Basic Information :
Full Country Name : The Arab Republic of Egypt
Area Land : 997,739 Sq. Km
Area Water : 6,000 sq km
Population : 76 million ( 2006 )
Capital City : Cairo (population - 16.7million)
Other Cities : Alexandria (6 million), Aswan, Asyut, Port Said, Suez, Ismailia
People : Eastern Hamitic (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) (99%); Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) (1%)
Languages : Arabic (official), English and French widely Understood
Religion(s) : Muslim (mostly Sunni) (90%), Coptic Christian (9%) and other (1%)
Currency : 1 Egyptian Pound = 100 Piasters ISO Country Code : eg
Actual Time : Local Time = UTC +2h Daylight Saving Time (DST) 29 April 30 September (UTC +3)
Border : 2,665 km ( Palestine 11 km, Israel 266 km, Sudan 1,273 km, Libya 1,115 km).
Government : Republic
Head of State : President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (since October 1981)
Prime Minister/Premier : Dr Ahmed Nazif (since July 2004).
National holiday : July 23, Revolution Day (1952)..
Governorates
Egypt is divided into 26 governorates, and the city of Luxor, which is classified as a city rather than a governorate. There will soon be 27 governorates, as the city of Luxor is becoming a governorate.
* Aswan
* Alexandria.
* Asyut
* Bani Swaif
* Behaira.
* Cairo ( Al Kahera ).
* Daqahliya.
* Domyat.
* Fayoum.
* Giza.
* Gharbia.
* Ismailia.
* Kafr El Shiekh.
* Luxor ( City ).
* Marsa Matrouh.
* Minya.
* Monofia.
* New Valley ( Al Wadi Al gadid ).
* North Sinai ( Shamal Sianaa).
* Port Said.
* Qina.
* Red Sea ( Al Bahr Al Ahmar ).
* South Sinai ( Ganoub Sainaa ).
* Suhag.
* Suez.
* Sharkia.
Climate
The climate in Egypt is generally very hot in summer, but with big differences between the northern parts and southern areas. Winter is generally warm. Average summer temperatures can be up to 41ºC in the south, but it average 5-10 oC less in the north. Average winter temperatures are between 13 oC in the north, and 21 oC in the south. Cairo, the capital, is in the middle of these two extremes.
Natural resources
Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc.
Agriculture products
Cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats.
Industries
Textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals.
Geography
Egypt is the centre of the Arab world, geographically, culturally and intellectually. It sits on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, with Libya to the west, Sudan to the south and Israel and the Red Sea to the East. Egypt forms the only land bridge between Africa and the remainder of the Eastern Hemisphere and controls the Suez Canal, the shortest sea link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The climate is mainly dry but along the Mediterranean coast there are winter rains. Temperatures are comfortable in the winter but summer temperatures are very high. Gebel Katarina at 2642m is Egypt's highest point.
Education
Ain Shams University : The third Egyptian University, founded in 1950
Al-Azhar University : Chief centre of Islamic and Arabic learning in the world, founded 970
Cairo University : Giza, Middle East's largest University, founded 1908
Egyptian Universities Network : The Egyptian Universities Network (EUN) acts as the Internet service provider since 1993.
