Official Name: Jumhuriyah Misr al-'Arabiyah (Arab Republic of Egypt)

Area: Africa

Size: 1,001,449 km²

Coastline: 2,450 km

Independence: granted February 28, 1922 

Form of Govt.: Republic

Head of Govt.: Prime Minister

Capital: Cairo

Largest City: Cairo

Demographics (2005): 82,982,364,    74 /km²

Egyptians 97%, Nubians, Berbers, Bedouin Arabs, Beja, Dom 2%, European and other 1%

GDP per Capita (2005): $4,836

Languages: Arabic (official), Masri (national), Egyptian (inc. Coptic). English and French widely understood by educated classes

Geography: Topographically, the country can be divided into four regions. (1.) Wagh al-Bahari or lower Egypt which is the broad alluvial Nile Delta. (2.) The Western Desert which is an arid region covered by vast rolling plains of sand, shifting dunes and large depressions. (3.) The Eastern Desert or Arabian Desert which is an elevated plateau broken by deep valleys. (4.) The Sinai Peninsula which is separated from the bulk of Egypt by the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. The Sinai is a desert region with mountains rising in the south. The Nile River is not only the lifeline of Egypt it is also the longest river in Africa. The country's largest lake is the manmade Lake Nasser and others include Menzaleh, Brullos, Idku and Mariut.

Climate: The larger part of Egypt has a desert climate which is hot and arid. There are two seasons, the cool winter season from November to April, and the hot summer season from May to October, although temperatures are often tempered strong offshore breezes. The period between March and June is subject to the Khamsin which is a dust laden sandstorm that blows from the Sahara in the south. Precipitation is limited to the coastal area where it averages 200 mm per annum. Average temperature ranges in Cairo are from 8 to 18 degrees in January to 21 to 36 degrees in July.