Country Overview
Arab Republic of Egypt
Did You Know?
- The Egyptian flag, most recently adopted on 4 October 1984, features three horizontal stripes: red, white, and black. The emblem of an eagle is situated in the center of the flag. The color red refers to the era before the 1952 revolution. The white symbolizes the advent of the 1952 revolution, which ended the monarchy without bloodshed. Black symbolizes the end of oppression of the Egyptians at the hands of the monarchy and British colonialism.
- The common name of the country is Egypt. The official name is the Arab Republic of Egypt (Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah).
- The national anthem of Egypt is “My Homeland.” Adopted in 1979. Lyrics and music by Sayed Darwish.
- Arabic is the official language; and a multitude of Egyptians are fluent in many other languages including English, French, German, Russian, Italian and Spanish.
- Written Arabic differs from the dialects spoken in daily life throughout the country.
Country and Development Data
Capital: Cairo
Population: 83,082,869 (rank=15)
Area, sq. mi.: 386,662 (rank=31)
Area, sq. km.: 1,001,149
Human Dev. Index rank: 123 of 177 countries
Adjusted for women: NA
Real GDP per capita: 5,349
Adult literacy rate: 75% (male); 58% (female)
Infant mortality rate: 27 per 1,000 births
Life expectancy: 68 (male); 72 (female)