Africa Information Safari

EGYPTArab Republic of Egypt

GEOGRAPHY:

• Location:-------------- Northern Africa
• Area:
     Total Area:--- 1,001,450 sq. km
     Land Area:--- 995,450 sq. km
• Capital City:------------- Cairo
• Natural Resources:--------- Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, maganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
  
  PEOPLE:
• Population:-------------- 83,082,869
• Literacy Rate:----------- 51.4% of total population, (Males: 63.6%, Females:38.8%)
• Languages:---------------- Arabic (official), English and French (widely understood by educated classes)
• Religions:---------------- 94% Muslim (mostly Sunni), 6%- Coptic Christian and other (official estimates)
  
  VITAL STATISTICS:
• Birth Rate:--------------- 27.82 (per 1,000 population)(1997)
• Death Rate:--------------- 8.56 (per 1,000 population)
• Infant Mortality Rate:----------- 71 (deaths per 1,000 live births)
• Fertility Rate:-------------- 3.5 (per woman)
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
     Total population:--- 61.75 (Males:59.8, Female:63.8)
  
  GOVERNMENT:
• Type of Government:------------- Republic
• Independence:------------- February 28, 1922 (from UK)
• President:--------------- Transitional Military Rule (Mohammed Hosni Mubarak stepped down Feb. 11 2011) Mohammed Hussein Tantawi is interim leader.
• Prime Minister:----------- Transitional Military Rule starting Feb, 11 2011
  
  ECONOMY:
• GDP:--------------- purchasing power parity - $183.9 billion (1996)
     GDP real growth rate:-- 4.9%
     GDP per capita:-- $2,900
• Inflation Rate (consumer prices):--------------- 7.3% (1996)
• National Budget:
     Revenues:--- $17.4 billion
     Expenditures:--- $18.8 billion
• External Debt:------------- $31 billion
• Currency:---------------- 1 Egyptian pound = 100 piasters
• Labor Force:-------------- 17.4 million (1996)
• Unemployment Rate:-------------- 9.4% (1995-96 official estimate)
• Agriculture:--------------- Cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats; fish (annual catch about 14,000 metric tons)
• Industries:------------- Textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum, construction, cement, metals.
• Exports:--------------- $4.6 billion
     Commodities:--- Crude oil and petroleum products, cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
• Imports:--------------- $13.8 billion
     Commodities:--- Machinery and equipment, foods, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods
  
  DEFENCE:
• Defence Expenditures:------------ exchange rate conversion - $3.28 billion, 8.2% of GDP

Geography:Egypt is located at the northeast corner of Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. The Suez Canal between the Arabian Desert and the Sinai Penisula was opened Nov. 17 1869