Home. Egypt Travel & Tourism

Geography

Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country in North Africa that includes the Sinai Peninsula, a land bridge to Asia. Covering an area of about 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,560 square miles), Egypt borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. The northern coast borders the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern coast borders the Red Sea.

Egypt is the sixteenth most populous country in the world, and the second most populous country in Africa (after Nigeria). The vast majority of its 76.5 million people (2007) live near the banks of the Nile River (about 40,000 km² or 15,450 sq miles) where the only arable agricultural land is found. Large areas of land form part of the Sahara Desert and are sparsely inhabited. Around half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo (the largest city in the Arab World, and the Middle East), Alexandria and other major towns in the Nile Delta.

Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most ancient and important monuments, including the Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza; the southern city of Luxor contains a particularly large number of ancient artifacts such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Today, Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural centre of the Middle East.

Summary of Facts

Area size: 2.5899881103 km2
Capital: Cairo
Currency: Egyptian pound
GDP/capita: US$1,140
Official Language: Arabic
Religions: Muslims 90%, Coptic Christians 9%, Christians 1%. 
Population (2007): 80 335 036
Telephone Country Code: +20

• Egypt Climate
• Health and Safety
• Cities and Town
• Accommodation and Food

Money Matters

Currency Exchange
Available at banks, official bureaux de change and most hotels. Banks often have better exchange rates than bureaux de change or hotels. All common international currencies are accepted.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted, but generally only in bigger hotels or restaurants in Cairo and restaurants in tourist areas.

Traveller's Cheques
To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars, Euros or Pounds Sterling.

Egypt Climate -  Health and Safety -   Cities and Towns - Accommodation and Food