* Official name: Arab Republic of Egypt or Jumhuriyat Misr Al-Arabia.

* Population: 53,170,000 (1990)

* Situation: North East Africa.

* Timezone: GMT + 2.

* Area: 1,001,449 sq kilometres / 386,559 sq miles.

* Borders with: Sudan, Israel, Libya.

* Coasts: Mediterranean; Red Sea.

* Capital: Cairo or El Qahira population 11,000,000 (1990 estimated).

* Major Towns: Alexandria, Aswan, Hurghada, Luxor, Port Said.

* Chief Port: Alexandria.

* Religion: Majority Sunni Muslim; minority Coptic Christian.

* Rest Day: Friday & Saturday.

* Electricity: 220v AC, 50 Hz.

* Physical: The River Nile dominates the country flowing north out of Sudan, dammed at Aswan creating Lake Nasser; there is a huge river delta north of Cairo where the river flows into the Mediterranean. There is a fertile strip of land either side of the Nile where live 90% of the population. Most of the country is arid desert with a narrow Eastern Desert between the Red Sea and the Nile and a much wider Western Desert on the other side. There are 7 major depressions in the Western Desert including the Qattara Depression which goes down to 133m/436 ft below sea level. The Sinai Desert Peninsular has mountains rising to 2,637 m /8,651 ft and includes Mt Sinai/Jebel Katherine.