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Egypt

Population: 82,536,770 (est.)

Language: Arabic

Capital: Cairo

Interesting Facts:

The Egyptian pound is the official currency of Egypt.
Egypt is predominantly a Muslim country, with Muslims accounting for between 80% and 90% of a population, and the remainder being mainly Christians.
The literacy rate for Egyptian men is 83% and 59.4% for women.
Egypt is home to the River Nile, the longest river in the world.
Egypt’s capital, Cairo, is the largest city in Africa and the Middle East.
The pyramids of Egypt are the last remaining ancient wonder of the world. They have been given an ‘honorary status’ in the list of the new ‘Wonders of the World’.
Egypt receives very little rainfall except in winter months.
Apart from the Nile River, most of the land in Egypt is desert.
Egypt is the birthplace of one of the oldest, most intelligent and infamous civilizations, the ancient Egyptians.

Egypt officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country country situated mainly within North Africa, with its Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Covering an area of about 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq mi), Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west.

Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East, and the 15th most populated in the world. The great majority of its over 82 million people live near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land is found. The large regions of the Sahara Desert, which constitute most of Egypt’s territory, are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt’s residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.

Egypt has one of the longest histories of any modern state, having been continuously inhabited since the 10th millennium BCE. Its monuments, such as the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx, were constructed by its ancient civilization, which was one of the most advanced of its time. Its ancient ruins, such as those of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings outside Luxor, are a significant focus of archaeological study and popular interest. Egypt’s rich cultural legacy, as well as the attraction of its Red Sea Riviera, has made tourism a vital part of the economy, employing about 12% of the country’s workforce.

The economy of Egypt is one of the most diversified in the Middle East, with sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry and services at almost equal production levels. Egypt is considered to be a middle power, with significant cultural, political, and military influence in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Muslim world.

Source: Wikipedia