Map of Egypt
Egypt is a country in Africa with its capital at Cairo, home to about 118.37 million people across 1.01M km². The interactive map below plots 42 cities and towns, 3 rivers, 2 lakes, 3 mountain summits, 1 major dams and 26 ports recorded for Egypt in YearMaps.
- Population
- 118.37 million
- Area
- 1.01M km²
- Capital
- Cairo
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Egypt
Centred on Cairo at 30.0519° N, 31.2480° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
Wonders & Great Monuments of Egypt
Great Pyramid of Giza, Karnak Temple Complex and Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos) are marked on the map above. Click a pin or use "Show on map" to fly to each one.
Great Pyramid of Giza
Old Kingdom Egypt (Pharaoh Khufu) · Bronze Age
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids and the most famous landmark of the Giza pyramid complex in Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only wonder that has remained largely intact. The Great Pyramid served as the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu ("Cheops"), who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. It was built c. 2600 BC over a period of about 26 years.
Initially standing at 146.6 metres (481 feet), the Great Pyramid was the world's tallest human-made structure for more than 3,700 years. Over time, most of the smooth white limestone casing was removed, which lowered the pyramid's height to the current 138.5 metres (454.4 ft); what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Each side of the base was measured to be about 230.3 metres (755.6 ft) in length, giving a volume of roughly 2.6 million cubic metres (92 million cubic feet), which includes an internal hillock. The dimensions of the pyramid were 280 royal cubits (146.7 m; 481.4 ft) high, a base length of 440 cubits (230.6 m; 756.4 ft), with a seked of 5+1/2 palms (a slope of 51°50'40").
The Great Pyramid was built by quarrying an estimated 2.3 million large blocks, weighing 6 million tonnes in total. The majority of the stones are not uniform in size or shape, and are only roughly dressed. The outside layers were bound together by mortar, primarily local limestone from the Giza Plateau was used for its construction. Other blocks were imported by boat on the Nile: white limestone from Tura for the casing, and blocks of granite from Aswan, weighing up to 80 tonnes, for the "King's Chamber" structure.
There are three known chambers inside of the Great Pyramid. The lowest was cut into the bedrock, upon which the pyramid was built, but remained unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber, which contain a granite sarcophagus, are above ground within the pyramid structure. Hemiunu, Khufu's vizier, is believed by some to be the architect of the Great Pyramid. Many varying scientific and alternative hypotheses attempt to explain the exact construction techniques, but, as is the case for other such structures, there is no definite consensus.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Great Pyramid of Giza (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Built by
- Old Kingdom Egypt (Pharaoh Khufu)
- Built
- 2560 BCE
- Era
- Bronze Age
- Type
- Ancient Wonder
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site (Memphis and its Necropolis)
- Coordinates
- 29.9792° N, 31.1342° E
Architectural Significance
Stood as the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Built from an estimated 2.3 million limestone and granite blocks weighing an average of 2.5 tons each.
Photos of Great Pyramid of Giza
Ricardo Liberato · CC BY-SA 2.0
History & architecture of Great Pyramid of Giza
Construction
A hillock forms the base on which the pyramid stands. It was cut back into steps and only a strip around the perimeter was leveled, which has been measured to be horizontal and flat to within 21 millimetres (0.8 in). The bedrock reaches a height of almost 6 metres (20 ft) above the pyramid base at the location of the Grotto.
Along the sides of the base platform a series of holes are cut in the bedrock. Lehner hypothesizes that they held wooden posts used for alignment. Edwards, among others, suggested the use of water for evening the base, although it is unclear how practical and workable such a system would be.
The Great Pyramid consists of an estimated 2.3 million blocks. Approximately 5.5 million tonnes of limestone, 8,000 tonnes of granite, and 500,000 tonnes of mortar were used in the construction.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Great Pyramid of Giza (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Karnak Temple Complex
New Kingdom Egypt (Thebes) · Bronze Age
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BCE) in the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000–1700 BC) and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305–30 BCE), although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the 18th Dynastic Theban Triad, with the god Amun as its head.
