جمهورية مصر العربية
Gumhūriyyat Miṣr al-ʿArabiyyah
Arab Republic of Egypt
Flag Coat of arms

Anthem: Bilady, Bilady, Bilady

 

Capital
(and largest city)
Cairo
30°2′N, 31°13′E
Official languages Arabic1
Ethnic groups  98% Egyptians, 1% Nubians, 1% Greeks
Demonym Egyptian
Government Semi-presidential republic
 -  President Hosni Mubarak
 -  Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif
Establishment
 -  First Dynasty c.3150 BCE 
 -  Independence from United Kingdom February 28, 1922 
 -  Republic declared June 18, 1953 
Area
 -  Total 980,869 km² (30th)
378,715 sq mi 386,660 Including Hala'ib Triangle sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 0.632
Population
 -  July 2008 estimate 75,042,000[1] (16th)
 -  2006 census 72,579,030[2] 
 -  Density 74/km² (120th)
192/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2007 estimate
 -  Total $403.961 billion (27th)
 -  Per capita $5,491 (97th)
Gini (1999–00) 34.5 (medium
HDI (2007) 0.708 (medium) (112nd)
Currency Egyptian pound (EGP)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 -  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD .eg
Calling code +20
1 Spoken language is Egyptian Arabic.

Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, (ˈiː.dʒɪpt (help·info), Egyptian: Kemet; Coptic: Ⲭⲏⲙⲓ Kīmi; Arabic: مصر‎ Miṣr; Egyptian Arabic: Máṣr) is a country in North Africa. The Sinai Peninsula is part of northeastern Egypt, which also forms a land bridge to Asia. Covering an area of about 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,660 sq mi), Egypt borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. The northern coast borders the Mediterranean Sea; the eastern coast borders the Red Sea.

Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great majority of its estimated 75 million[1] live near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable agricultural land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely-populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.

Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. The southern city of Luxor contains numerous ancient artifacts, such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural nation of the Middle East.