Egypt Country & Tourist Information

Location
Middle East, North Africa.

Area
1,002,000 sq km (386,874 sq miles).

Population
76.5 million (census 2006).

Population Density
74.8 per sq km.

Capital
Cairo (El Qahira).
Population:  18.3 million (2006 estimate).

Government
Republic.

Language
Arabic is the official language. English and French are widely spoken.

Religion
About 90% of the population follows Islam; the majority of the rest is Christian. All types of Christianity are represented, especially the Coptic Christian Church. There is also a small Jewish minority.

Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Friday in April to last Thursday in September).

Electricity
Most areas 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Certain rural parts still use 110 to 380 volts AC.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif since 2004.

Head of State
President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak since 1981.

Recent History
Hosni Mubarak is Egypt’s longest-serving ruler since Muhammad Ali in the early 19th century and one of the longest-serving leaders in the Arab world. President Mubarak was re-elected in 2005 for his fifth successive term. In 2005, a constitutional amendment was passed to allow for free and direct presidential elections to be contested by multiple candidates following pressure form the US and domestic political groups. In previous elections, Egyptians voted yes or no for a single candidate appointed by Parliament.

The only opposition organization which has broad public support, the Muslim Brotherhood, is outlawed and could not field a candidate. Mr Mubarak succeeded Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated in 1981. He is a great survivor, having escaped no fewer than six assassination attempts. The president appoints the prime minister.

Parliamentary elections in 2007 were won comfortably by the governing National Democracy Party.

Telephone
Country code: 20.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is limited to Cairo, Alexandria and along the north coast line of the Red Sea from Suez to Sharm el-Sheikh and the major towns along the Nile.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in the main cities, including Cairo, Alexandria, Dahab and Luxor. Tourists can also access the Internet in hotels.

Media
The Egyptian press is one of the most influential and widely read in the region, while Egyptian TV and film industry supplies much of the Arab-speaking world with shows from its Media Production City, an enterprise launched with a view to creating the "Hollywood of the East". Press laws which allow prison sentences for libel and "insults" have encouraged self-censorship on sensitive issues.

Egypt has two state-run national TV channels and six regional channels. It is a key player in satellite TV. Egypt was the first Arab nation to have its own satellite, Nilesat 101. The country’s first private TV stations came on air in 2001, broadcasting via satellite. The state monopoly on radio broadcasting was broken with the arrival of private, commercial music stations in 2003.

Post
The postal system is efficient for international mail. Airmail takes about five days to western Europe, and eight to 10 days to the USA. 

Post office hours: Daily 0830-1500 except Friday; the central post office in Cairo is open 24 hours.

Press
The most influential Egyptian daily is Al-Ahram, the oldest newspaper in the Arab world; others include Al-Akhbar and several weekly and periodical publications. Al-Ahahi and Al-Wafd are opposition publications. The Middle East Observer is the main weekly English-language business paper. Al-Ahram Weekly is also published in English.

Radio
• Egypt Radio Television Union (ERTU) operates eight national networks and external services Radio Cairo and Voice of the Arabs.
• Nile FM and Nogoum FM are private stations. Nile FM broadcasts Western pop while Nogoum FM broadcasts Arabic pop.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
7 Jan* Coptic Christmas Day.
9 Mar Birth of the Prophet. 
25 Apr Sinai Liberation Day (Sinai only).
27 Apr* Sham el-Nassim (Coptic Easter).
1 May Labor Day.
23 Jul National Day. 
11 Sep* Coptic New Year.
20-23 Sep Bairam Feast (End of Ramadan).
6 Oct Armed Forces Day. 
27-28 Nov Grand Feast.
18 Dec Islamic New Year.

2010
7 Jan* Coptic Christmas Day. 
26 Feb Birth of the Prophet. 
25 Apr Sinai Liberation Day (Sinai only).
28 Apr* Sham el-Nassim (Coptic Easter).
1 May Labor Day.
23 Jul National Day. 
11 Sep* Coptic New Year. 
6 Oct Armed Forces Day.
10-13 Sep Bairam Feast (End of Ramadan).
16-17 Nov Grand Feast.
7 Dec Islamic New Year.

Note
(a) * These holidays are not official, although Coptic Christians may observe them. (b) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes the Bairam Feast, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some restaurants are closed during the day but most tourist attractions and hotels are not affected. Some disruption may continue into the three-day Grand Feast itself.

Contact Information:

Egyptian Consulate in the UK
2 Lowndes Street, London SW1X 9ET, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 9777 or 0906 550 8933.
Website: www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1230 (lodging applications); 1430-1600 (visa collection).

Egyptian State Tourist Office in the UK
Egyptian House, 3rd Floor, 170 Piccadilly, London W1V 9EJ, UK
Tel: (020) 7493 5283 or (09001) 600 299 (24-hour brochure service; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.egypt.travel

Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the USA
3521 International Court, NW, Washington, DC 20008 USA
Tel: (202) 895 5400.
Website: www.egyptembassy.net

Egyptian Tourist Authority in the USA
630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2305, New York, NY 10111, USA
Tel: (212) 332 2570.
Website: www.egypt.travel


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