About Egypt
About Egypt
Egypt is probably the world's oldest civilization having emerged from the
Nile Valley around 3,100 years ago, historically. Egypt is probably one
of the oldest vacation spots. Early Greeks, Romans and others went
there just for fun, and to see the wonders of some of mankind's earliest
triumphs. But Egypt is much more than Pyramids and monuments.
It is also Red Sea scuba diving, hot night spots, luxury hotels and five star
restaurants. It is romantic cruises down the Nile on festive river boats,
a night at the grand opera and it is a cultural experience like none you
have ever experienced. Egypt is a land bustling with life, sound, visual
beauty and excitement. More than anything else, we want you to think
of Egypt as fun. For thousands of years, it has been the playground of
emperors and
kings, and we hope you will take the time to find out why.
Overview
People
Language
: Arabic
(official), English and French widely understood
by educated classes
Major Religions : Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% (official estimate),
Coptic Christian and other 6% (official estimate)
Ethnic groups : Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins,
and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European 1%
Growth rate 1.86%
Birth rate 27.31 births/1,000
Death rate 8.41 deaths/1,000
Fertility rate 3.41 children/woman
Male life expectancy 60
Female life expectancy 64
Infant
mortality rate
69.23 deaths/1,000 live births
Economy
Labor force 17.4 million (1996)
Unemployment rate 9.4% (1997)
Inflation Rate 4.9% (1997)
Gross domestic product (total value of goods and services
produced annually) $267.1 billion (1997 est.)
Budget $19.8 billion
Debt $30.5 billion (1996)
Exports $5.1 billion, primarily crude oil and petroleum products,
cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
Imports $15.5 billion, primarily machinery and equipment, foods,
fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods
Defense spending 8.2% of GDP (1997 est.)
Highways 64,000 km (1996)