The Arab Republic of Egypt is located in the north-eastern corner of Africa and south-western Asia. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Palestine and Israel, on the south by Sudan, and on the west by Libya.
The country is about 1. 085 km from north to south and about 1. 255 km from east to west. It has a total area of 1. 001450 km2.
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula
Geographic coordinates: 27 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: Total: 1,001, 450 sq km
Land: 995, 450 sq km
Water: 6, 000 sq km
Area-comparatives:
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries:
Total: 2, 665 km
Border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Palestine 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1, 273 km.
Coastline: 2, 450 km
Maritime claims:
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
-Contiguous zone: 24 nm
-Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
-Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Elevation extremes:
-lowest point : Qattara Depression 436 m
-highest point: Mount Catherine 2, 629 m
-Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead and zinc.
Land use:
-Arable land: 2.87%
-Permanent crops: 0.48%
-Other: 96.65% (2001)
Irrigated land: 33, 000 sq km (1998 est.)
Egypt is 50 feet below sea level. Some important cities, towns, and places in Egypt are Cairo (the capital), Giza, Memphis, Thebes, Alexandria, Suez Canal, Abu Simbel, Sinai Peninsula, and Rosetta.
The highest point is Catharine Mountain that is 8,668 feet high. The lowest point is Qattara Depression and is 436 feet below sea level.
The Nile Delta is the only delta in Egypt and is 100 miles long and 155 miles wide. It is in the shape of a triangle. There are 5 important oases in Egypt and they are all located in the Libyan Desert. They are the Farafrah, Bahriah, Dakhla, Kharijah, and the Siwah oases.The area of Egypt is 386, 662 square miles. The distances from east to west are 770 miles and from north to south it is 675 miles.
There are no forests in but there are date palms and citrus groves. Papyrus plants grow only near the Nile.
Egypt is divided into four major parts:
1. The NileValley and Delta
2- The WesternDesert
3- The Eastern Desert
4- The Sinai Peninsula
Capital of Egypt
Cairo - the Triumphant City - is the glorious capital of Egypt, the cradle of civilization and the beacon of religion. It is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa and lies at the centre of all routes that lead to and from Asia, Africa and Europe.
Cairo was founded on July 16, 969 AD by the Fatimid leader Jawhar Al-Sequilli, by an order from the Fatimid Khalif Al-Mo'iz lideenellah. It was named "the city of the 1000 minarets.
Cairo is Africa's most populous city and the Arab world's cultural center. People from all over the world visit Cairo to see the monuments and artifacts of ancient Egypt as well as the various aspects of modern Cairo.
Cairo provides its visitors with great cultural destinations which include a vast amount of art galleries, music halls, cultural centers etc… Cairo also offers its visitors with great accommodation, restaurants, and various leisure activities and shopping.
In Cairo there is something for everyone. Tourists can enjoy Khan El Khalili Bazaar while shopping for antiques, rugs, copper and many other oriental gifts; while others may enjoy shopping for the latest fashion trends in one of Cairo magnificent malls.
Cairo is the city where past and present meet. On its east side stands the evidence of 2000 years of Islamic, Christian Coptic, and Jewish culture still flourishing till this day. On its west side lays the Ancient Egyptian city of Memphis (Giza), the renowned capital of the Old Kingdom and the site of the Pyramids. Indeed, a journey through Cairo is a journey through time, a journey through the history of an immortal civilization.
