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 (since 9 July 2004)
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)

(July 2008)