The City of Alexandria in Egypt - Information & Location of Alexandria The city of Alexandria - Egypt Alexandria, the city created by Alexander the Great in 333BCE and with a history very different from any of the other cities in Egypt. When this famous Macedonian (the Greek state, not the former Yugoslav country) was en route to visit the Oracle Temple of Amun at the Siwa oasis he stopped overnight at the village of "Re-qdt” (its Greek name is “Racotis”) between the Mediterranean Sea and the Lake of Mariott (its location today is the area of Tel Bab Sadrah or Karmouz). Alexander decided that this was to be the spot where a great city would be built and charged one of his architects, Dinocratis, to build it. He continued on to Siwa, to consult the oracle about his destiny and then left Egypt to fight the Persians in Asia. Sadly it is not known what the Oracle told Alexander, but it is generally believed that he was told he was to be a great leader.

After his triumphal campaigns, Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC without ever seeing the city that bears his name: in fact it was not until the reigns of Ptolemy I, (Soter - the Saviour), and his successor Ptolemy II (Philadelphus) that the building of the city was completed and it became the main capital. Dinocratis planned the city in squares, like a chessboard with two main streets interlaced vertically and horizontally extending from east to west as well as from north to south. Alexandria had 5 districts, each one named after a letter of the first five letters in the Greek Alphabet: A (Alpha); B (Beta); G (Gamma); D (Delta) and E (Epsilon). These 5 letters represent the initial letters of the text: "Alexander the king, the descendent of the gods, erected the city". Alpha was the royal district where the royal palaces, the main Temple, the museum, the libraries, and the gardens were built, Beta was the district of the Greek aristocracy. Gamma was dedicated to the settlement of the Greek commoners.

Delta was the district of the foreign minorities such as the Syrians, the Persians, and the Jews. Epsilon was the district for the native Egyptians. Drinking water was supplied by a canal starting from the western Canopic branch of the Nile, at a point called "Shedia" about 27 km to the south of Alexandria. The water was stored in Cisterns; some of which remain into modern times. At the beginning of the Roman period, about 30 BC, a new city was built here by the Romans, bearing the name of "Nicopolis" which means the city of Victory, in order to commemorate the victory of Octavian over Mark Anthony in Aktium in 31 BC. Most of it was destroyed or vanished for several reasons, including disturbances, civil wars, revolts, natural disasters, subsoil water and unplanned urbanization etc. Among the fabulous monuments mentioned by ancient Greek books are the Enclosure Walls and the Gates of the City, the Lighthouse, the Great Library, the Royal Necropolis including the Tomb of Alexander and the Museums.

Today the remaining monuments of ancient Alexandria are different cemeteries scattered in many various locations, some of which date back to the Ptolemaic period: El-Shatby, Moustafa Kamel, El-Anfoushy, and El-Wardain. Others date back to the Roman period: the tombs of Kom El-Shouqafa (the Catacombs), the tomb of Tigran, Pompeii’s pillar, Tomb of Silvago and the cemetery of El-Qabbary which was only recently discovered. There are other important monuments in the city that date back to various periods, such as the Serapium, the Roman Theatre, the Temple of El-Ras El-Souda, Citadel of Quaitbay, the Jewellery Museum, Mosque of El-Naby Daniel, Mosque of El-Moursi Abou El-Abbas and the Memorial of the unknown soldier. Alexandria | Egypt | Britannica.com Alexandria Library of Alexandria Alexandria, Arabic Al-Iskandariyyah, major city and urban muḥāfaẓah (governorate) in Egypt .

Once among the greatest cities of the Mediterranean world and a centre of Hellenic scholarship and science, Alexandria was the capital of Egypt from its founding by Alexander the Great in 332 bce until its surrender to the Arab forces led by ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ in 642 ce. One of Egypt’s largest cities, Alexandria is also its principal seaport and a major industrial centre. The city lies on the Mediterranean Sea at the western edge of the Nile River delta, about 114 miles (183 km) northwest of Cairo in Lower Egypt . Area city, 116 square miles (300 square km). Pop. (2006) city, 4,110,015. Time-lapse video of Alexandria, Egypt. Video by KoreeFilms (A Britannica Publishing Partner) The mosque of Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Mursī, Alexandria, Egypt. Hisham Ibrahim/Getty Images Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Character of the city Alexandria has long occupied a special place in the popular imagination by virtue of its association with Alexander and Cleopatra .

Alexandria played an important role in preserving and transmitting Hellenic culture to the wider Mediterranean world and was a crucible of scholarship, piety, and ecclesiastical politics in early Christian history. Although it has been asserted that Alexandria declined as a result of its conquest by Muslim Arabs in the 7th century ce, such a statement is misleading. While the city’s political primacy was lost when the capital was moved to the interior, Alexandria remained an important centre of naval operations, maritime commerce, and craft production. As late as the 15th century, the city prospered as a transit point in the trade conducted between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean basin. Downtown Alexandria, Egypt. ancient Egypt: The Ptolemies (305–145 bc ) Beginning in the 16th century, however, the city suffered a period of protracted decline owing to epidemic disease and administrative neglect; by the end of the 18th century, traces of Alexandria’s former splendour had largely vanished. By the time French troops invaded Egypt in 1798, Alexandria had been reduced to a town of some 10,000 inhabitants, significant mainly for its role in Ottoman maritime networks.

Flourishing in the 19th century as a major centre of the booming cotton industry, the modern city had come to bear little in common with the ancient metropolis. Similar Topics Al-Jīzah Alexandria has generally been characterized by a cultural ambivalence inherent in the city’s location—extending along a spit of land with its back to Egypt and its face to the Mediterranean. Throughout most of its history, Alexandria has thus remained a cosmopolitan town, belonging as much—or perhaps more—to the wider Mediterranean world as to its hinterland. The revival of the town in the 19th century, however, brought about a profound change in the city’s identity. With the significant increase in agricultural exports, the influx of native Egyptians to the city, and the formation and integration of the Egyptian state, Alexandria became tied to the Nile valley more closely than ever before. As a result, it also became the locus of an emergent Egyptian national consciousness . Beginning in the mid-18th century, these underlying changes would be overshadowed for roughly a century by the rise to power of a Levantine business community .

