The Land
Egypt is located in the northeastern corner of Africa and covers an area of 386,000
square miles. Only about 5% of the country is inhabited mainly along the banks of the Nile. The Nile stretches the length of Egypt from the Mediterranean in the north to Sudan in the south. Egypt's
most fertile area is the Nile Delta. Cairo Egypt's capital has 14 million inhabitants, and Alexandria, the country's second largest city, has a population of 5.5 million.The People
Egypt's population is 60
million. About 90% of Egyptians are concentrated in the fertile Nile Delta and live in 5% of the country's area - 44% in urban areas and most in some 4,000 villages. However, during the past few years, there
has been an urban migration. The Egyptians are outgoing, warm and have a distinct sense of humor. They have a respect and a liking for foreigners, and a deep sense of tolerance for other races, religions and
nationalities.
The Egyptian Government
Egypt is called the Arab Republic of Egypt. The system of government is democratic presidential. The President is nominated by the People's Assembly composed of
350 members and approved through popular referendum. He serves a 6 year term and may be re-elected for further terms of office.
Language
Arabic is Egypt's official language. However, most Egyptians
understand and speak English and French. In larger towns, the foreign visitors will encounter no difficulty in communicating with people.
Religion
Approximately 85 percent of the population of Egypt are
Moslems. Most of the balance, about 9 million, are Christian Orthodox who belong to the Coptic Church.
Currency
The basic unit of currency is the Egyptian pound divided into 100 piasters. Rate of
exchange is about 3.39 Egyptian pounds to 1 US Dollar.
Time
7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