It is part of the monumental city of Thebes, and in 1979 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List along with the rest of the city. Karnak gets its name from the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of El-Karnak, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) north of Luxor.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Karnak (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Built by
- New Kingdom Egypt (Thebes)
- Built
- 1500 BCE
- Era
- Bronze Age
- Type
- Temple Complex
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site (Ancient Thebes)
- Coordinates
- 25.7188° N, 32.6583° E
Architectural Significance
Hypostyle Hall spans 5,000 square meters with central columns towering 21 meters high, utilizing natural clerestory stone lattice window grilles.
Photos of Karnak Temple Complex
Alx R · CC BY 3.0 
Rijksmuseum · CC0 
David Roberts · Public domain
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History & architecture of Karnak Temple Complex
History
The history of the Karnak complex is largely the history of Thebes and its changing role in the culture. Religious centers varied by region, and when a new capital of the unified culture was established, the religious centers in that area gained prominence. The city of Thebes does not appear to have been of great significance before the Eleventh Dynasty and previous temple building there would have been relatively small, with shrines being dedicated to the early deities of Thebes, the Earth goddess Mut and Montu. Early building was destroyed by invaders. The earliest known artifact found in the area of the temple is a small, eight-sided column from the Eleventh Dynasty, which mentions Amun-Re. Amun (sometimes called Amen) was long the local tutelary deity of Thebes. He was identified with the ram and the goose. The Egyptian meaning of Amun is "hidden" or the "hidden god".
Major construction work in the Precinct of Amun-Re took place during the Eighteenth Dynasty, when Thebes became the capital of the unified Ancient Egypt. Almost every pharaoh of that dynasty added something to the temple site. Thutmose I erected an enclosure wall connecting the Fourth and Fifth pylons, which comprise the earliest part of the temple still standing in situ. Hatshepsut had monuments constructed and also restored the original Precinct of Mut, that had been ravaged by the foreign rulers during the Hyksos occupation. She had twin obelisks, at the time the tallest in the world, erected at the entrance to the temple. One still stands, as the second-tallest ancient obelisk still standing on Earth; the other has toppled and is broken.
Another of her projects at the site, Karnak's Red Chapel or Chapelle Rouge, was intended as a barque shrine and originally may have stood between her two obelisks. She later ordered the construction of two more obelisks to celebrate her sixteenth year as pharaoh; one of the obelisks broke during construction, and thus, a third was constructed to replace it. The broken obelisk was left at its quarrying site in Aswan, where it still remains. Known as the unfinished obelisk, it provides evidence of how obelisks were quarried.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Karnak (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt · Hellenistic
The Pharos of Alexandria was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (280–247 BC). It has been estimated to have been at least 100 metres (330 ft) in overall height. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, for many centuries it was one of the world's tallest man-made structures.
The lighthouse was severely damaged by three earthquakes between AD 956 and 1303 and became an abandoned ruin. It was the third longest-surviving ancient wonder, after the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and the extant Great Pyramid of Giza, surviving in part until 1480, when the last of its stones was used to build the Citadel of Qaitbay on the site.
In 1994, a team of French archaeologists dived in the water of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour and discovered some remains of the lighthouse on the sea floor. In 2016, the Ministry of State of Antiquities in Egypt had plans to turn submerged ruins of ancient Alexandria, including those of the Pharos, into an underwater museum.
In 2025, parts of the lighthouse's entrance, threshold stones, and foundation paving stones were resurfaced to aid in a digital reconstruction effort intended to help scholars with architectural reconstructions.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lighthouse of Alexandria (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Built by
- Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt
- Built
- 280 BCE
- Era
- Hellenistic
- Type
- Ancient Wonder
- Status
- Destroyed by earthquakes (1303–1323); remains lie in Alexandria harbour
- Coordinates
- 31.2140° N, 29.8850° E
Architectural Significance
A square base, an octagonal middle stage and a cylindrical top carrying the fire, a three-stage form copied by later lighthouses and minarets across the Mediterranean.