Foreign dominance was reinforced by the overlay of British colonialism beginning in 1882 and by the formation of a foreign-dominated municipality in 1890. The arts flourished during this century-long interlude, and the city still boasts fine Neoclassical and Art Nouveau architecture dating from this period. The literary side of the city’s flowering is reflected in the works of the Alexandria-born Greek writer Constantine Cavafy , who drew on Alexandria’s fabled past in his poetry. Likewise, the decadent cosmopolitanism of the foreign community in Alexandria was depicted by the English writer Lawrence Durrell in his famous series of novels, The Alexandria Quartet (1957–60). A contrasting portrayal of the modern city is given in Naguib Mahfouz ’s Miramar (1967); set in postcolonial Alexandria, Mahfouz’s novella offers a view of the city as an integral part of Egyptian history and society. This process of integration was accelerated after the 1952 revolution, when most of the remaining foreign residents departed.

Britannica Stories At the beginning of the 21st century, Alexandria remained Egypt’s “second capital.” It continued to contribute substantially to the national economy and was popular as a summer holiday destination. Landscape Egypt Since the Pharoahs City site The modern city extends 25 miles (40 km) east to west along a limestone ridge, 1–2 miles (1.6–3.2 km) wide, that separates the salt lake of Maryūṭ , or Mareotis—now partly drained and cultivated—from the Egyptian mainland. An hourglass-shaped promontory formed by the silting up of a mole (the Heptastadion), which was built soon after Alexandria’s founding, links the island of Pharos with the city centre on the mainland. Its two steeply curving bays form the basins for the Eastern Harbour and the Western Harbour. Climate The prevailing north wind, blowing across the Mediterranean, gives Alexandria a markedly different climate from that of the desert hinterland. The summers are relatively temperate, although humidity can build up in July and in August , the hottest month, when the average temperature reaches 87 °F (31 °C).

Winters are cool and invariably marked by a series of violent storms that can bring torrential rain and even hail . The mean daily temperature in January, which is the coldest month, is 64 °F (18 °C). City layout Designed by Alexander’s personal architect, Dinocrates , the city incorporated the best in Hellenic planning and architecture. Within a century of its founding, its splendours rivaled anything known in the ancient world. The pride of ancient Alexandria was the great lighthouse , the Pharos of Alexandria , which stood on the eastern tip of the island of Pharos. One of the Seven Wonders of the World , the lighthouse is reputed to have been more than 350 feet (110 metres) high and was still standing in the 12th century. In 1477, however, Sultan Qāʾit Bey used stones from the dilapidated structure to build a fort (named for him), which stands near or on the original site of the Pharos.

In 1994 archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur of the Centre for Alexandrian Studies (Centre d’Études Alexandrines) found many of the stones and some statuary that had belonged to the lighthouse in the waters off Pharos Island. The Egyptian government discussed turning the area into an “underwater museum” to allow tourists to see the archaeological remains of the lighthouse, and various studies examining the project’s feasibility continued into the early 21st century. A 3-D reconstruction of the Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria, Egypt. © Elena Terletska/Fotolia Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest The Canopic Way (now Ṭarīq al-Ḥurriyyah) was the principal thoroughfare of the Greek city, running east and west through its centre. Most Ptolemaic and Roman monuments stood nearby. The Canopic Way was intersected at its western end by the Street of the Soma (now Shāriʿ al-Nabī Dānyāl), along which is the legendary site of Alexander’s tomb, thought by some to lie under the mosque of al-Nabī Dānyāl.

Close to this intersection was the Mouseion ( museum ), an academy of arts and sciences, which included the great Library of Alexandria . At the seaward end of the Street of the Soma were the two obelisks known as Cleopatra’s Needles . These obelisks were given in the 19th century to the cities of London and New York . One obelisk can be viewed on the banks of the River Thames in London, and the other stands in Central Park in New York City . Between Ṭarīq al-Ḥurriyyah and the railway station is the Roman Theatre, which was uncovered in 1959 at the Kawm al-Dikkah archaeological site. At the southwestern extremity of the ancient city are the Kawm al-Shuqāfah burial grounds, with their remarkable Hadrianic catacombs dating from the 2nd century ce. Nearby, on the site of the ancient fort of Rhakotis, is one of the few Classical monuments still standing: the 88-foot- (27-metre-) high marble column known as Pompey’s Pillar (actually dedicated to Diocletian soon after 297).

Parts of the Arab wall, encompassing a much smaller area than the Greco-Roman city, survive on Ṭarīq al-Ḥurriyyah, but in Ottoman times the city contracted to the stem of the promontory, now the Turkish Quarter. It is the oldest surviving section of the city and houses its finest mosques and worst slums. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies In the 19th century the renascent city’s commercial hub was a long rectangular piazza, once called Al-Manshiyyah Square and now called Al-Taḥrīr Square (“Liberation Square”). An equestrian statue of Egypt’s most famous viceroy, Muḥammad ʿAlī Pasha, still adorns the square. The commercial centre later moved eastward to Saʿd Zaghlūl Square, where the Cecil and Metropole hotels are located, and inland toward the railway station. Blocked to the west by the port and the industrial area, urban development moved eastward, both inland and along the Corniche, a seaside promenade.

