country comparison to the world: 30
land:
995,450 sq km
water:
6,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 2,665 km
border countries:
Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
Coastline:
2,450 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
More Climate Details
Terrain:
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point:
Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
Land use:
arable land: 2.92%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
0.5%
other:
96.58% (2005)
Irrigated land:
35,300 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
Total renewable water resources:
86.8 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 68.3 cu km/yr (8%/6%/86%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita:
923 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms
Environment - current issues:
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; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territories