Egypt country profile

Egypt is the largest Arab country, and has played a central role in Middle Eastern politics.

In the 1950s President Gamal Abdul Nasser pioneered Arab nationalism and the non-aligned movement, while his successor Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel and turned back to the West.

Egypt's great cities - and almost all agricultural activity - are concentrated along the banks of the Nile and its delta.

The economy depends heavily on agriculture, tourism, and cash remittances from Egyptians working abroad - mainly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries.

However, rapid population growth and the limited amount of arable land are straining the country's resources and economy, and political unrest has often paralysed government efforts to address the problems.

• See more country profiles - Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

FACTS

Arab Republic of Egypt

Capital: Cairo

• Population 83.9 million
• Area 1 million sq km (386,874 sq miles)
• Main language Arabic
• Main religions Islam, Christianity
• Life expectancy 72 years (men), 76 years (women)
• Currency Egyptian Pound

UN, World Bank

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