Today the Corniche is a ribbon of beach huts, bathing clubs, and restaurants faced across the road by a continuous wall of hotels and apartment blocks. People From the late 19th century to the 1980s the population grew 10-fold, the result of high birth rates and migration from the countryside. In the decade following the 1952 revolution, the city’s population reached roughly 1.5 million; by 1976 the population stood at more than 2 million, with half the people under 20 years of age. The city’s population continued to grow, reaching more than 4 million in the early 21st century. Though Arabic-speaking Egyptians represent the vast majority of the city’s population, Alexandria was once home to a polyglot foreign community made up principally of immigrants from other Mediterranean countries, including Greece , Italy , Syria , and France ; for this community—and for most educated Egyptians—French was the lingua franca. This community, which represented about one-tenth of the population in 1947, virtually disappeared following the widespread nationalization of industries and services of the Nasser era and the concentration of state investment and administration in Cairo , the capital city.

Most Alexandrians, like most Egyptians, are Sunni Muslims; the city’s Christian minority consists mainly of members of the indigenous church of Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church . Economy Manufacturing, finance, and other services Alexandria’s industrial and commercial activities—manufacturing, shipping, warehousing, banking, food processing, and the production of petrochemicals and cement—indicate the importance of the city’s output for the national economy. Alexandria and its environs account for roughly two-fifths of Egypt’s industrial production. Most industrial development has taken place in the western approaches to the city, around the more modern Western Harbour and along its southern flank; industry is the city’s chief employment sector. Trending Topics Eyjafjallajökull volcano The area around the port known as Mīnāʾ al-Baṣal contains warehouses and was once home to the Cotton Exchange. West across the Al-Maḥmūdiyyah Canal is the Al-Qabbārī neighbourhood, site of the asphalt works and rice and paper mills. Farther to the west is Al-Maks, with its salt and tanning industries, an oil refinery, a cement works, and, farther on, the limestone quarries.

Other industrial development has taken place still farther west in Al-Dukhaylah. To the south lies the area of Al-ʿAmiriyyah, the site of two more refineries, including the Middle East Oil Refinery (Midor), which was designed to meet stringent environmental standards. Lighter industry is concentrated on the banks of the Al-Maḥmūdiyyah Canal. Agriculture is an important economic activity in the hinterland, and land reclamation has been attempted with some success. In one such project implemented near Alexandria, the Egyptian government has aimed to encourage food production and divert job seekers from overcrowded urban areas by offering graduates of universities and other institutes of higher education parcels of reclaimed land, which they are able to purchase using long-term loans. Europe’s increasing demand for cotton—introduced into Egypt in the 1820s—was by the 1840s contributing substantially to the city’s wealth. As a result, Alexandria became an increasingly important centre for banking and commerce. The Alexandria Stock Exchange, founded in 1883, was followed by the Cairo Stock Exchange in 1903; they eventually linked their operations and continued as the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchanges (CASE).

Though some banks, such as the Alexandria Commercial and Maritime Bank, are based in Alexandria, a majority of banks—including the Bank of Alexandria—are headquartered in Cairo. Transportation Alexandria is linked to other Egyptian cities by railway, road, and air service. It also is connected by canal with the Nile . Transport within the city is provided by tram service, as well as a system of taxis and buses. The main rail link to Cairo has been upgraded several times, and Alexandria is also the terminus for the rail line that runs to Al-Sallūm on the Libyan border. The Alexandria-Cairo desert highway is one of Egypt’s best roads; it has relieved pressure on the agricultural route through the delta region as well as encouraging desert development. Air transport services generally operate to Cairo, though a number of international carriers have begun service out of Alexandria as well. Severe limitations constricted the capacity for expansion of the old airport at Nuzhah, which was built on land reclaimed from Lake Maryūṭ; as a result, an airport located some 30 miles (50 km) southwest of the city at Burj al-ʿArab (Burg el-ʿArab) was opened to receive international flights in 2000.

Another international airport, funded by private investment and designed to attract European tourists to Egypt’s Mediterranean beaches, opened at Al-ʿAlamayn in 2005. More than half of Egypt’s foreign trade passes through the city’s two main commercial harbours, Alexandria and nearby Al-Dukhaylah. Much of the country’s oil, gas, and cotton are exported through these ports, as are traditional items such as fruits, vegetables, perfumes, and a variety of finished goods. By far the largest import is grain. Improvements have been implemented to relieve congestion, which can be severe. Egypt’s dependence on Alexandria’s ports has diminished somewhat with the opening of new container-handling facilities at Damietta (Dumyāṭ) and the development of ports along the coast of the Red Sea. Administration and society Government In 1890, Alexandria became the first fully constituted municipality in Egypt. Based upon an earlier organization formed by the foreign export merchants, the municipality enjoyed a high degree of autonomy in directing urban development until its suspension in 1926 and its reorganization by the Egyptian government in 1935.

The liquidation of municipal autonomy was the prelude to an increasingly centralized control of urban administration through the governorate. Since the revolution led by Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1952, the president of the republic has appointed the governor, who is assisted by an elected local council; the governorate is responsible to the Ministry of Local Affairs. Health and municipal services In terms of city services, Alexandria is generally on a par with other urban governorates of Egypt, providing electricity and pure drinking water to all but a small percentage of homes. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a number of high-profile programs to improve municipal services and refurbish the city’s image were implemented. Significant improvements have been made to the city’s waste-management infrastructure , and some services have been privatized. However, pollution of the beaches is a continuing health hazard. The city has been blamed for pumping vast quantities of sewage into the Mediterranean, although efforts have been made to control the release of untreated effluent.

Alexandrians receive medical services at a number of private and public clinics and hospitals; among these are the Alexandria Fever Hospital and a medical complex in Al-Shāṭibī (El-Shatbi) providing pediatric and gynecological care. Located to the east of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the complex was the focus of debate in the early 21st century, when it was rumoured there were plans to demolish the unattractive yet important structure. Education The state supervises education, as is the rule throughout Egypt. The state system is divided into primary, preparatory, and secondary schools, and advanced education is available in university faculties and technical institutes. Alexandria University (1942), the principal public university, lies just east of the city centre. Instruction is generally given in Arabic, although English is an important second language and is widely used in a number of professional programs. A private, francophone, international university named in honour of the famous Senegalese statesman Léopold Senghor was inaugurated in 1990. Prior to 1952, Alexandria had a large number of private schools supported by various national and religious communities .

