Egypt

• periodic droughts;
• frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides;
• 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 the Nile and natural resources

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere;
• controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea;
• size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;
• dependence on upstream neighbors;
• dominance of Nile basin issues;
• prone to influxes of refugees

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:

0.74 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2005 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 Ahmed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for six-year term;
• note - a national referendum in May 2005 approved a constitutional amendment that changed the presidential election to a multicandidate popular vote;
• previously the president was nominated by the People's Assembly and the nomination was validated by a national, popular referendum;
• last referendum held 26 September 1999;
• first election under terms of constitutional amendment held 7 September 2005;
• next election scheduled for 2011

election results:

Hosni MUBARAK reelected president; percent of vote - Hosni MUBARAK 88.6%, Ayman NOUR 7.6%, Noman GOMAA 2.9%

• Al-Ahrar Party [Helmi SALEM];
• Nasserist Arab Democratic Party or Nasserists [Dia' al-din DAWUD];
• National Democratic Party or NDP [Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (governing party)];
• National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat EL-SAID];
• New Wafd Party or NWP [No'man GOMAA]

note: formation of political parties must be approved by the 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 moved more aggressively since then to block its influence;
• civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms;
• trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned

chief of mission:

Ambassador M. Nabil FAHMY

chancery:

3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 895-5400

FAX:

[1] (202) 244-4319

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

chief of mission:

Ambassador designate Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr

embassy:

8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo

mailing address:

Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900

telephone:

[20] (2) 797-3300

FAX:

[20] (2) 797-3200

• three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
• the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band;
• design is based on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band

lowest 10%:

4.4%

highest 10%:

25% (1995)

general assessment:

• large system;
• underwent extensive upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern;
• Internet access and cellular service are available

domestic:

principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay

international:

• country code - 20;
• 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;
• a participant in Medarabtel

total:

5,063 km

standard gauge:

5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2004)

total:

64,000 km

paved:

49,984 km

unpaved:

14,016 km (1999 est.)

• condensate 289 km;
• condensate/gas 94 km;
• gas 6,115 km;
• liquid petroleum gas 852 km;
• oil 5,032 km;
• oil/gas/water 36 km;
• refined products 246 km (2004)

total:

77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,194,696 GRT/1,754,815 DWT

by type:

bulk carrier 14, cargo 34, container 2, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 8

foreign-owned:

10 (Denmark 1, Greece 6, Lebanon 2, Turkey 1)

registered in other countries:

34 (2005)

• Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the two triangular areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence;
• Egypt is developing the Hala'ib Triangle north of the Treaty line;
• since the attack on Taba and other Egyptian resort towns on the Red Sea in October 2004, Egypt vigilantly monitors the Sinai and borders with Israel and the Gaza Strip;
• Egypt does not extend domestic asylum to some 70,000 persons who identify as Palestinians but who largely lack UNRWA assistance and, until recently, UNHCR recognition as refugees

• transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US;
• transit stop for Nigerian couriers;
• concern as money-laundering site due to lax financial regulations and enforcement