Egypt, commonly known as “The Motherland of the World”, “Land of Civilizations”, “Land of Quiver (al-Kinana)” and “The Greatest Power in Human History”, is reputed worldwide for its distinct 7,000-year-old record of civilization and immense wealth of knowledge. This has made Egypt a master and pioneer of science, arts, culture, architecture as well as almost all fields of human knowledge.

 

Amongst all civilizations and nations, Egypt has al-ways maintained a unique position. Historically, Egypt is universally acknowledged as the world’s most ancient state with a unified societal entity within its current geographical borders.

 

The name of Egypt refers to the area covering the lower Nile Vley, i.e. extending from Nubia in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north and from the Red Sea in the east to Libyan borders in the west.

 

Through this area there runs the River Nile starting from the Great Lakes in the heart of Africa, through northern Sudan where the Ethiopian tributaries collecting rain water flows into its main course.

 

Running past the cataract area south of Aswan, it calms down, flowing smoothly down to its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea.

 

Egypt is one of a few countries all over the world that has kept its name unchanged over history. Now, let us probe into the origin of this name.

 

In this connection, various explanations are provided. According to some Arab historians, this area was named “Misr” (the Arabic equivalent of Egypt) before the “Deluge” at the time of Prophet Noah when Nicraus, son of Misraim, son of Markable, son of Roible, son of Gheriab, son of Adam, peace be upon him, landed there.

 

In recognition of his father, Nicraus named it after him. Others maintain that Egypt was so named after Miser, son of Binsar, son of Ham, son of Noah who landed there after the Deluge. During the Pharaonic era, Egypt was known by several names such as “Kimpit”, i.e. “black land” as distinct from yellow desert land or red mountainous land, “Thimera” or “Thamir”, i.e. “fertile black land”.

 

Egypt and Memphis were also known as “Hiko Ptah” or “Ko Ptah land of the god Ptah. It was from these names that the Greeks derived the Greek word “Aigyptus” from which the current name of Egypt was in turn derived.

 

Lexically, the Arabic word for Egypt “Misr” means an across-the-border country, rich with treasures and resources or an urban area. More important is that Egypt was explicitly mentioned several times in the Holy Qura’n.

 

In his masterpiece “The Identity of Egypt”, the eminent geographer Dr. Gamal Hemdan says, “Among the Arabs, Egypt occupies a unique position. However, this unique position is further enhanced by its geographical location. Most outstanding about such location is that Egypt is as vital as the heart to the body, the show-piece and point of liaison between Arab Asian and Arab African countries”.

 

While it is understood that Egypt is a part of the Arab Mashreq and that it combines a blend of both the Arab Mashreq and the Arab Maghreb, it is Egypt that introduces the Maghreb to the Mashreq geographically and historically.

 

Egypt is not only a geographical but also historical and ethnic unit. By all standards, the Egyptians are a whole, united people. Thanks to its location, the Egyptian people intermingled with other races and nations who all melted into a homogeneous human entity that took part in all realms of human activity. This fact can be clearly evidenced by the historical achievements made throughout various eras of history.

 

Egypt’s map is constantly expanding and changed in urban and demographic terms. Generations after generations follow coping with new changes, all leaving their own imprint over years. In view of the major events affecting Egypt and the world at large in the framework of a new world order already in the making with the advent of the 21st Century, Egypt pursues its forward march and cultural role. This is now an essential feature of globalization and the communication and information revolution, whereby Egypt can easily cope up with the hectic and rapid changes of the Third Millennium.

 

 

 

Egypt lies between latitudes 22o and 32o north of the equator and between longitudes 24o and 37o east of Greenwich line.

 

 

Egypt is bounded as follows:

 

 

 

The Arab Republic of Egypt has a total area of about 1,002,000 km2 of which 55367 km2, 5.5% are populated.

 

 

Cairo, the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt, is the largest city in the Arab world and Africa in order of population estimated at 7.283 million. Cairo is a time-honoured city, with an outstanding po-sition among world capitals.

 

 

The Arab Republic of Egypt is divided into four major parts:

 

 

It has an area of about 33,000 km2, i.e. less than 4% of the total area of the country. It extends in the south from north of Wadi Halfa up to the Mediterranean coast in the north.

 

It is divided into:

 

-         Upper Egypt, extending from Wadi Halfa to the south of Cairo.

-         Lower Egypt (Nile Delta), extending from the north of Cairo to the Mediterranean.

-         The River Nile, extending over 1532 km from Egypt’s southern borders through two estuaries up to the Mediterranean. The two estuaries are Damietta and Rachid which embrace the fertile in the agricultural lands.