Photos of Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)
Roland Unger · CC BY-SA 3.0 
Qasr Libya Museum · Public domain 
Unknown author Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0
History & architecture of Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos)
Construction
Maritime navigation to Alexandria was dangerous due to the northern coast of Africa's inconspicuous flat shores, shallow shoals, and submerged reefs. The lighthouse was constructed in the third century BC. After Alexander the Great died, Ptolemy the First (Ptolemy I Soter) declared himself king in 305 BC and commissioned its construction shortly thereafter. The building was finished during the reign of his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, and took twelve years to complete at a total cost of 800 talents of silver. The light was produced by a furnace at the top, and the tower was said to have been built mostly with solid blocks of limestone and granite.
In his encyclopedic manuscript Geographica, Strabo, who visited Alexandria in the late first century BC, reported that Sostratus of Cnidus had a dedication to the "Saviour Gods" inscribed in metal letters on the lighthouse. Writing in the first century AD, Pliny the Elder stated in his Natural History that Sostratus was the architect, although this conclusion is disputed. In his second century AD educational treatise How to Write History, Lucian claimed that Sostratus hid his name under plaster which bore the name of Ptolemy, so that when the plaster eventually fell off, Sostratus's name would be visible in the stone.
The blocks of sandstone and limestone used in the construction of the lighthouse have been scientifically analysed to discover where they originated, with mineralogical and chemical analysis pointing to the Wadi Hammamat quarries, in the desert to the east of Alexandria.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lighthouse of Alexandria (CC BY-SA 4.0).
About Egypt
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Palestine and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan and the Sahara to the south, and Libya to the west. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast separates Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Cairo is the capital, largest city, and leading cultural centre, while Alexandria is the second-largest city and an important hub of industry and tourism. With over 107 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world, third-most populous country in Africa, and 15th-most populated in the world.
Egypt has one of the longest histories of any country, tracing its heritage along the Nile Delta back to the 6th–4th millennia BCE. Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion and central government. Following nearly three millennia of pharaonic rule, Egypt came under foreign rule beginning in the 6th century BC. Egypt was an early and important centre of Christianity, later adopting Islam from the seventh century onwards. Alexandria, Egypt's former capital and currently second largest city, was a hub of global knowledge through its Library. Cairo became the capital of the Fatimid Caliphate in the tenth century and of the subsequent Mamluk Sultanate in the 13th century. Egypt then became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1517, until its local ruler Muhammad Ali established modern Egypt as an autonomous Khedivate in 1867. The country was then occupied by the British Empire along with Sudan and gained independence in 1922 as a monarchy.
After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip. Following the 1952 revolution, Egypt declared itself a republic. In 1958, Egypt merged with Syria to form the United Arab Republic, with Syria withdrawing in 1961 after their coup. Egypt fought several armed conflicts with Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973. After the 1967 war, Egypt lost the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip to Israel. In 1978, Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, which recognised Israel and heavily demilitarised the Sinai in exchange for the latter's withdrawal from the occupied Sinai, completely turning over control of the Sinai to Egypt in 1982.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Egypt (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Egypt
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 in Egypt. 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. Arab conquerors introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and ruled for the next six centuries. The Mamluks, a local military caste, took control around 1250 and continued to govern after the Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt 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 the country's nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Egypt gained partial independence from the UK in 1922 and full sovereignty in 1952. British forces evacuated the Suez Canal Zone in 1956. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have reaffirmed 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 fast-growing population as it implements large-scale infrastructure projects, energy cooperation, and foreign direct investment appeals. Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni MUBARAK's ouster in 2011. Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new legislature was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed MORSI won the presidential election. Following 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. Simultaneously, the government began enacting laws to limit freedoms of assembly and expression. In 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and then elected former defense minister Abdel Fattah EL-SISI president. EL-SISI was reelected to a second four-year term in 2018 and a third term in December 2023.
- Location
- Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula.
- Climate
- Desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters.
- Terrain
- Vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta.
- Highest point
- Mount Catherine 2,629 m.
- Lowest point
- Qattara Depression -133 m.
- Coastline
- 2,450 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 2,612 km; border countries: Gaza Strip 13 km; Israel 208 km; Libya 1,115 km; Sudan 1,276 km.
- Major rivers
- An Nīl (Nile) river mouth (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, and Sudan) - 6,650 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Major lakes
- Salt water lake(s): Lake Manzala - 1,360 sq km note - largest of Nile Delta lakes.
