| Fast
Facts |
| Location: |
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean
Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan,
and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula |
| 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: 2,665 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km,
Sudan 1,273 km |
| Coastline: |
2,450 km |
Maritime
claims as described in UNCLOS 1982
(see Notes and Definitions): |
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 2.85% permanent crops: 0.47% other: 96.68% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
33,000 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes,
flash floods, landslides; 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 the Nile and natural resources |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, 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, a 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 |
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Egypt Geography