President: Hosni Mubarak (1981)

Prime Minister: Ahmed Nazif (2004)

Area: 386,660 sq mi (1,001,450 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 77,505,756 (growth rate: 1.8%); birth rate: 23.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 32.6/1000; life expectancy: 71.0; density per sq mi: 200

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Cairo, 15,892,400 (metro. area), 7,937,700 (city proper)

Other large cities: Alexandria, 3,891,000; Giza, 2,597,600 (part of Cairo metro. area); Shubra el Khema, 1,018,000 (part of Cairo metro. area); El Mahalla el Kubra, 462,300

Monetary unit: Egyptian pound

Language: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes

Ethnicity/race: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%

Religions: Islam (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%

Literacy rate: 58% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $316.3 billion; per capita $4,200. Real growth rate: 4.5%. Inflation: 9.5%. Unemployment: 10.9%. Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats. Labor force: 20.71 million; agriculture 32%, industry 17%, services 51% (2001 est.). Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc. Exports: $11 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals. Imports: $19.21 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels. Major trading partners: U.S., Italy, UK, Germany, France, China, Saudi Arabia (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 3,971,500 (Dec. 1998); mobile cellular: 380,000 (1999). Radio broadcast stations: AM 42 (plus 15 repeater stations), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999). Radios: 20.5 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 98 (Sept. 1995). Televisions: 7.7 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 50 (2000). Internet users: 600,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 5,105 km (2002). Highways: total: 64,000 km; paved: 49,984 km; unpaved: 14,016 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta); Suez Canal, 193.5 km (including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water. Ports and harbors: Alexandria, Al Ghardaqah, Aswan, Asyut, Bur Safajah, Damietta, Marsa Matruh, Port Said, Suez.. Airports: 89 (2002).

International disputes: Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence—Egypt is economically developing the "Hala'ib triangle" north of the Treaty line.