- Natural resources
- Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 4.1% (2023 est.); arable land: 3.1% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.); forest: 0% (2023 est.); other: 95.9% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms.
- Geographic note
- Controls Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
- Languages
- Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by educated classes.
- Religions
- Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican) 10%.
- Ethnic groups
- Egyptian 99.7%, other 0.3% (2006 est.)
- Economy
- Africa’s second-largest economy; 2030 Vision to diversify markets and energy infrastructure; improving fiscal, external, and current accounts; underperforming private sector; poor labor force participation; expanded credit access.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Egypt in Numbers
- Population
- 118.37 million
- GDP
- US$365.3 billion
- GDP per person
- US$3,086
- Life expectancy
- 71.8 years
- Population growth
- 1.56% a year
- Population density
- 117 per km²
- Urban population
- 42.9%
- Surface area
- 1,001,450 km²
- Forest cover
- 0.0%
- Arable land
- 3.3%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 74.7%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Egypt in Depth
History
Evidence of rock carvings along the Nile and in surrounding oases indicates early habitation. In the 10th millennium BCE, a culture of hunter-gatherers and fishers was replaced by a grain-grinding culture. Climate changes or overgrazing around 8000 BCE began to desiccate the pastoral lands of Egypt, forming the Sahara. Early tribal peoples migrated to the Nile River where they developed a settled agricultural economy and more centralised society.
By about 6000 BCE, a Neolithic culture took root in the Nile Valley. During the Neolithic era, several predynastic cultures developed independently in Upper and Lower Egypt. The Badarian culture and the successor Naqada series are generally regarded as precursors to dynastic Egypt.
Geography
Egypt lies primarily between latitudes 22° and 32°N, and longitudes 25° and 35°E. At 1,001,450 square kilometres (386,660 sq mi), it is the world's 29th largest country. Due to the extreme aridity of Egypt's climate, population centres are concentrated along the narrow Nile Valley and Delta, meaning that about 99% of the population uses about 5.5% of the total land area. 98% of Egyptians live on 3% of the territory.
Egypt is bordered by Libya to the west, the Sudan to the south, and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. A transcontinental nation, it possesses a land bridge (the Isthmus of Suez) between Africa and Asia, traversed by a navigable waterway (the Suez Canal) that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean by way of the Red Sea.
Economy
The economy of Egypt is the second-largest in Africa and ranks 44th worldwide as of 2025. It is a major emerging market economy, marked by its membership in organisations like the African Union, Arab League, BRICS, and its participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Egyptian economy has evolved significantly since the early 2000s, transitioning towards a market-oriented system through fiscal and monetary reforms, privatisation efforts, and foreign investment incentives. These measures have contributed to macroeconomic stability and improved unemployment and poverty rates.
Demographics
Egypt is the most populated country in the Arab world and the third most populous on the African continent, with about 120 million inhabitants as of 2026. Its population grew rapidly from 1970 to 2010 due to medical advances and increases in agricultural productivity enabled by the Green Revolution. Egypt's population was estimated at 3 million when Napoleon invaded the country in 1798. The great majority of its people live near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about 40,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land is found. The large regions of the Sahara desert, which constitute most of Egypt's territory, are sparsely inhabited.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Egypt (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Egypt: Key Facts
| Currency | Egyptian pound |
|---|---|
| Official language | Arabic |
| Head of state | Abdel Fattah el-Sisi |
| Head of government | Mostafa Madbouly |
| Form of government | republic |
| Calling code | +20 |
| Internet domain | .eg |
| Highest point | Mount Catherine |
| Lowest point | Qattara Depression |
| Established | 28 February 1922 |
Facts from Wikidata Q79 (CC0).
History of Egypt: Empires and States
The atlas records 45 polities whose mapped territory included part of Egypt, from Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in 3000 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
Historical Maps of Egypt
Egypt on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Egypt
Egypt (Arabic: مصر màSr) is known for its world-famous pyramids, mummies, temples, art, churches, mosques, bustling cities, friendly people, and hieroglyphics, Egypt is considered a cradle of civilisation and has one of the longest histories of any country in the world. Egypt may perhaps have the oldest tourist industry in the world; Egypt has been visited by millions of people since ancient times.
