Short facts about the geography of Egypt
| Location: |
Northern Africa, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza
Strip |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
27 00 N, 30 00
E |
| Area: |
total: 1,001,450 sq km
land: 995,450 sq km
water:
6,000 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly more than three times the size
of New Mexico |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 2,689 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255
km, Libya 1,150 km, Sudan 1,273 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth
of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate
winters |
| Terrain: |
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile
valley and delta |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount
Catherine 2,629 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore,
phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead,
zinc |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures:
0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993
est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
32,460 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
periodic droughts; frequent
earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity; hot, driving windstorm
called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms,
sandstorms |
| Environment
- current issues: |
agricultural land being lost to
urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High
Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine
habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and
industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the
Nile which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population
overstraining natural resources |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| Geography -
note: |
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land
bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal,
shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and
juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;
dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to
influxes of refugees | Source: World Factbook |
