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| Official
Name : |
AL-JUMHURIYAT
MISR AL-ARABIA (Arab Republic of Egypt) |
| Land
Area: |
1,001,450
square kilometres / 386,560 square miles. |
| Population: |
67,273,000
(est 1999). Density 67.2 persons per square kilometre. |
| Languages: |
Arabic
(official), distinct bedouin and nomadic dialects, French. |
| Religions: |
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic Christian 7%. |
| Capital: |
Cairo
(El-Qahira). Population 13,500,000 |
| Currency: |
Egyptian
pound, divided into 100 piastres. |
| Independant: |
Republic
proclaimed 18 June 1953. |
| Geography: |
A
country of harsh deserts through which the mighty Nile flows. The fertile Nile
Valley and delta represent only 3% of the land area yet supports 99% of the population.
The Eastern Desert, dissected by wadis, supports isolated pockets of scrubland,
and climbs southeast to 2187 metres. The low Western Desert, apart from the oases,
is largely arid. |