Distance Between Major Cities
|
|
Alex
|
Aswan
|
Cairo
|
Fayoum
|
Minya
|
Edfu
|
Ismailia
|
Luxor
|
Port Said
|
Sharm El Sheikh
|
|
Ain Soukhna
|
404
|
857
|
191
|
274
|
364
|
759
|
144
|
639
|
224
|
424
|
|
Alex
|
-
|
1133
|
216
|
295
|
459
|
1025
|
250
|
915
|
273
|
716
|
|
Aswan
|
1133
|
-
|
926
|
838
|
674
|
112
|
1038
|
229
|
1118
|
1429
|
|
Cairo
|
216
|
926
|
-
|
105
|
252
|
818
|
112
|
708
|
192
|
503
|
|
Dahab
|
754
|
1459
|
533
|
638
|
785
|
1351
|
437
|
1241
|
553
|
93
|
|
El Alamein
|
103
|
1220
|
309
|
382
|
545
|
1112
|
368
|
1002
|
481
|
821
|
|
Fayoum
|
295
|
838
|
105
|
-
|
164
|
730
|
217
|
620
|
297
|
608
|
|
Edfu
|
1825
|
112
|
818
|
730
|
565
|
-
|
930
|
121
|
1010
|
1321
|
|
Fayed
|
294
|
1047
|
121
|
226
|
373
|
939
|
34
|
829
|
114
|
422
|
|
Hurghada
|
761
|
580
|
548
|
581
|
452
|
392
|
501
|
282
|
581
|
781
|
|
Nuweiba
|
567
|
1373
|
447
|
552
|
693
|
1265
|
387
|
1155
|
467
|
165
|
|
Port Said
|
273
|
1118
|
192
|
297
|
444
|
1010
|
80
|
300
|
-
|
536
|
|
Qusseir
|
897
|
470
|
684
|
637
|
588
|
365
|
637
|
255
|
717
|
317
|
|
Rafah
|
494
|
1280
|
354
|
459
|
806
|
1172
|
242
|
1062
|
254
|
528
|
|
Safaga
|
814
|
447
|
681
|
554
|
505
|
339
|
554
|
229
|
634
|
834
|
|
Sharm El Sheikh
|
716
|
1429
|
583
|
608
|
755
|
1321
|
456
|
1211
|
536
|
-
|
|
Sidi Abdel Rahman
|
149
|
1261
|
350
|
423
|
587
|
1153
|
405
|
1043
|
522
|
962
|
|
St. Catherine
|
611
|
1324
|
398
|
498
|
650
|
1216
|
351
|
1096
|
432
|
305
|
All distances are in Km. (1 km. = 0.62 Miles)
Main Cities Average Temperatures
|
M
o
n
t
h
|
T
y
p
e
|
Cairo
Min/
Max
|
Alexandria
Min/
Max
|
Luxor
Min/
Max
|
Aswan
Min/
Max
|
Hurghada
Air/
Water
Average
|
Sharm
Air/
Water
Average
|
|
|
|
Forecast
|
Forecast
|
Forecast
|
Forecast
|
Forecast
|
Forecast
|
|
Jan
|
C
F
|
8.6/19.1
47/66
|
9.3/18.3
49/65
|
5.4/23
42/74
|
8/23.8
46/75
|
24/18
75/64
|
24/18
75/64
|
|
Feb
|
C
F
|
9.3/21
48/69
|
9.7/19.2
49/67
|
6.8/25.4
44/78
|
9.4/26.1
49/79
|
25/18
77/64
|
25/18
77/64
|
|
March
|
C
F
|
11.2/23.7
52/75
|
11.3/21
52/70
|
10.7/29
51/84
|
12.6/30.4
54/86
|
26/20
79/68
|
26/20
79/68
|
|
April
|
C
F
|
13.9/28.2
56/83
|
14.5/23.6
58/75
|
15.7/35
60/95
|
17.5/36
63/97
|
31/25
88/77
|
31/25
88/77
|
|
May
|
C
F
|
17.4/32.4
63/90
|
16.7/26.5
62/80
|
20.7/39.3
69/103
|
21.1/38.5
71/101
|
35/26
95/79
|
35/26
95/79
|
|
June
|
C
F
|
19.9/34.5
68/95
|
20.4/28.2
69/83
|
22.6/41
72/107
|
24.2/42.1
76/108
|
37/28
99/82
|
37/28
99/82
|
|
July
|
C
F
|
21.5/35.4
71/96
|
22.7/29.6
73/86
|
23.6/40.8
74/106
|
24.5/42
76/108
|
40/28
107/82
|
40/28
107/82
|
|
Aug
|
C
F
|
21.6/34.8
71/95
|
22.9/30.4
73/87
|
23.5/41
74/107
|
24.7/41.3
76/107
|
42/29
108/84
|
42/29
108/84
|
|
Sept
|
C
F
|
19.9/23.3
68/89
|
21.3/29.4
71/85
|
21.5/38.5
71/101
|
22.2/39.6
72/103
|
38/27
100/81
|
38/27
100/81
|
|
Oct
|
C
F
|
17.8/29.8
64/86
|
17.9/27.7
64/82
|
17.8/35.1
64/95
|
19.3/36.6
66/99
|
32/25
