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Egypt |
Capital: Cairo
Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
Currency: Egyptian pound (EGP)
Background: Nominally independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.
PEOPLE
Population: 80,335,036 (July 2007 est.); 80,471,869 (July 2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
2007
Total population: 71.57 years
Male: 69.04 years
Female: 74.22 years (2007 est.)
2010
Total population: 72.4 years
Male: 69.82 years
Female: 75.1 years (2010 est.)
Age structure:
2007
0-14 years: 32.2% (male 13,234,428/female 12,631,681)
15-64 years: 63.2% (male 25,688,703/female 25,082,200)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 1,576,376/female 2,121,648) (2007 est.)
2010
0-14 years: 33% (male 13,308,407/female 12,711,900)
15-64 years: 62.7% (male 25,138,546/female 24,342,230)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 1,546,774/female 1,818,778) (2010 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.721% (2007 est.); 1.997% (2010 est.)
Population below poverty line: 20% (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2006 est.)
People living with HIV/AIDS: 5,300 (2006 est.); 9,200 (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 71.4%
Male: 83%
Female: 59.4% (2005 est.)
Refugees and Internally Displaced People:
Refugees (country of origin): 60,000 - 80,000 (Iraq), 70,255 (Palestinian Territories), 13,446 (Sudan) (2006)
refugees (country of origin): 60,000 - 80,000 (Iraq); 70,198 (Palestinian Territories); 12,157 (Sudan) (2007)
ECONOMY
Unemployment rate: 10.3% (2006 est.); 9.4% (2009 est.)
Labour force by Occupation: agriculture: 32%, industry: 17%, services: 51% (2001 est.)
Agricultural Products: cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats
Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures
Exports – Commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
Exports – Partners:
Italy 12.1%, US 11.3%, Spain 8.5%, UK 5.5%, France 5.4%, Syria 5.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%, Germany 4.2% (2006)
US 7.95%, Italy 7.26%, Spain 6.78%, India 6.69%, Saudi Arabia 5.53%, Syria 5.3%, France 4.39%, South Korea 4.27% (2009)
Imports – Commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels
Imports – Partners:
US 11.4%, China 8.3%, Germany 6.4%, Italy 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 5%, France 4.6% (2006)
US 9.92%, China 9.63%, Germany 6.98%, Italy 6.88%, Turkey 4.94% (2009)
ENVIRONMENT
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 the Nile and natural resources.
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms
Source: CIA World Factbook
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