Egypt

Nominally independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world) will continue to stress Egyptian society and overtax resources as the country enters the new millennium.

• 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

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:

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

• 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

0-14 years:

35% (male 12,260,343; female 11,701,253)

15-64 years:

61% (male 21,111,615; female 20,714,511)

65 years and over:

4% (male 1,131,760; female 1,440,497) (2000 est.)

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 (2000 est.)

noun:

Egyptian(s)

adjective:

Egyptian

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)

• 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

• 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

chief of state:

President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981)

head of government:

Prime Minister Atef OBEID (since 5 October 1999)

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 26 September 1999 (next to be held NA October 2005);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

national referendum validated President MUBARAK's nomination by the People's Assembly to a fourth term

• Democratic Unionist Party [Mohammed 'Abd-al-Mun'im TURK];
• Green Party [Kamal KIRAH];
• Misr al-Fatah Party (Young Egypt Party) [leader NA];
• Nasserist Arab Democratic Party [Dia' al-din DAWUD];
• National Democratic Party or NDP [President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK, leader] - governing party;
• National Progressive Unionist Grouping or NPUG [Khalid MUHI AL-DIN];
• New Wafd Party or NWP [Fu'ad SIRAJ AL-DIN];
• Social Justice Party [Muhammad 'ABDAL-'AL];
• Socialist Labor Party or SLP [Ibrahim SHUKRI];
• Socialist Liberal Party or LSP [Mustafa Kamal MURAD];
• Umma Party [Ahmad al-SABAHI]

note: formation of political parties must be approved by government

• 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 six years to block its influence;
• trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nabil FAHMY

chancery:

3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 895-5400

FAX:

[1] (202) 244-4319, 5131

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

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

telephone:

[20] (2) 3557371

FAX:

[20] (2) 3573200

• 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, which 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

lowest 10%:

3.9%

highest 10%:

26.7% (1991)

• cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables;
• cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats;
• fish

total:

4,955 km

standard gauge:

4,955 km 1,435-m gauge (42 km electrified; 1,560 km double track)

total:

64,000 km

paved:

49,984 km

unpaved:

14,016 km (1996 est.)

• 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta);
• Suez Canal, 193.5 km (including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water

• crude oil 1,171 km;
• petroleum products 596 km;
• natural gas 460 km

total:

180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,348,148 GRT/2,014,483 DWT

ships by type:

bulk 25, cargo 63, container 1, liquified gas 1, passenger 57, petroleum tanker 14, roll-on/roll-off 16, short-sea passenger 3 (1999 est.)

• a transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US;
• popular transit stop for Nigerian couriers [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]