There is a lot to do for the foreign traveller in Egypt. Apart from visiting and seeing the temples and artefacts of ancient Egypt, there is also much to see within each city. In fact, each city in Egypt has its own charm of things to see with its own history, culture, activities, and people who often differ in nature from people of other parts of Egypt.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Egypt (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Egypt
42 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairo | 11.89 million | Al Qahirah | National capital |
| 2 | Alexandria | 4.17 million | Al Iskandariyah | Populated place |
| 3 | El Giza | 2.68 million | Al Jizah | Populated place |
| 4 | Ismaïlia | 656,135 | Al Isma`iliyah | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Bur Said | 623,864 | Bur Sa`id | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Luxor | 609,248 | Qina | Populated place |
| 7 | El Mansura | 600,000 | Ad Daqahliyah | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Sohag | 600,000 | Suhaj | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Suez | 508,335 | As Suways | Populated place |
| 10 | Damanhûr | 500,000 | Al Buhayrah | Admin-1 capital |
| 11 | El Minya | 500,000 | Al Minya | Admin-1 capital |
| 12 | Beni Suef | 489,450 | Bani Suwayf | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Asyut | 420,585 | Asyut | Admin-1 capital |
| 14 | Tanta | 404,901 | Al Gharbiyah | Admin-1 capital |
| 15 | El Faiyum | 316,772 | Al Fayyum | Admin-1 capital |
| 16 | Aswan | 313,442 | Aswan | Admin-1 capital |
| 17 | Kom Ombo | 303,962 | Aswan | Populated place |
| 18 | Qena | 302,027 | Qina | Admin-1 capital |
| 19 | Dumyat | 299,459 | Dumyat | Admin-1 capital |
| 20 | Zagazig | 285,097 | Ash Sharqiyah | Admin-1 capital |
| 21 | Mallawi | 217,365 | Al Minya | Populated place |
| 22 | Rashid | 199,509 | Kafr ash Shaykh | Populated place |
| 23 | Shibin el Kom | 182,900 | Al Minufiyah | Admin-1 capital |
| 24 | El Arish | 178,651 | Shamal Sina' | Admin-1 capital |
| 25 | Benha | 167,029 | Al Qalyubiyah | Admin-1 capital |
The other 17 (population, region, role)
- Hurghada · 157,204 · Al Bahr al Ahmar · Admin-1 capital
- Samalut · 152,097 · Al Minya · Populated place
- Kafr el Sheikh · 143,970 · Kafr ash Shaykh · Admin-1 capital
- Girga · 128,250 · Suhaj · Populated place
- Matruh · 103,470 · Matruh · Admin-1 capital
- Isna · 100,000 · Qina · Populated place
- Beni Mazar · 79,553 · Al Minya · Populated place
- El Kharga · 49,991 · Al Wadi at Jadid · Admin-1 capital
- Bur Safaga · 32,944 · Al Bahr al Ahmar · Populated place
- El Tur · 27,628 · Janub Sina' · Admin-1 capital
- Siwa · 23,080 · Matruh · Populated place
- El Daba · 14,212 · Matruh · Populated place
- El Alamein · 7,400 · Matruh · Populated place
- Salum · 7,330 · Matruh · Populated place
- Qasr Farafra · 5,000 · Al Wadi at Jadid · Populated place
- El Qasr · 1,716 · Al Wadi at Jadid · Populated place
- Berenice · 10 · Al Bahr al Ahmar · Populated place
Highest Mountains in Egypt
3 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gebel Katherna | 2,629 m | 8,625 ft | Africa |
| 2 | Jabal Is | 1,851 m | 6,073 ft | Africa |
| 3 | Qattara Depression | -133 m | -436 ft | Africa |
Major Dams in Egypt
1 dam recorded. Ranked by structural height.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aswan High Dam | 111 m | Nile | 2,100 MW | 1970 |
Largest Lakes in Egypt
2 lakes recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Nasser | 3,575 km² | Reservoir |
| 2 | Great Bitter Lake | 226 km² | Alkaline Lake |
Lake Nasser
Reservoir · 3,575 km²
Lake Nasser is an artificial reservoir in Egypt and Sudan, with a mapped surface area of about 3,575 km². About 89% of its surface lies in Egypt, and the rest in Sudan. It exists because of a dam rather than natural drainage, and was filled in 1970.
