary policies through the mid-1990s helped to tame inflation, slash budget deficits, and build up foreign reserves, while structural reforms such as privatization and new business legislation prompted increased foreign investment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $247 billion (2000 est.)
GDP: Per capital: purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

Information Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/