35 Interesting Facts About Egypt

1. Egypt is one of the few in the world and the only transcontinental country in Africa. The Sinai Peninsula of Egypt is in Asia.
2. Egypt is the most populous country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the 3^rd most populous in Africa (after Nigeria and Ethiopia), and has the 5^th largest population in the Muslim world.
3. The world’s longest table is in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. The length of this table is more than 3,189 m and was used to serve iftar for 7,000 people on 2^nd June 2019. (Source)
4. Al-Azhar University in Cairo is known as the world’s second oldest university. It was founded in 972 A.D. (Source)
5. Aswan and Kharga in Egypt are the 3^rd and 8^th sunniest cities in the world. Egypt also has 2^nd most average sunshine hours in the world after the USA.
6. In 2017, archaeologists discovered unexplored passageways in the Great Pyramid of Gaza. This void is the first large internal structure discovered in the pyramid since the 1800s, thanks to the latest technology. (Source)
7. Egypt contains two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and the only ancient wonder that still exists.(Source)

   

   The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only existing Ancient wonder 

   
   
8. There are 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Egypt. Six of these are cultural sites, while Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) is a natural site. (Source)
9. The 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th oldest bibles were discovered in Egypt. The country is also one of the possible locations for the oldest (Codex Vaticanus) and the 6^th oldest bibles. (Source)
10. Suez Canal in Egypt connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. This canal is one of the most frequently used shipping lanes. It provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and areas around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. (Source)
11. Egypt has the largest and most powerful military in Africa and the Arab world. The number of active-duty military personnel in Egypt is 10th highest in the world.
12. During the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt lost almost the whole of its powerful Air Force at just the beginning of the war. (Source)
13. In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to recognize Israel. It happened after its failure to defeat Israel in 1973 Arab-Israeli War (Yom Kippur War). 
14. Due to its peace treaty with Israel, Arab League suspended the membership of Egypt from 1979 to 1989. During that period, the league transferred its headquarter from Cairo to Tunis. 
15. Egypt is a majority Muslim country with a 90% Muslim population. However, it was a Christian majority state before the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 7^th Century.
16. Even today, Egypt is home to the largest Christian population in North Africa and the Middle East. No other country in the region contains even half of the Christians present in Egypt. (Source)
17. Bir Tawil is an uninhabited area between Egypt and Sudan, not claimed by any country. Instead, both countries have a territorial dispute on the Hala'ib Triangle (an Egyptian controlled area on the border of Sudan). (Source)
18. The Aswan High dam in Egypt is the 3^rd largest dam in Africa. It generates 2,100 MW of electricity.
19. Egypt is prone to several natural hazards. These include earthquakes, floods, sand storms, rock slides, etc. (Source)
20. In most parts, Egypt receives less than 8 mm of precipitation every year. However, the wettest part of the country receives 200 mm of rain annually. (Source)
21. Nearly 98% of the Egyptian population resides on 3% of the total land area of the country. This area is along Nile Valley and Nile Delta.

    

    97% population of Egypt resides along Nile valley and delta
    
    

22. Egypt is very hot and dry and primarily depends on the Nile River for its water and agriculture requirements.
23. Cairo has been present in the same place since its foundation more than 1,000 years ago. Egypt is now building a new capital east of Cairo to replace its old capital. (Source)
24. Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East, with a population of over 20 million. Alexandria is the 7^th largest city in this region. (Source)
25. There are two Egyptian cities among the five most populous cities in Africa. Cairo and Alexandria are the third and fifth most populous cities on this continent. (Source)
26. Egypt is the largest Arabic-speaking country in the world. Its population is more than double than the second most populous Arab country (Algeria). (Source)
27. The tourism sector employs 1.25 million people in Egypt. The country receives the third-largest number of tourists in the MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) region after Saudi Arabia and the UAE. (Source)
28. Tourism is a significant source of income for Egypt. The most attractive sites for tourists in Egypt are Egyptian pyramids and beaches on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
29. September 11 attacks (on September 11, 2001) was the deadliest terrorist incident on the US soil in history. The leader of the 18 hijackers of the September 11 attacks, Muhammad Atta, was an Egyptian.
30. Muhammad Ali Pasha was the founder of modern Egypt. This Albanian Ottoman became the de-facto ruler of this country in 1805. His dynasty remained in power until the successful coup by a group of army officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser and Muhammad Naguib in 1952.
31. After this coup, Egypt came under the control of its powerful military. Apart from one year of civilian rule (from June 2012 to July 2013), Egypt remained under military control throughout its history as a republic. 
32. Boutros Boutros-Ghali was the former Deputy PM of Egypt. He remained U.N. Secretary-General from 1991 to 1996.
33. In 2018, Egypt passed a law that allows the government to monitor social media accounts and bloggers with over 5,000 followers. (Source)
34. The 2011 protests against the military regime and the 2013 protests against the only democratic government were the largest in Egyptian history. (Source)
35. International rights groups criticize Egypt for human rights violations and low levels of personal freedom. This criticism has increased, especially after the latest military coup.