EGYPT
Conventional name: Arab Republic of Egypt (Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah)
Etymology: from the ancient Egyptian hikuptah « castle of Ptah’s Ka (soul) », one of the names of Memphis, that Greeks called Aiguptos and applied to the whole country. In Arab, Egypt is called misr « great city, capital », from the name of the new capital built up in Fustat, funded by Ubaydallah al-Mahdi, the first Fatimide calipha of Egypt, , on the 10th Century, and called misr al-qâhira « the victorious capital », nowadays Cariro.
Capital: Cairo.
Surface area: 1.001.449 km².
Comparison with a European country : About twice the size of Spain.
Administrative Divisions : 26 governorates (muhafazah / muhafazat)
Population (2007): 74 033 000
Population Density (2007): 70,1 inhabitants/km²
Young People under 15 years old (2004): 33.4%
Popultation Growth (2000-2005) : 1,9 %
Fecundity rate (2000-2005) : 3,29
Life expectancy (2000-2005) : 69,6
Infant mortality (2000-2005) : 36,7‰
Urban population (2007): 42,2 %
Illiteracy rate (2007): men: 32,8 %; women: 56,4%
Language: Arabic
Ethnic Background: Eastern Hamitic (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greeks, Nubians (approx.160.000), Armenians, other Europeans (primarily Italians and Frenchs) 1%.
Religions : Muslims Sunni 94%, Christians (Orthodox Copts, Catholics and Armenians) and other 6%.
HDI (Human Development Indicator, UNDP, 2008): within the 177 countries selected in the report Egypt is ranked 112. (rate 0,708 middle development)
Currency: 1 Egyptian pound (EGP) = 100 piasters (1 Egyptian £= 0,12 €uros, 07/15/2008)
GDP (2007): 305 255 millions de $
GDP per capita (2007): 4317 $
Annual growth: (1994-2004) : 4,8% – (2005) : 5 %
Unemployment Rate (2003): 9.9%
Labour Force by Sector of Activity (2003): Agriculture 17%, industry 33% and services 50%
Exports (2007): 10 672 millions de $
Imports (2007): 19 851 millions de $
Agriculture Products: cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables
Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum, construction, cement, metals, revenues from the Suez channel
Main trade exports: crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals.
Main trade imports: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels.
Major Trading Partners (2003): Imports: US 13.6%, Germany 7.4%, Italy 7%, France 6.6%, China 4.8%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%; Exports: US 13.3%, Italy 12.3%, UK 7.9%, France 4.7%, Germany 4.7%, India 4.2%
Total External Debt (2003): 30.340 Million US $
Year of Independence : 1936 (from the United Kingdom)
Admitted in the United Nations in: 1945.
Member i.a. of : League of Arab States, OIC, COMESA, W.T.O.
State nature: Unitary Republic
Regime nature : presidential
Head of State (President): Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981)
Prime Minister: Ahmed NAZIF (9 July 2004 – 29 January 2011), Ahmed Chafik (since 29 January 2011)
Minister for Foreign Affairs: Ahmed Aboul Gheit
Sources (données): L’Etat du Monde 2003 (La Découverte), CIA World Factbook 2004, Arab Human Development Report 2002 (PNUD), l’Etat du Monde 2007 (La Découverte)