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
Map references:
Africa
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Population - distribution: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 1,001,450 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 995,450 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 6,000 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 31
more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
Area comparison map: more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
total: 2,612 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4): Gaza Strip 13 km, Israel 208 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,276 km
2,450 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
More Climate Details
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
mean elevation: 321 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
agricultural land: 3.6%
arable land 2.8%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 0%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0.1%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 96.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
36,500 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms
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; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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: none of the selected agreements
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 from Sudan and the Palestinian territories