Lake Nasser (Arabic: بحيرة ناصر Boħeiret Nāṣer, Egyptian Arabic: [boˈħeiɾet ˈnɑːseɾ]) is a large reservoir in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. It was created by the construction of the Aswan High Dam and is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. The lake has become an important economic resource in Egypt, improving agriculture and supporting robust fishing and tourism industries. The lake is named after Gamal Abdel Nasser, the second President of Egypt.
Strictly speaking, Lake Nasser refers only to the much larger portion of the lake that is in Egyptian territory (83% of the total), with the Sudanese preferring to call their smaller body of water Lake Nubia (Egyptian Arabic: بحيرة النوبية Boħēret Nubeya, [boˈħeːɾet nʊˈbejjæ]). Before its creation, the project faced opposition from Sudan as it would encroach on land in the northern part of the country, where many Nubian people lived who would have to be resettled. In the end, Sudan's land near the area of Lake Nasser was mostly flooded by the lake.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Nasser (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 3,575 km²
- Area rank
- #60 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Reservoir
- Countries
- Egypt, Sudan
- Impounded
- 1970
- Coordinates
- 23.1384°, 32.7696°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Lake Nasser ranks #60 by surface area, after Lake Mackay (3,594 km²) and ahead of Lake Van (3,503 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Impounding dam:
- Aswan High Dam (111 m)
- Other water nearby:
- Great Bitter Lake (226 km²)
More about Lake Nasser
History
Before the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the consequent creation of the Lake Nasser, the area that the lake now occupies was a significant part of the region of Nubia, home to several pharaohs of Egypt and empires such as that of the Kush.
The construction of the Aswan High Dam began in 1960 at the behest of Lake Nasser's namesake and the second president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was President Anwar Sadat who inaugurated the lake and dam in 1971. Finished in 1970, the Aswan High Dam across the Nile was built to replace the insufficient Aswan Low Dam built in 1902. The goals of the High Dam and the reservoir it created, Lake Nasser, were to create a more stable source of water, to increase agricultural production, and to produce electricity for Egypt.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Nasser (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lake Nasser: Key Facts
| Surface area | 5,250 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 25 m |
| Volume | 132 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 179 m |
| Inflows | Nile |
| Outflows | Nile |
| Drainage system | Nile basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q182796 (CC0).
Great Bitter Lake
Alkaline Lake · 226 km²
Great Bitter Lake is a alkaline lake in Egypt, with a mapped surface area of about 226 km².
The Great Bitter Lake (Arabic: البحيرة المرة الكبرى; transliterated: al-Buḥayrah al-Murra al-Kubrā) is a large saltwater lake in Egypt which is part of the Suez Canal. Before the canal was built in 1869, the Great Bitter Lake was a dry salt valley or basin. References are made to the Great Bitter Lake in the ancient Pyramid Texts.
The canal connects the Great Bitter Lake to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The canal also connects it to the Small Bitter Lake (Arabic: البحيرة المرة الصغرى; transliterated: al-Buhayrah al-Murra as-Sughra).
Ships traveling through the Suez Canal use the Great Bitter Lake as a "passing lane", where they can pass other ships or turn around.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Great Bitter Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 226 km²
- Area rank
- #472 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Alkaline Lake
- Country
- Egypt
- Coordinates
- 30.3456°, 32.3740°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Great Bitter Lake ranks #472 by surface area, after Marmion Lake (226 km²) and ahead of Reg Nuur (224 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Watercourses:
- Suez Canal (River), Jordan (River)
- Other water nearby:
- Dead Sea (656 km²), Sea of Galilee (160 km²)
More about Great Bitter Lake
Great Bitter Lake: Key Facts
| Surface area | 250 km² |
|---|---|
| Surface elevation | 0 m |
| Inflows | Suez Canal |
| Outflows | Suez Canal |
Facts from Wikidata Q526440 (CC0).
