Egypt

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Nile valley and delta
  - The Eastern Desert
  - The Western Desert
  - Sinai Peninsula
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Rural settlement
  - Urban settlement
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
  - Local government
  - Justice
  - Political process
  - Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- From the Islamic conquest to 1250
  - Period of Arab and Turkish governors (639–868)
    - The Arab conquest
    - Early Arab rule
    - Egypt under the caliphate
  - The Ṭūlūnid dynasty (868–905)
  - The Ikhshīdid dynasty (935–969)
  - The Fāṭimid dynasty (969–1171)
    - Islamization
    - Arabization
    - Growth of trade
    - The end of the Fāṭimid dynasty
  - The Ayyūbid dynasty (1171–1250)
    - Saladin’s policies
    - Power struggles
    - Growth of Mamluk armies
- The Mamluk and Ottoman periods (1250–1800)
  - The Mamluk rulers (1250–1517)
    - Political life
    - Contributions to Arabic culture
    - Religious life
    - Economic life
  - The Ottomans (1517–1798)
    - The Ottoman conquest
    - Ottoman administration
    - Mamluk power under the Ottomans
    - Expansion
    - Culture
    - Religious affairs
- From the French to the British occupation (1798–1882)
  - The French occupation and its consequences (1798–1805)
  - Muḥammad ʿAlī and his successors (1805–82)
    - Military expansion
    - Administrative changes
    - ʿAbbās I and Saʿīd, 1848-63
    - Ismāʿīl, 1863–79
    - Renewed European intervention, 1879–82
- The period of British domination (1882–1952)
  - The British occupation and the Protectorate (1882–1922)
    - ʿAbbās Ḥilmī II, 1892–1914
    - World War I and independence
  - The Kingdom of Egypt (1922–52)
    - The interwar period
    - World War II and its aftermath
- The revolution and the Republic
  - The Nasser regime
  - The Sadat regime
  - The Mubarak regime
  - Unrest in 2011: January 25 Revolution
  - Transition to an elected government
  - The June 30 Revolution
  - Return to authoritarianism

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Giza, Egypt: pyramids

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Giza, Egypt: outfitted camel

Egypt: Ethnic composition

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Egypt: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Jumhūriyyat Miṣr al-ʿArabiyyah • Arab Republic of Egypt • Miṣr • Arab Socialist Republic
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Mostafa Madbouly
Capital	Cairo
Population	(2024 est.) 106,647,000
Head Of State	President: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with two legislative houses (House of Representatives [596] and Senate [300¹])
Official Language	Arabic
Official Religion	Islam
Official Name	Jumhūriyyat Miṣr al-ʿArabiyyah (Arab Republic of Egypt)
Total Area (Sq Km)	996,603
Total Area (Sq Mi)	384,788
Monetary Unit	Egyptian pound (LE)
Population Rank	(2023) 15
Population Projection 2030	117,151,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2024) 277.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2024) 107
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2022) 42.9% • Rural: (2022) 57.1%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2023) 68.8 years • Female: (2023) 73.8 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2021) 79% • Female: (2021) 67%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 439,247
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 3,900
¹One-third is elected by constituency, one-third by proportional representation, and one-third appointed by the president.

Photos and Videos

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See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

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