Perhaps the most notable among these was Victoria College, an elite British institution founded in 1902. Its many famous students have included the Arab nationalist historian and advocate George Antonius (1891–1942) and King Ḥussein of Jordan . Cultural life Alexandria’s most important museum , the Greco-Roman Museum , situated behind the Municipality Building on Ṭarīq al-Ḥurriyyah, is noted for its fine collection of antiquities, most of which come from finds in or near the city. Renewed interest in the Classical period has revived archaeological exploration, which is focusing on Kawm al-Dikkah and the underwater site of the Pharos lighthouse. The Museum of Fine Art, located across the railway line from the city’s stadium , presents exhibitions of modern and local art. In addition, the royal palace at Al-Muntazah has spacious public gardens and access to the Mediterranean. The palace and gardens at Al-Muntazah, Alexandria, Egypt. Dennis Jarvis (CC-BY-2.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Lighthouse at Al-Muntazah, Alexandria, Egypt.

Dennis Jarvis (CC-BY-2.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner) The Bibliotheca Alexandrina has also been an important addition to the city’s cultural menu. The idea of reviving the ancient library was first proposed in 1972 by Mostafa El-Abbadi, a professor at Alexandria University. The Egyptian government decided to sponsor the project, and it received international publicity and support through UNESCO. Opened in 2002, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina—located adjacent to Alexandria University and near the site of the ancient structure—contains a working library, a repository for manuscripts, a planetarium, museums, art galleries, and conference facilities. Library of Alexandria, Egypt. Dennis Jarvis (CC-BY-2.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner) The Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt. Sandro Vannini/Corbis Foundation and medieval growth Greek period Alexander the Great founded the city in 332 bce after the start of his Persian campaign; it was to be the capital of his new Egyptian dominion and a naval base that would control the Mediterranean.

The choice of the site that included the ancient settlement of Rhakotis (which dates to 1500 bce) was determined by the abundance of water from Lake Maryūṭ, then fed by a spur of the Canopic Nile, and by the good anchorage provided offshore by the island of Pharos. After Alexander left Egypt his viceroy, Cleomenes, continued the creation of Alexandria. With the breakup of the empire upon Alexander’s death in 323 bce, control of the city passed to his viceroy, Ptolemy I Soter , who founded the dynasty that took his name. The early Ptolemies successfully blended the religions of ancient Greece and Egypt in the cult of Serapis (Sarapis) and presided over Alexandria’s golden age. Alexandria profited from the demise of Phoenician power after Alexander sacked Tyre (332 bce) and from Rome’s growing trade with the East via the Nile and the canal that then linked it with the Red Sea. Indeed, Alexandria became, within a century of its founding, one of the Mediterranean’s largest cities and a centre of Greek scholarship and science.

Such scholars as Euclid , Archimedes , Plotinus the philosopher, and Ptolemy and Eratosthenes the geographers studied at the Mouseion , the great research institute founded in the beginning of the 3rd century bce by the Ptolemies that included the city’s famed library . The ancient library housed numerous texts, the majority of them in Greek; a “daughter library” was established at the temple of Serapis about 235 bce. The library itself was later destroyed in the civil war that occurred under the Roman emperor Aurelian in the late 3rd century ce, while the subsidiary branch was destroyed in 391 ce (see Alexandria, Library of ). Alexandria was also home to a populous Jewish colony and was a major centre of Jewish learning; the translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek, the Septuagint , was produced there. Many other ethnic and religious groups were represented in the city, and Alexandria was the scene of much interethnic strife during this period. Roman and Byzantine periods The decline of the Ptolemies in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce was matched by the rise of Rome.

Alexandria played a major part in the intrigues that led to the establishment of imperial Rome. It was at Alexandria that Cleopatra , the last of the Ptolemies, courted Julius Caesar and claimed to have borne him a son. Her attempts at restoring the fortunes of the Ptolemaic dynasty, however, were thwarted by Caesar’s assassination and her unsuccessful support of Mark Antony against Caesar’s great-nephew Octavian. In 30 bce Octavian (later the emperor Augustus ) formally brought Alexandria and Egypt under Roman rule. The city held the key to the Egyptian granary on which Rome increasingly came to rely. St. Mark, author of the second gospel in the New Testament , is said to have preached in Alexandria in the mid-1st century ce. Several outstanding Bible scholars and theologians of the early Christian era were educated in Alexandria, including Origen (c. 185–c. 254), who contributed to an evolving synthesis of Christianity and Greco-Roman philosophy and who headed the city’s famous catechetical school. Alexandria’s Christian community continued to grow in numbers and influence and resisted Rome’s attempts to impose emperor worship.

State-directed persecutions and spontaneous attacks by pagans upon Christians occurred intermittently; Diocletian initiated a particularly vicious campaign in 303 in which many Egyptian Christians were martyred , a number of them in Alexandria. Nevertheless, persecution failed to stem the growing spiritual movement, and the empire finally legalized Christianity under Constantine I , though the new alliance with the state set the stage for schisms within the church. Among the first doctrinal questions to rend the church was a dispute between two Alexandrian prelates, Athanasius and Arius , over the nature of Jesus Christ ’s relationship to God the Father. The issue was addressed in 325 at the Council of Nicaea , which affirmed Christ’s full deity and branded Arianism —the belief that Christ, though preexistent, was inferior to God—as heresy. Arianism, however, had many imperial champions, and this sharpened the conflict between the Alexandrian church and the state. The doctrinal issue was not finally settled until the Council of Constantinople in 381.

