Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, and to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band.
27 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah): Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah (El Beheira), Al Fayyum (El Faiyum), Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma'iliyah (Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah (El Monofia), Al Minya, Al Qahirah (Cairo), Al Qalyubiyah, Al Uqsur (Luxor), Al Wadi al Jadid (New Valley), As Suways (Suez), Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf (Beni Suef), Bur Sa'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina' (South Sinai), Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh (Western Desert), Qina (Qena), Shamal Sina' (North Sinai), Suhaj (Sohag).
Population:
82,079,636
Languages:
Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
Geographic coordinates:
27° 00' N, 30° 00' E
Area total:
1,001,450 sq. km
Land area:
995,450 sq. km
Water area:
6,000 sq. km
Total land boundaries:
2,665 km
Borders with neighbor countries:
Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
Coastline:
2,450 km
Elevation extremes:
Qattara Depression -133 m - Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Internet country code:
.eg
Currency:
Egyptian pound (EGP)
Name - conventional long form:
Arab Republic of Egypt
Name - conventional short form:
Egypt
Name - local long form:
Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah Misr
Former name:
United Arab Republic (with Syria)
Independence:
28 February 1922 (from UK)
Constitution:
11 September 1971 Suspended by the military caretaker government 13 February 2011 and a new provisional constitution adopted 30 March 2011.