Egypt
Arab Republic of EgyptJumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
republicIndependence 28 February 1922 (from UK)
Egypt as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 109 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
One of the four great ancient civilizations, Egypt, ruled by powerful pharaohs, bequeathed to Western civilization numerous advances in technology, science, and the arts. For the last two millennia, however, Egypt has served a series of foreign masters--Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, and the British. Formal independence came in 1922, and the remnants of British control ended after World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1981 altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population will stress Egyptian society and resources as it enters the new millenium.
Geography
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, | between Libya and the Gaza Strip
18 fieldsLand useshare of 1,001,450 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Natural hazards
- periodic droughts;
- frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity;
- hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring;
- dust storms, sandstorms
Environment--current issues
- 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
Environment--international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography--note
- controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere;
- controls Suez Canal, shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea;
- size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 36% (male 12,260,845; female 11,712,752)
- 15-64 years:
- 61% (male 20,604,620; female 20,211,012)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 1,099,517; female 1,385,160) (1999 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.79 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%
Religions
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% (official estimate), Coptic Christian and other 6% (official estimate)
Government
Republic; President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981); Prime Minister Kamal Ahmed El-GANZOURI (since 4 January 1996)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Arab Republic of Egypt
- conventional short form:
- Egypt
- local long form:
- Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
- local short form:
- Misr
- former:
- United Arab Republic (with Syria)
Administrative divisions
- 26 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah);
- Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj
Legal system
- based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes;
- judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions);
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Kamal Ahmed El-GANZOURI (since 4 January 1996)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president
- elections:
- president nominated by the People's Assembly for a six-year term, the nomination must then be validated by a national, popular referendum;
- national referendum last held 4 October 1993 (next to be held NA October 1999);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- national referendum validated President MUBARAK's nomination by the People's Assembly to a third term
Legislative branch
bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura--which functions only in a consultative role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the president; members serve NA-year terms)
- elections:
- People's Assembly--last held 29 November 1995 (next to be held NA 2000); Advisory Council--last held 7 June 1995 (next to be held NA)
- election results:
- People's Assembly--percent of vote by party--NDP 72%, independents 25%, opposition 3%;
- seats by party--NDP 317, independents 114, NWP 6, NPUG 5, Nasserist Arab Democratic Party 1, Liberals 1;
- Advisory Council--percent of vote by party--NDP 99%, independents 1%;
- seats by party--NA
Political parties and leaders
National Democratic Party or NDP; legal opposition parties are as follows: New Wafd Party or NWP note: formation of political parties must be approved by government
Political pressure groups and leaders
- despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition;
- MUBARAK tolerated limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first two terms, but has moved more aggressively in the past two years to block its influence;
- trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned
International organization participation
ABEDA, ACC, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, ESCWA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ahmed MAHER al-Sayed
- chancery:
- 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
- consulate(s) general:
- Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
- embassy:
- (North Gate) 8, Kamel El-Din Salah Street, Garden City, Cairo
- mailing address:
- Unit 64900, APO AE 09839-4900
Flag description
- three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band;
- similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band;
- also similar to the flag of Syria that has two green stars and to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band
Economy
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1997)
Electricity
Economy--overview
At the end of the 1980s, Egypt faced problems of low productivity and poor economic management, compounded by the adverse social effects of excessive population growth, high inflation, and massive urban overcrowding. In the face of these pressures, in 1991 Egypt undertook wide-ranging macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform measures.
This reform effort has been supported by three IMF arrangements, the last of which expired in September 1998. Egypt's reform efforts--and its participation in the Gulf war coalition--also led to massive debt relief under the Paris Club arrangements. Substantial progress has been made in improving macroeconomic performance.
Cairo tamed inflation, slashed budget deficits, and built up foreign reserves to an all-time high. Although the pace of structural reforms--such as privatization and new business legislation--has been slower than envisioned under the IMF program, Egypt's steps toward a more market-oriented economy have prompted increased foreign investment.
The November 1997 massacre of foreign tourists in Luxor affected tourism enough to slow the GDP growth rate for 1998 compared to earlier projections. Tourism's slow recovery, coupled with low world oil prices, caused a downturn in foreign exchange earnings in 1998, but external payments are not in crisis.
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 40%, services, including government 38%, industry 22% (1990 est.)
Agriculture--products
- cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables;
- cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats;
- fish
Exports--commodities
crude oil and petroleum products, cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
Imports--commodities
machinery and equipment, foods, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods
Exchange rates
- Egyptian pounds (LE) per US$1--3.4 (November 1994);
- market rate--3.3880 (January 1999), 3.3880 (1998), 3.3880 (1997), 3.3880 (1996), 3.3900 (1995), 3.3910 (1994)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
large system by Third World standards but inadequate for present requirements and undergoing extensive upgrading
- domestic:
- principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
- international:
- satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat;
- 5 coaxial submarine cables;
- tropospheric scatter to Sudan;
- microwave radio relay to Israel;
- participant in Medarabtel
Television broadcast stations
42 (in addition, there are nine channels received from Europe by satellite) (1997)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 180 ships by type(1998 est.)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 4,751 km
- standard gauge:
- 4,751 km 1,435-m gauge (42 km electrified; 951 km double track)
Waterways
- 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta);
- Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water
Ports and harbors
Alexandria, Al Ghardaqah, Aswan, Asyut, Bur Safajah, Damietta, Marsa Matruh, Port Said, Suez
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes--international
Egypt asserts its claim to the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 sq km under partial Sudanese administration that is defined by an administrative boundary which supersedes the treaty boundary of 1899
Illicit drugs
a transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium moving to Europe and the US; popular transit stop for Nigerian couriers
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Egypt.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/egypt/1999.