By the close of the 4th century, elements of the Christian establishment in Alexandria had also mobilized against the remnants of paganism, destroying the temple of Serapis; other violent clashes broke out between rival gangs and factions based in the city around this time. During the course of the 4th century, the patriarchs of Alexandria consolidated their position over Egypt’s clergy. The pope of Alexandria, as the post of patriarch was also known, exercised great influence in the church and vied with the patriarch of Constantinople for ecclesiastical preeminence in the eastern Roman Empire. A decisive break occurred at the Council of Chalcedon in 451; the council deposed Dioscorus , the Alexandrian pope, and adopted a Christological statement that was regarded by Egyptian Christians as compromising belief in the divine Son. For dogmatic and political reasons, the Egyptian Monophysite church rejected the Chalcedonian formula and resisted Constantinople’s attempts to bring it into line. A dissident church developed to oppose state-supported orthodoxy and became a focus of indigenous Egyptian loyalties.

Disaffection with Byzantine rule created the conditions in which Alexandria fell first to the Persians, in 616, and then to the Arabs , in 642. Islamic period Though Alexandria surrendered to Muslim Arab expansion without resistance, the conquest was followed by a substantial exodus of the leading elements of the Greek population. Thenceforth, apart from an interlude in 645 when the city was briefly retaken by the Byzantine fleet, Alexandria’s fortunes were tied to political and cultural developments in Islam . Alexandria was eclipsed politically by the new Arab capital at Al-Fusṭāṭ (which later was absorbed into the modern capital, Cairo ); the Coptic patriarchate was transferred there from Alexandria in the 11th century. Nevertheless, Alexandria continued to flourish as a trading centre, principally for textiles and luxury goods, as Arab influence expanded westward through North Africa and then into Europe. The city also was important as a naval base, especially under the Fāṭimids and the Mamlūks , but already it was contracting in size in line with its new, more modest status.

The Arab walls (rebuilt in the 13th and 14th centuries and torn down in the 19th century) encompassed less than half the area of the Greco-Roman city. The citadel of Qāʾit Bāy, built on the site and from the ruins of the ancient … Dennis Jarvis (CC-BY-2.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Following its recovery from the devastation of the bubonic plague in the mid-14th century, Alexandria was able to profit from the growth of the East-West spice trade , which flowed through Egypt. The eventual loss of this trade following the Portuguese discovery of a sea route to India in 1498 was a severe blow to the city’s fortunes and to the Mamlūk state. With the Ottoman defeat of the Mamlūks in 1517, Egypt’s status shifted to that of a province within a wider empire, charge of which fell to the Ottomans. Under Ottoman rule, the canal linking Alexandria to the Rosetta branch of the Nile was allowed to silt up, strangling the city’s commercial lifeline.

By the time Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, Alexandria had been reduced to a small Ottoman port. Evolution of the modern city Alexandria’s rebirth began when Muḥammad ʿAlī was appointed Ottoman viceroy and pasha of Egypt in 1805. Seeking to use Egypt as a base from which to expand his own power, he reopened Alexandria’s access to the Nile by building the 45-mile- (72-km-) long Al-Maḥmūdiyyah Canal (completed between 1818 and 1820), as well as an arsenal in which to locally produce the warships intended to rebuild his fleet. Some Egyptians were conscripted into the urban labour force, but most were drawn by the expanding economic opportunities. Foreign traders were encouraged by the Capitulations, which gave them certain legal rights and privileges (for instance, to be tried in their own courts), and they too began to settle in the city. Cotton was introduced into Egypt in the 1820s, and by the 1840s Europe’s growing appetite for the commodity was making Alexandria rich. The city became an increasingly important banking and commercial centre.

The opening of the Cairo railway in 1856, the cotton boom created by the American Civil War in the early 1860s, and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which reestablished Egypt as the principal staging post to India, led to another cycle of growth and to a rapid increase in both the indigenous and foreign populations. The British bombardment of the city in 1882 to put down a local nationalist revolt led directly to the British occupation that lasted until 1922. The city nevertheless continued to prosper and expand, retaining its position as the second city and summer capital of Egypt. Under British patronage the foreign community—some 100,000 strong—continued to flourish. A self-governing municipality, founded in 1890, undertook several notable projects; among these were the creation of the Greco-Roman Museum, the construction of a public library, improvements in the street and sewage systems, and the reclamation of land from the sea, upon which the waterfront Corniche was later laid out.

The municipal franchise was, however, extremely restricted; the city council was controlled by a coterie of European and Levantine merchants and property owners, despite the fact that the great majority of Alexandria’s inhabitants were Egyptian. During World War I , Alexandria was the chief Allied naval base of the eastern Mediterranean. The city was much more actively involved in World War II , as it came perilously close to being captured by Axis armies and was repeatedly bombarded. British forces left the city in 1946. Alexandria meanwhile played its part in the nationalist struggle between and after the world wars. In 1952 it was the point of departure from Egyptian soil for King Farouk after he was deposed in the revolution led by the Alexandria-born Gamal Abdel Nasser . In 1956 the failure of the tripartite British, French, and Israeli attack on Egypt, following President Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal, led to the seizure of French and British assets. Subsequent laws mandating the Egyptianization of foreign-owned banks, firms, and insurance companies resulted in the departure of thousands of foreign residents.

During the 1960s, Alexandria benefited from Nasser’s industrialization program; this boon was felt especially in the food-processing and textile-manufacturing industries, which had expanded considerably between the wars. The city was adversely affected by Egypt’s devastating defeat by Israel in the Six-Day War (June 1967; see Arab-Israeli wars ), by the dislocation created when the Suez Canal was closed as a result of the war, and by the evacuation of Egyptian residents from the canal zone. Alexandria’s port became swamped by trade diverted from Port Said , and it had not fully recovered when in 1974 the Egyptian government introduced an open-door trade policy that led to a flood of consumer imports. Liberalization, coupled with tentative moves at decentralization under Anwar Sadat , Nasser’s successor, revived calls by the merchant community for greater financial autonomy. These in turn created a new sense of civic identity and pride. The discovery in 1976 of natural gas reserves offshore and in the Nile delta spurred industrial development; the principal beneficiary was Al-Dukhaylah, which became a major iron and steel centre.

