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Egypt Geography
Egypt Geography: A summary of information about Egypt Geography, from government research data as well as independent research and other sources.
Egypt: Geography
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip
Geographic coordinates
27 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references
Africa
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: 2,689 km border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255 km, Libya 1,150 km, Sudan 1,273 km
Coastline
2,450 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land
32,460 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity; 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 natural resources
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling 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, shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics
