Egypt
27 00 N, 30 00 E
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
total: 2,665 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
arable land: 2.92%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 96.58% (2005)
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
Hot, dry summers with mild, dry winters and cold nights. Rainfall is negligible except on the coast. In April, the hot, dusty Khamsin wind blows from the Sahara.
Required clothing
Lightweight cottons and linens during summer, with warmer clothes for winter and cooler evenings.
time difference: UTC+2
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Thursday in September