 

 

The Western Desert occupies an area of about 680,000 km2, i.e. 68% of Egypt’s total area extending from the Nile Valley in the east to the Libyan borders in the west, and from the Mediterranean in the north to Egypt’s southern borders that are divided into two sections:

 

a-      The northern section, including the coastal plane, the northern plateau and the Great Depressions area, including Siwa Oasis, Qattara Depression, Natroun Valley and Baharia Oasis.

b-     The southern section, including Farafra, Kharga and Dakhla oases and al-Owainat to the extreme south.

 

 

Its area is about 225,000 km2, i.e. 28% of Egypt’s total area. The Eastern Desert is marked with the eastern mountains that range along the Red Sea with peaks that rise up to about 3000 feet above sea level. This desert is fraught with the Egyptian natural resources, including various ores such as gold, coal and oil.

 

 

With an area of about 6100 km2, i.e. 6.1% of Egypt’s total area, Sinai is shaped like a triangle whose base rests in the north and its apex in the south. It is bounded by the Mediterranean to the north, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east and the Gulf of Suez and Suez Canal to the west.

 

In terms of terrain, Sinai is divided into three main sections:

 

-         The southern section, involving extremely rough terrain, is composed of high rise granite mountains. Here Mount Catherine rises about 2640 metres above sea level, thus making it the highest mountain top in Egypt.

-         The central section, comprises the central plateaus, known as at-Teeh Plateau, where vallies slope gradually towards the Mediterranean.

-         The northern section, comprises the area bounded by the Mediterranean to the west and at-Teeh Plateau to the south. It is a plain area, where abundant rain water falls from southern heights and central plateaus.

 

 

Egypt lies within the dry tropical region, except for the northern parts that lie within the warm moderate region, with a semi-Mediterranean climate characterized by hot dry summers and moderate winters with little rain falls, potentially heavier along coastal areas. Annual average temperature in Lower Egypt ranges from 20^o centigrade during the day to 7^o centigrade at night. In Upper Egypt, average temperature ranges from a maximum of 25^o centigrade to a minimum of 17^o centigrade.

 

 

Egypt’s land area is about 238 million feddans, of which 8.3 million feddans are cultivated, while the remaining part consists of deserts, lakes and territorial waters.

 

 

Egypt depends for its water supply on three fresh water sources, namely surface water from the Nile, rain, storm water and subterranean water, besides some other sources.

Quantity of available water resources for the year 2002/03 showed 68 billion cubic metre, 85% used in agriculture, 9.5% in industry and 5.5% in potable water per annum.

 

 

The Arab Republic of Egypt possesses a huge wealth from major minerals, including oil, phosphate, iron, and manganize.

 

The major products of stone quarries are represented in granite, basalt, marble, limestone, sand, and glass.

 

Quantity of Water Resources and Needs of Consuming Sectors during 2002/03*

Sources	M3 billion/year	Uses	M3 billion/year
- Nile Water	55.5	Agriculture	85%
- Rain and floods water	1.0	Industry	9.5%
- Subterranean water (Valley and Delta)	6.5	Potable water	5.5%
- Deep subterranean water in New Valley, Oases and Sinai	1.0
- Agricultural drainage water	5.0
- Recycled agricultural drainage water	0.7
Total	69.7		100.0%

 

 

-         According to the 1996 census, the population residing within the country showed 59.3 million excluding Egyptians living abroad.

-         On January, 2003, the population in the Arab Republic of Egypt is estimated at 67.313 million, excluding Egyptians living abroad, of which 34.444 million i.e. 51.2% are males and 32.868 million i.e. 48.8% are females apart from Egyptians living abroad (on temporary immigration) estimated at about 1.9 million.

-         Total population at home and abroad rose to 69.213 million on January 1, 2003.

-         Birth rate dropped from 38 per thousand in 1986/1988 to 27.1 per thousand in 2000 and to 26.28 per thousand on 1/1/2003.

-         Mortality rate changed from 6.27 per thousand in 2002 to 6.37 per thousand on 1/1/2003.

-         The natural increase rate fell from 2.04% in 2003 to 1.99% in 2003.

 

 

Normal population growth in 2002 is estimated at about 1.327 million i.e. one citizen / 23.7 seconds with a monthly growth of about 11.600 and a daily increase of about 3636. Thus, rate of normal growth fell from 2.04 percent in 2001 to 1.99 percent in 2002.

 

 

-         Population below 10 years represents 16.430.006 million i.e. 24.4% of the total population.

-         Population below 15 years represents 25.214012 million at a rate of 37.5 % of the total population

-         Population above 15 and below 65 years reached 39.808.032 million at a rate of 59.1% of total population on 1/1/2003.

-         Old age category, more than 65 years reached 2.291.01 million at a rate of 3.4% of total population on 1/1/2003.

 

Estimates of Population in Certain Age Categories on 1/1/2002*(in 1000)