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Egypt travel information

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, Africa, 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
Area size: 2.5899881103 km2
Capital: Cairo
Currency: Egyptian pound
GDP/capita: US$1,140
Official Language: Arabic
Telephone Country Code: +20

Climate
In terms of average rainfall, Egypt is the driest country in the world. South of Cairo, rainfall averages only around 2 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) per year, and years typically pass by between falls. On a very thin strip of the northern coast the rainfall can be as high as 170 mm (7 in), all between November and March. Snow falls on Sinai's mountains and some of its middle cities, also snow falls on some coastal cities such as: Damiatta, Baltim, Ras Barrani and rarely Alexandria.

It is hot in the summer, with temperatures averaging between 80 and 90°F (27 - 32°C), and up to 109°F (42°C) on the Red Sea coast. Winters are cool during days and chilly during night, with temperatures averaging between 55 and 70°F (13 to 21°C). A steady wind from the northwest helps hold down the temperature near the Mediterranean coast. The Khamaseen is a wind that blows from the south in Egypt, usually in spring or summer, bringing sand and dust, and sometimes raises the temperature in the desert to more than 100°F (38°C). Egypt relies on The Nile River for water.

Health and Safety

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas. Those arriving in transit from such areas without a certificate will be detained at the airport until their onward flight departs.

Mains water is normally chlorinated and, whilst relatively safe, may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Drinking water outside main cities and towns carries a greater risk and should always be sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Public hospitals are open to tourists. Health insurance is strongly advised.

Tourists who visit Egypt are of course familiar with the Tourist Police, who remain a constant presence, as well the normal police force. They are all over the tourist areas, with the specific job of protecting tourists. However, there has been a vast increase in secret police, not because of any specific threat, but simply as a proactive step due to the violence in Israel and Lebanon. Zamalak specifically, where many of the embassies are located, is crawling with secret police, and their job is, like the Tourist Police, to make sure that all remains safe.

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.

Accommodatian and Food

Hotels in Egypt boast of clean and spacious guest rooms and other amenities such as conference center, swimming pool, health club and other leisure activities. The Hotels in Egypt also makes arrangements for airport transfers and pick-ups as well as tour packages to the nearby tourist attractions. 

There is always a good selection foods, you can watch being prepared. An Ala carte menus is available in Restaurants however at an extra cost.
In all the Bars & Restaurants theres a wide selection of Soft Drinks & Local Alcoholic Beverages to have.

Cities and Town

Cairo , which means "The Vanquisher" or "The Triumphant", is the capital city of Egypt. While Al-Qahirah is the official name of the city, in Egyptian Arabic it is typically called simply by the name of the country, Masr . It has a metropolitan area population of officially about 16.1 million people. Cairo is the seventh most populous metropolitan area in the world. It is also the most populous metropolitan area in Africa.

Midan Tahrir is the central area of Cairo ; Garden City an upmarket suburb close to the city centre and Midan Ramses the area around the railway station. Islamic Cairo consists of the Citadel, Khan el Khalili; mosques and medieval architecture. Old Cairo which includes Coptic Cairo and Fustat is in the southern part of Cairo . Gezira is on the southern part of the main island in the Nile; Zamalek is in the northern part of the main Nile island. Giza is on the way to the pyramids. Heliopolis and Nasr City are residential areas close to Cairo International Airport

Citadel

The ancient city was about 6.4 km (about 4 mi) long, and regularly built, with streets crossing at right angles and colonnades adorning the

principal streets. The most magnificent quarter of the city, called the Brucheium, was situated on the eastern harbor. Farther west was the Serapeion, or temple of the Egyptian deity Serapis; the Soma, or mausoleum of Alexander and the Ptolemies; the Poseidonium, or temple of Poseidon, god of the sea; the museum; the great theater; and the emporium, or exchange.

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