In addition, refinery facilities underwent a number of upgrades, especially after the completion of a crude-oil pipeline from the city of Suez to the Mediterranean near Alexandria in the late 1970s and of another pipeline linking Musṭurud (north of Cairo) with Alexandria. Alexandria’s access to the outside world has also been promoted to encourage the development of light industry. A free-trade zone was established in Al-ʿĀmiriyyah. Although Alexandria’s stock and cotton exchanges were closed in the 1960s, the stock exchange was later allowed to reopen. The city launched a master plan designed to bring major civic improvements. Work on these projects was partly responsible for a renewed interest in Alexandria’s cultural heritage in the 1990s, as wide-scale demolition to make way for new construction revealed layers of the ancient city long thought to be lost. In particular, archaeological surveys along the waterfront near Alexandria revealed a trove of ancient ruins, some of which have been retrieved. Efforts have also been made to document and protect the city’s historic architecture, most notably by architect Mohamed Awad, head of the Alexandria Preservation Trust.

The revival of the city’s ancient library, a project first proposed in the 1970s, materialized with the opening of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in 2002. Ancient Egypt for Kids: Cities History >> Ancient Egypt The cities of Ancient Egypt developed along the Nile River due to the fertile farmland along its banks. The typical city had a wall around it with two entrances. There was a major road down the center of the town with smaller, narrow streets connecting to it. The houses and buildings were made of mud-brick. If a building was destroyed in a flood, generally a new building was just built on top of it. Some cities in Ancient Egypt were specialized. For example, there were political towns that housed government workers and officials such as the capital cities of Memphis and Thebes. Other towns were religious towns centered around a major temple. Still other towns were built to house workers for major construction projects like the pyramids. Capital Cities The largest and most important cities in Ancient Egypt were the capital cities. The capital city moved over the course of time. The first capital city was Thinis.

Some of the later capitals include Memphis, Thebes, Avaris, Akhetaten, Tanis, Sais, and Alexandria. Memphis - Memphis was the capital of Egypt from 2950 BC to 2180 BC. Some historians estimate that, during its peak, Memphis was the largest city in the world. Memphis continued to be a large and important city in Egypt even after the capital was moved to Thebes. It was also a center of religion with many temples. The main god of Memphis was Ptah, the creator god and the god of craftsmen. Thebes - Thebes first became the capital of Egypt around 2135 BC. It served off and on as capital until around 1279 BC. Thebes and Memphis generally rivaled each other as the largest and greatest cities in Egypt. Thebes was an important political and religious city. It housed several major temples including the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak. The Valley of the Kings is located near the city of Thebes. Alexandria - Alexandria served as the capital city from 332 BC to 641 AD.

The city became the capital when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and one of his generals established the Ptolemy Dynasty. Alexandria remained the capital for nearly a thousand years. In ancient times, the city was famous for the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was also known as the intellectual center of the world and home to the largest library in the world. Alexandria is located in northern Egypt on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the second largest city in Egypt today. Amarna - Amarna was the capital city of Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Akhenaten. The pharaoh created his own religion that worshiped the god Aten. He built the city to honor Aten. It was abandoned shortly after Akhenaten died. Other Cities Abydos - Abydos is a very old Egyptian city dating back to before the Old Kingdom. The city was considered one of the most holy places in Egypt because it was believed that the god Osiris was buried there. As a result, several temples were built in the city. The most famous surviving building is the Temple of Seti I.

Also, some of the first pharaohs of Egypt were buried near Abydos. Hermopolis - The city of Hermopolis, also called Khmunu, was located on the border between Upper and Lower Egypt. it was a wealthy resort town, but also a center of religion. Egyptian mythology said that the first sunrise occurred over this city. The primary god worshiped here was Thoth. Crocodilopolis - Crocodilopolis was the Greek name for the city of Shedet. It was home to the cult of the crocodile god Sobek. Archeologists believe this city was founded around 4000 BC. Today the city is called Faiyum and it is the oldest city in Egypt. Elephantine - This city was on an island at the border between Nubia and Egypt. The city served as both a defensive fort and a trade center. It was home to the god of the waters, Khnum. Kom Ombo - Kom Ombo was a trade center where many trade routes passed from Nubia to the rest of Egypt. The city later became famous for the Temple of Kom Ombo.

The Egyptians first called the city Nubt, which meant "city of gold." Take a ten question quiz about this page. More information on the civilization of Ancient Egypt: Overview The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency Background: The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub.

Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty from Britain in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure. Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni MUBARAK's ouster. Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new parliament was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Mohammed MORSI won the presidential election.

Following often violent protests throughout the spring of 2013 against MORSI's government and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed MORSI from power in July 2013 and replaced him with interim president Adly MANSOUR. In January 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and in May 2014 elected Abdel Fattah EL SISI president. Egypt elected a new legislature in December 2015, the first parliament since 2012.

Geography :: EGYPT 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 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 People and Society :: EGYPT Demographic profile: Egypt is

 the most populous country in the Arab world and the third most populous country in Africa, behind Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Most of the country is desert, so about 95% of the population is concentrated in a narrow strip of fertile land along the Nile River, which represents only about 5% of Egypt’s land area. Egypt’s rapid population growth – 46% between 1994 and 2014 – stresses limited natural resources, jobs, housing, sanitation, education, and health care. Although the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) fell from roughly 5.5 children per woman in 1980 to just over 3 in the late 1990s, largely as a result of state-sponsored family planning programs, the population growth rate dropped more modestly because of decreased mortality rates and longer life expectancies. During the last decade, Egypt’s TFR decline stalled for several years and then reversed, reaching 3.6 in 2011, and has plateaued the last few years. Contraceptive use has held steady at about 60%, while preferences for larger families and early marriage may have strengthened in the wake of the recent 2011 revolution.