90/77
|
32/25
90/77
|
|
Nov
|
C
F
|
12.1/24.1
54/75
|
14.8/24.4
59/76
|
12.3/29.6
54/85
|
14.5/30.2
58/86
|
26/23
79/73
|
26/23
79/73
|
|
Dec
|
C
F
|
10.4/20.7
51/69
|
11.2/20.4
52/69
|
7.7/24.8
45/76
|
9.9/20.5
50/69
|
26/19
79/66
|
26/19
79/66
|
Egypt International Airports:
City, Location: Alexandria, El Nhouza Airport, IATA Airport code: ALY
City, Location: Aswan, Daraw Airport, IATA Airport code: ASW
City, Location: Cairo Int'l, IATA Airport code: CAI
City, Location: Hurghada Int'l, IATA Airport code: HRG
City, Location: Luxor, IATA Airport code: LXR
City, Location: Sharm El Sheikh, IATA Airport code: SSH.
Visa & Passports
General Regulations
Non-Egyptian visitors arriving in Egypt are required to be in possession of a minimum 6 months valid passport. Entry visas may be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions abroad or from the Entry Visa Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality Administration (TDINA). It is, however, possible for most tourists and visitors to obtain an entry visa at any of the major ports of entry. Please check with the nearest Egyptian Consulate for specific details and regulations relevant to your nationality.
There are three types of Egyptian visa:
• Tourist Visa: is usually valid for a period of 30 days and granted on either single or multiple entry basis.
• Entry Visa: is required for any foreigner arriving in Egypt for purposes other than tourism, (e.g. work, study, etc); the possession of a valid Entry Visa is needed to complete the residence procedure in Egypt.
• Transit Visa. In case your nation is not on the list of countries that need a pre-arrival-visa (please see list below), you can get your visa when you arrive in Egypt. The process is straightforward. You have to buy "visa stamps" for the amount of the fee required for your nationality. These fees vary from 15 to 50 US$ and can not be paid in Egyptian pounds. The stamps are stuck in your passport and you can proceed to the customs desk.
Passports and Identity Cards
All nationalities, except for Italian and German, need a passport with minimum 6 months validity.
Italian and German citizens can enter Egypt with their identity cards; the identity card must be valid for travel abroad and have a minimum validity of at least 6 months from arrival date. In such a case visitors need to have:
- 2 recent pictures
- 1 photocopy of the identity card
Upon arrival (or during the flight) they will be asked to fill in a form that will be handed over in the customs desk.
Children
Children must be in their parents’ passport or being in possession of their own passport or (for Italian and German citizens) identity card valid for travel abroad.
If the child is more than 10 years old, a recent picture must be on parents’ passport. Children more than 11.99 years old cannot be in parent’s passport and need a personal passport.
