Egypt is located in North Africa. It has shorelines on the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east.
Area: Egypt, covers 1,001,449 square kilometers of land
Coastline: Egypt’s natural boundaries consist of more than 2,900 kilometers of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Suez, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea.
Climate: Except for the Mediterranean coast the country experiences a desert climate, which is hot and dry most of the year, especially in the summer months (June to August). Winter is from December to February with average temperatures of 68°F to 79°F (20°C to 26°C).
Terrain: Mountainous Red Sea Hills and in Sinai the Negev Foldbelt. Eastern Egypt is Mountainous Red Sea Hills and in Sinai the Negev Fold belt.
Natural Resources: Egypt’s most valuable mineral resource is oil, although the country also has gold deposits as well as iron ore, manganese, phosphates and uranium.
Population: Population of Egypt, according to a survey conducted in July 2007, is estimated to be around 80,335,036. The estimated rate of growth of population in Egypt is 1.721%. Egypt is considered to be one of the populous countries in Africa. The sex ratio of Egypt population is 1.017 males per female.
Ethnic Groups: Egyptian 98% Berber, Nubian, Bedouin, and Beja 1%, Greek, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%
Languages: National or official languages: Standard Arabic, Egyptian Spoken Arabic. Also includes Adyghe, Amharic Armenian, Bedawi, Italian, Moroccan Spoken Arabic, South Levantine Spoken Arabic, Sudanese Spoken Arabic, Tosk Albanian and West Central Oromo. The number of languages listed for Egypt is 12. Of those, 11 are living languages and 1 is extinct.
Natural Hazards: Periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring and dust storms.
Environmental Issues: Egypt’s environmental problems stem from its aridity, extremely uneven population distribution, shortage of arable land, and pollution. Soil fertility has declined because of overcultivation and agricultural land has been lost to urbanization and desert winds. In addition, the nation’s beaches, coral reefs, and wildlife habitats are threatened by oil pollution. Heavy use of pesticides, inadequate sewage disposal, and uncontrolled industrial effluents have created major water pollution problems. The expanded irrigation of desert areas after completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1970 has increased soil salinity and aided the spread of waterborne diseases.