Rivers in Egypt
3 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
| Name | Type | Also Flows Through |
|---|---|---|
| Ismailiya Canal | River | — |
| Nile | River | Sudan |
| Suez Canal | River | — |
Ports in Egypt
26 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeit Bay Terminal | 53 m | Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | medium vessels |
| 2 | Zeit Bay Lpg Terminal | 53 m | Very Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | medium vessels |
| 3 | East Zeit Terminal | 53 m | Very Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | medium vessels |
| 4 | el Maadiya | 45.7 m | Very Small | Eastern Mediterranean | point_of_interest |
| 5 | al Qusayr | 42.1 m | Very Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | point_of_interest |
| 6 | Sokhna Port Gas Tanker Terminal | 42.1 m | Very Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | medium vessels |
| 7 | Mersa Matruh | 42.1 m | Very Small | Eastern Mediterranean | medium vessels |
| 8 | Ras Shukhier | 34.7 m | Minor | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | medium vessels |
| 9 | Damietta | 27.4 m | Major | Eastern Mediterranean | large vessels |
| 10 | el-Adabiya | 27.4 m | Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | large vessels |
The other 16 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)
- North Ain Sukhna Port · 23.8 m · Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Bur Safaga · 23.8 m · Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · large vessels
- el Ismailiya · 16.5 m · Small · Eastern Mediterranean · large vessels
- Wadi Feiran · 12.8 m · Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Ras Gharib · 5.5 m · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Ras Badran Oil Terminal · 5.5 m · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Ras Abu Zanimah · 5.5 m · Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · large vessels
- Ain Sukhna Terminal · Major · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · large vessels
- el Hamra Oil Terminal · Very Small · Eastern Mediterranean · large vessels
- Sidi Kerir (Kurayr) · Small · Eastern Mediterranean · large vessels
- Zafarana Terminal · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Nuweiba el Muzeima · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Hamrawein · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Sharm el Sheikh · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- Ras Sudr · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
- el Tur Harbor · Very Small · Red Sea & Gulf of Aden · medium vessels
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Egypt
7 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abu Mena | 1979 | Cultural | (iv) |
| 2 | Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis | 1979 | Cultural | (i) (iii) (vi) |
| 3 | Islamic Cairo | 1979 | Cultural | (i) (v) (vi) |
| 4 | Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur | 1979 | Cultural | (i) (iii) (vi) |
| 5 | Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae | 1979 | Cultural | (i) (iii) (vi) |
| 6 | Saint Catherine Area | 2002 | Cultural | (i) (iii) (iv) (vi) |
| 7 | Wadi Al-Hitan | 2005 | Natural | (viii) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Egypt
8 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Sahara | 4.73M km² | Desert | Africa |
| 3 | Sahel | 1.02M km² | Plain | Africa |
| 4 | Jilf al Kabir Plateau | 57,545 km² | Plateau | Africa |
| 5 | Western Desert | 31,224 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 6 | Libyan Desert | 6,751 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 7 | Eastern Desert | 835 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 8 | Nile Delta | 167 km² | Delta | Africa |
States and Provinces of Egypt
2 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering Egypt
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Egypt: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Egypt?
- The capital of Egypt is Cairo.
- What is the population of Egypt?
- Egypt has a population of about 118.37 million, the #13 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Egypt?
- Egypt covers 1.01M km², ranking #31 by area, with about 117 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Egypt in?
- Egypt is in Africa.
- Which countries border Egypt?
- Egypt shares a land or maritime border with Israel, Libya, Sudan, Palestine.
- What is the largest city in Egypt?
- Cairo is the largest city in Egypt, with a metropolitan population of about 11.89 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Egypt?
- The highest summit recorded for Egypt in YearMaps is Gebel Katherna at 2,629 m (8,625 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Egypt?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Egypt is Lake Nasser, at roughly 3,575 km².
- What are the famous wonders and monuments of Egypt?
- Egypt's great monuments in YearMaps are Great Pyramid of Giza, Karnak Temple Complex, Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos). Each is written up on this page with photographs and its history.
- What is the tallest dam in Egypt?
- The tallest dam recorded for Egypt is Aswan High Dam at 111 m, on the Nile.