The large cohort of women of or nearing childbearing age will sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future (an effect called population momentum). Nevertheless, post-MUBARAK governments have not made curbing population growth a priority. To increase contraceptive use and to prevent further overpopulation will require greater government commitment and substantial social change, including encouraging smaller families and better educating and empowering women. Currently, literacy, educational attainment, and labor force participation rates are much lower for women than men. In addition, the prevalence of violence against women, the lack of female political representation, and the perpetuation of the nearly universal practice of female genital cutting continue to keep women from playing a more significant role in Egypt’s public sphere. Population pressure, poverty, high unemployment, and the fragmentation of inherited land holdings have historically motivated Egyptians, primarily young men, to migrate internally from rural and smaller urban areas in the Nile Delta region and the poorer rural south to Cairo, Alexandria, and other urban centers in the north, while a much smaller number migrated to the Red Sea and Sinai areas. Waves of forced internal migration also resulted from the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the floods caused by the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1970.

Limited numbers of students and professionals emigrated temporarily prior to the early 1970s, when economic problems and high unemployment pushed the Egyptian Government to lift restrictions on labor migration. At the same time, high oil revenues enabled Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other Gulf states, as well as Libya and Jordan, to fund development projects, creating a demand for unskilled labor (mainly in construction), which attracted tens of thousands of young Egyptian men. Between 1970 and 1974 alone, Egyptian migrants in the Gulf countries increased from approximately 70,000 to 370,000. Egyptian officials encouraged legal labor migration both to alleviate unemployment and to generate remittance income (remittances continue to be one of Egypt’s largest sources of foreign currency and GDP). During the mid-1980s, however, depressed oil prices resulting from the Iran-Iraq War, decreased demand for low-skilled labor, competition from less costly South Asian workers, and efforts to replace foreign workers with locals significantly reduced Egyptian migration to the Gulf States.

The number of Egyptian migrants dropped from a peak of almost 3.3 million in 1983 to about 2.2 million at the start of the 1990s, but numbers gradually recovered. In the 2000s, Egypt began facilitating more labor migration through bilateral agreements, notably with Arab countries and Italy, but illegal migration to Europe through overstayed visas or maritime human smuggling via Libya also rose. The Egyptian Government estimated there were 6.5 million Egyptian migrants in 2009, with roughly 75% being temporary migrants in other Arab countries (Libya, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates) and 25% being predominantly permanent migrants in the West (US, UK, Italy, France, and Canada). During the 2000s, Egypt became an increasingly important transit and destination country for economic migrants and asylum seekers, including Palestinians, East Africans, and South Asians and, more recently, Iraqis and Syrians. Egypt draws many refugees because of its resettlement programs with the West; Cairo has one of the largest urban refugee populations in the world.

Many East African migrants are interned or live in temporary encampments along the Egypt-Israel border, and some have been shot and killed by Egyptian border guards.

0-14 years: 33.21% (male 16,268,862/female 15,169,039) 15-24 years: 19.24% (male 9,371,819/female 8,839,999) 25-54 years: 37.47% (male 18,020,332/female 17,448,871) 55-64 years: 5.91% (male 2,771,399/female 2,826,094) 65 years and over: 4.17% (male 1,937,119/female 2,013,459) (2016 est.) population pyramid: Africa ::EGYPT Population Pyramid A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development.

The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 27 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma'iliyah (Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah, 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, Bur Sa'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina' (South Sinai), Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina' (North Sinai), Suhaj Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK

 protectorate status; the revolution that began on 23 July 1952 led to a republic being declared on 18 June 1953 and all British troops withdrawn on 18 June 1956); note - it was ca.

3200 B.C.

that the Two Lands of Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt were first united politically Executive branch: Chief of state: President Abdelfattah Said ELSISI (since 8 June 2014) head of government: Prime Minister Sherif ISMAIL (since 12 September 2015); note - Prime Minister Ibrahim MEHLAB resigned 12 September 2015 cabinet: Cabinet sworn in 19 September 2015 elections/appointments: president elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26-28 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2018); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of Representatives election results: Abdelfattah Said ELSISI elected president; percent of vote in 1 round - Abdelfattah Said ELSISI (independent) 96.6%, Hamdeen SABAHI (Egyptian Current Party) 3.4% Legislative branch: description: unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nowaab); 5

96 seats; 448 members directly elected by individual candidacy system, 120 members - with quotas for women, youth, Christians and workers - elected in party-list constituencies by simple majority popular vote, and 28 members selected by the president; member term 5 years; note - inaugural session held on 10 January 2016 elections: multi-phase election completed on 16 December 2015 (next election 2020) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -– Free Egyptians Party 65, Nation’s Future Party 53, New Wafd Party 36, Homeland’s Protector Party 18, Republican People’s Party 13, Congress Party 12, al-Nour Party 11, Conservative Party 6, Democratic Peace Party 5, Egyptian Social Democratic Party 4, Egyptian National Movement 4, Modern Egypt Party 4, Reform and Development Party 3, Freedom Party 3, My Homeland Egypt Party 3, National Progressive Unionist Party 2, Arab Democratic Nasserist Party 1, Revolutionary Guards Party 1, Free Egyptian Building Party 1, independent 351 Judicial branch

: highest court(s): Supreme Constitutional Court or SCC (consists of the court president and 10 justices); the SCC serves as the final court of arbitrator on the constitutionality of laws and conflicts between lower courts regarding jurisdiction and rulings; Court of Cassation (CC) (consists of the court president and 550 judges organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the CC is the highest appeals body for civil and criminal cases, also known as “ordinary justices"; Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) - consists of the court president and organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the SAC is the highest court of the State Council judge selection and term of office: under the 2014 constitution, all judges and justices selected by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the president of the Republic; judges appointed for life subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; courts of limited jurisdiction; Family Court (established in 2004) officially recognized: Al-Nour [Yunis MAKHYUN] Arab Democratic Nasserist Party [Sameh ASHOUR] Congress Party [Omar Mokhtar SEMEIDA] Conservative Party [Akmal KOURTAM]

 Democratic Peace Party [Ahmed FADALY] Egyptian National Movement Party [Ibrahim DARWISH] Egyptian Social Democratic Party [Mervat TALAWAY] El Tagamu'u Party (National Progressibve Unionist [Sayed Abdel AAL] Freedom Party [Mamdouh HASSAN] Free Egyptians Party [Essam KHALIL] Homeland’s Protector Party [Lt.

