014 Cycle Touring Egypt e-book

(Leana) #1

About Egypt (Please refer to your favourite travel guidebook or the internet for a more in-^53
depth overview)


Capital City
Cairo, or Al-Qâhirah, is the capital city of Egypt and one of the largest cities in Africa.


Currency
The official currency of Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (EGP). The symbol used for the EGP is E£. In
addition, the Egyptian Pound is subdivided into smaller denominations known as qirsh or millimes.


Language
Arabic is the official language in Egypt.


Religion
The state religion of Egypt is Islam. The country is majority Sunni Muslim (estimated to be 85-90% of
the population), with the next largest religious group being Christians (with estimates ranging from
10-15%


Location and size
Situated in the northeastern corner of Africa, the Arab Republic of Egypt measures 1,001,450 sq. Km
extending 1,572 km SE – NW and 1,196 km NE – SW. However, the cultivated and settled area (Nile
Valley, Delta, and oases) constitutes about 3.5% of Egypt's land area; the Libyan and Western deserts
occupy about 75% of the total area. Beyond the Suez Canal in the east, the Sinai Peninsula overlaps
Asia. Israeli forces occupied the Sinai from 1967 to 1982.


Egypt is bounded on the N by the Mediterranean Sea, on the E by Israel and the Red Sea, on the S by
Sudan, and on the W by Libya. The total land boundary length is 2,665 km, and its coastline is 2,450
km; Egypt’s capital city, Cairo, is located in the northeastern part of the country.


Population
At the time of writing, Egypt's population was 102,700 000, and the population density of 103 per
Km2.


Internet coverage
Internet services are available but often slow, and certain sights could be blocked.

Free download pdf