Nationalities that need pre-arrival-visa
Most European citizens can purchase an entry or tourist visa upon arrival in Egypt. Citizens of the following countries though are required to be in possession of a pre-arrival visa:
|
:: All African countries
:: Afghanistan
:: Armenia
:: Azerbaijan
:: Bangladesh
:: Bosnia and Herzegovina
:: Chechnya
:: Croatia
:: Georgia
:: India
:: Indonesia
:: Iran
:: Iraq
:: Israel
:: Kazakhstan |
:: Kyrgyzstan
:: Lebanon
:: Macau
:: Macedonia
:: Moldova
:: Pakistan
:: Palestine
:: Philippines
:: Serbia and Montenegro
:: Sri Lanka
:: Tajikistan
:: Thailand
:: Turkey
:: Turkmenistan
:: Uzbekistan |
To apply for a visa, please contact the nearest Egyptian consulate. For a list of all diplomatic missions, see the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs' website Your application requires the following documents:
a passport that is valid for at least another six months§
one passport-sized photograph§
a completed application form§
The visa fee depends on your nationality. South African and Sudanese citizens pay no fee.; others pay between 20 and 60 US$. A tourist visa is valid for three months from the date of issue and allows you to stay in Egypt for 30 days from the date of your arrival
Some examples of Egyptian tourist visa fees at a variety of consular missions:
|
|
Tourist Visa Fees
|
|
Country
|
Single Entry
|
Multiple Entry
|
|
Argentina
|
18 US$
|
23 US$
|
|
Australia
|
35 $A
|
42 $A
|
|
Austria
|
300 AS
|
380 AS
|
|
Belgium
|
1100 BF
|
1300 BF
|
|
Brazil
|
25 Cr$
|
30 Cr$
|
|
Canada
|
25 $c
|
31 $c
|
|
Cyprus (Cypriot nationals)
|
8 Pound;
|
|
|
Cyprus (other nationals)
|
12 Pound;
|
14 Pound;
|
|
Denmark (Danish nationals)
|
132 Kr
|
|
|
Denmark (other nationals)
|
188 Kr
|
240 Kr
|
|
Finland (Finnish nationals)
|
100 Mk
|
Mk
|
|
Finland (other nationals)
|
140 Mk
|
175 Mk
|
|
France
|
170 FF
|
205 FF
|
|
Germany (German nationals)
|
35 DM
|
|
|
Germany (other nationals)
|
50 DM
|
65 DM
|
|
Greece
|
4,300 Dr
|
5,100 Dr
|
|
Holland
|
65 Fl
|
85 Fl
|
|
Indonesia
|
45,000 Rp
|
60,000 Rp
|
|
Ireland
|
16,5 £
|
20,5 £
|
|
Italy
|
35,000 Lit
|
44,000 Lit
|
|
Japan
|
5,500 Yen;
|
7,000 Yen;
|
|
Malaysia
|
46 M$
|
57 M$
|
|
Norway (Norwegian nationals)
|
130 Kr
|
|
|
Norway (other nationals)
|
180 Kr
|
215 Kr
|
|
Portugal
|
3,600 Esc;
|
|
|
Russia (Russian nationals)
|
53,000 Rub
|
|
|
Russia (other nationals)
|
85,000 Rub
|
|
|
Singapore
|
46 S$
|
58 S$
|
|
South Korea
|
15,000 W
|
20,000 W
|
|
Spain
|
3,700 Pts
|
4,600 Pts
|
|
Sweden
|
170 Kr
|
220 Kr
|
|
Switzerland
|
50 SF
|
60 SF
|
|
United Kingdom
|
15 Pound;
|
18 Pound;
|
|
United States (US nationals)
|
15 $
|
|
|
United States (other nationals)
|
20 $
|
23 $
|
(All above figures are correct at the time of posting but may be subject to change without prior notice)
Transit Visa
• Foreigners arriving in Egypt on board cruising ships are granted a permission to visit the port of arrival for 24 hours and catch their ship at the same port. They can also be granted a permission to enter the country for a visit not exceeding a period of 2 days before catching their ship at the port of arrival or at any other port.
• Air passengers transiting in Egyptian airports are allowed entry for a quick trip not exceeding the period of 24 hours. In the event of emergency landing, passengers are entitled to enter Egypt for a period of:
o 24 hours in case of poor weather conditions.
o 48 hours in case of technical faults to the aircraft.
|
