Egypt Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Middle East, North Africa.

Language

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

Area

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

Time Zone

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 volts AC. Mostly British-style three-pin plugs.

Population

81.7 million (2008).

Population Density

81.5 per sq km.

Capital City

Cairo (El Qahira). Population: 18.3 million (2008).

Government

Republic.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, since 2004.

Head of State

President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, since 1981.

Religion

About 90% of the population are Muslim; the majority of the rest is Christian, including followers of the Coptic Christian faith. There is also a small Jewish minority.

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 from 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 cannot field candidates. 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. The February 2009 bombing in the bazaar in Cairo was an isolated incident in an otherwise stable political climate.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +20.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming exists with many international mobile phone companies, although coverage is limited to Cairo, Alexandria and major towns along the north coastline of the Red Sea and the Nile. If you're in Egypt for some time, it is much cheaper to buy a local SIM card, either Vodafone or MobiNil.

Internet

There are Internet cafés in the main cities, including Cairo, Alexandria, Dahab and Luxor. Even small, more remote towns including Siwa will have at least one venue, usually in the market area. Tourists can also access the Internet in hotels, with in-room Wi-Fi available, though often at a hefty price.

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 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 was the first Arab nation to have its own satellite TV station, 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. The Middle East Observer is the main weekly English-language business paper. Al-Ahram Weekly is also published in English. State-run Egypt Radio Television Union (ERTU) operates domestic networks; it also operates satellite networks such as Nile TV International, which broadcasts some programs in English and Hebrew.

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

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2011
7 Jan *Coptic Christmas Day
15 Feb Birth of the Prophet
25 Apr Sinai Liberation Day (Sinai only)
25 Apr *Sham el-Nassim (Coptic Easter)
1 May Labor Day
23 Jul National Day
30 Aug - 31 Aug Bairam Feast (End of Ramadan)
12 Sep *Coptic New Year
6 Oct Armed Forces Day
6 Nov - 7 Nov Feast of the Sacrifice
26 Nov Islamic New Year

2012
9 Jan *Coptic Christmas Day
4 Feb Birth of the Prophet
15 Apr *Sham el-Nassim (Coptic Easter)
25 Apr Sinai Liberation Day (Sinai only)
1 May Labor Day
23 Jul National Day
19 Aug - 20 Aug Bairam Feast (End of Ramadan)
11 Sep *Coptic New Year
6 Oct Armed Forces Day
25 Oct - 26 Oct Feast of the Sacrifice
15 Nov Islamic New Year
(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. (c) During the lunar month of Ramadan, which is followed by Eid Ul-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day (from sunrise to sunset) and feast at night. Opening and closing hours of attractions, shops and businesses may well be interrupted. Some restaurants are closed during the day but most tourist attractions and hotels are not affected. During Eid Ul-Fitr and Eid Ul-Adha, many establishments may be closed for at least one day, and this is a time when long-distance transport is likely to be very busy.

Contact Information

British Embassy in Egypt

7 Ahmed Ragheb Street, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt
Tel: (2) 2791 6000.
Website: www.ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk
Opening hours: Sun-Wed 0800-1530; Thurs 0800-1400.

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.
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

Egyptian Tourist Authority in Cairo

Misr Travel Tower, Abbassia Square, Cairo
Tel: (2) 285 4509.
Website: www.egypt.travel