Gen. (retired) Galal AL-HARIDI] Modern Egypt Party [Nabil DEIBIS] Mostaqbal Watan (Nation’s Future) Party [Mohamed Ashraf RASHAD] My Homeland Egypt Party [Qadry ABU HUSSEIN] National Progressive Unionist (Tagammu) Party [Sayed Abdel AAL] Nation's Future Party [Ashraf RASHAD, secretary general] New Wafd Party [Sayed al-BADAWI] Reform and Development Party [Mohamad Anwar al-SADAT] Republican People’s Party [Hazim AMR] Revolutionary Guards Party [Magdy EL-SHARIF] chief of mission: Ambassador R.

Stephen BEECROFT (since 18 December 2014) embassy: 5 Tawfik Diab St., Garden City, Cairo mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900; 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairo telephone: [20] (2) 2797-3300 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white) note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band name: "Bilady, Bilady, Bilady" (My Homeland, My Homeland, My Homeland) lyrics/music:

 Younis-al QADI/Sayed DARWISH note: adopted 1979; the current anthem, less militaristic than the previous one, was created after the signing of the 1979 peace treaty with Israel; Sayed DARWISH, commonly considered the father of modern Egyptian music, composed the anthem Economy :: EGYPT Economy - overview: Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic activity takes place.

Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal Abdel NASSER but opene Cairo from 2004 to 2008 pursued business climate reforms to attract foreign investment and facilitate growth. Poor living conditions and limited job opportunities for the average Egyptian contribute to public discontent, a major factor leading to the Janu Weak growth and limited foreign exchange earnings have made public finances unsustainable, leaving authorities dependent on expensive borrowing for deficit finance and on Gulf allies to help cover the import bill.

In 2015-16, higher levels of foreign inve 162 billion kWh (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 143 billion kWh (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 500 million kWh (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 81 million kWh (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 38 million kW (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 87.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 165 9.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 2.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 74 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (July 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 Telephone

 system: general assessment: Telecom Egypt remains largely state owned; principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay domestic: largest fixed-line system in Africa and the Arab region; multiple mobile-cellular networks with a near 100-percent penetration of the market international: country code - 20; landing point for Aletar, the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks, Link Around the Globe (FLAG) Falcon and FLAG FEA; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat) (2015) Broadcast media: mix of state-run and private broadcast media; state-run TV operates 2 national and 6 regional terrestrial networks, as well as a few satellite channels; about 20 private satellite channels and a large number of Arabic satellite channels are available via (2008) 3,500 km (includes the Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in Nile Delta; the Suez Canal (19

3.5 km including approaches) is navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m) (2011) country comparison to the world: 29 Merchant marine: total: 67 by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 20, container 3, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 9 foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 1, France 1, Greece 8, Jordan 2, Lebanon 1) registered in other countries: 42 (Cambodia 4, Georgia 7, Honduras 2, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 5, Panama 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3, unknown 1) (2010) country comparison to the world: 62 major seaport(s): Mediterranean Sea - Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Port Said; Gulf of Suez - Suez oil terminal(s): Ain Sukhna terminal, Sidi Kerir terminal container port(s

) (TEUs): Alexandria (1,108,826), Port Said (East) (2,617,043), Port Said (West) (1,138,753) LNG terminal(s) (export): Damietta, Idku (Abu Qir Bay) Military and Security :: EGYPT country comparison to the world: 53 Transnational Issues :: EGYPT Disputes - international: Sudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundary; Egypt no longer shows its administration of the Bir Tawil trapezoid in Sudan on its maps; Gazan breaches in the security wall with Egypt in January 2008 highlight difficulties in monitoring the Sinai border; Saudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and Sanafir refugees (country of origin): 70,021 (West Bank and Gaza Strip); 11,296 (Sudan) (2015); 115,204 (Syria); 6,231 (Somalia) (2016) IDPs: 

78,000 (2015) Trafficking in persons: current situation: Egypt is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Egyptian children, including the large population of street children are vulnerable to forced labor in domestic service, begging and agriculture or may be victims of sex trafficking or child sex tourism, which occurs in Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor; some Egyptian women and girls are sold into “temporary” or “summer” marriages with Gulf men, through the complicity of their parents or marriage brokers, and are exploited for prostitution or forced labor; Egyptian men are subject to forced labor in neighboring countries, while adults from South and Southeast Asia and East Africa – and increasingly Syrian refugees – are forced to work in domestic service, construction, cleaning, and begging in Egypt; women and girls, including migrants and refugees, from Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East are sex trafficked in Egypt; the Egyptian military cracked down on criminal group’s smuggling, abducting, trafficking, and extorting African migrants in the Sinai Peninsula, but the practice has reemerged in along Egypt’s western border with Libya tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Egypt does not fully

 comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government gathered data nationwide on trafficking cases to better allocated and prioritize anti-trafficking efforts, but overall it did not demonstrate increased progress; prosecutions increased in 2014, but no offenders were convicted for the second consecutive year; fewer trafficking victims were identified in 2014, which represents a significant and ongoing decrease from the previous two reporting periods; the government relied on NGOs and international organizations to identify and refer victims to protective services, and focused on Egyptian victims and refused to provide some services to foreign victims, at times including shelter (2015)

Question: Which seaport was the former capital of Egypt?
Answer: Alexandria