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General Info
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Total Area:
1,001,450 square kilometers (386,662 square miles).
Capital:
Cairo.
Population: 58,519,000.
Ethnic Composition:
99 percent Egyptian, Bedouin, and Berber; 1 percent other, including Nubian, Armenian, and European.
Official Language:
Arabic. English and French are widely
spoken by educated Egyptians.
Religion: 90 percent Sunni Islam; 10 percent Christian, including Coptic, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian churches.
Government:
a presidential republic. The head of state is the president, elected by popular referendum to a six-year term. The prime minister, appointed by the president, is head of government. The legislature is unicameral and made up of the Majilis ash-Sha'ab (People's Assembly), with 454 members. Voting age is 18.
Passport/Visa Requirements
These requirements are subject to change. Check with the
embassy or consulate in your home country before you
depart.
Australian and New Zealand citizens: A passport valid
for at least six months beyond the intended length of
stay, a visa, and a return or onward ticket are
required.
Canadian citizens: A passport valid for at least six
months beyond the intended length of stay, a visa, and a
return or onward ticket are required.
EU citizens: A passport valid for at least six months
beyond the intended length of stay, a visa, and a return
or onward ticket are required.
Japanese citizens: A passport valid for at least six
months beyond the intended length of stay, a visa, and a
return or onward ticket are required.
U.S. citizens: A passport valid for at least six months
beyond the intended length of stay, a visa, and a return
or onward ticket are required.
Others: Nationals of Bahrain, Djibouti, Guinea, Libya,
Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United
Arab Emirates and Yemen do not need a visa for visits of
up to 90 days.
Citizens of countries not listed above require a
passport valid for at least six months beyond the
intended length of stay, a visa, and a return or onward
ticket.
Note: It is
possible to obtain a visa at many ports of entry, but
not at any land crossings.
Note: All
visitors to Egypt must register within seven days of
arrival. Most hotels do this for you, but if you have to
do it yourself, go to any police station, or to the
Mugamma building in Cairo's Tahrir Square—where they
are better prepared to deal with foreign tourists. Take
your passport.
Phone Code
The international telephone access code is 20. The city
code for Cairo is 02, for Alexandria 03, for Luxor 095,
for Port Said 066, for Suez 062, and for Aswan 097. Omit
the zero if calling from abroad.
To place an outgoing international call, dial 00 plus
the country code and number. For directory assistance,
dial 140.
Time Zone
Egypt time is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich mean time, or 7
hours ahead of New York and Montréal, 1 hour behind
Moscow, and 7 hours behind Tokyo. Egypt observes
daylight saving time from May until October.
Business Hours
Banks are open 8:30 AM–2 PM, Sunday–Thursday, and
closed on Friday and Saturday. Shopping hours vary by
the season. In winter, stores are generally open 9
AM–6 PM (sometimes later). In summer, store hours are
9 AM–12:30 PM and 5 PM–8 PM Saturday through
Thursday. Though most stores are closed on Sunday, some
are also closed on Friday.
Holidays
New Year's Day (1 January), Ramadan (month-long festival
of daytime fasting; dates vary), End of Ramadan/Eid al-Fitr
(three-day celebration; dates vary), Sinai Liberation
Day (25 April), Labor Day (1 May), Islamic New Year
(date varies), Evacuation Day (18 June) Revolution Day
(23 July), Prophet Mohammed's Birthday (celebration date
varies), National Day/Armed Forces Day (6 October), Suez
City and National Liberation Day (24 October), and
Victory Day (23 December).
Note: Normal
business hours may be disrupted around the time of
Muslim festivals. For the lunar month preceding Eid al-Fitr,
for instance, Muslims fast during the day, so
restaurants are often closed during the day, or are open
to sell only beverages.
Weather
Egypt is generally hot and dry year-round, except during
the winter (November to March). Summer temperatures
range from 31° C (88° F) along the Mediterranean coast
to as high as 50° C (122° F) in the inland southern
town of Aswan. Desert areas experience a notably large
temperature range, getting as cold as 8° C (46° F) on
winter nights. Winter rains are common along the
Mediterranean coast, as is humidity. In Cairo, however,
rain is rare. One distinct characteristic about Egypt's
climate is the khamsin, a hot, dry wind that brings sand
and dust storms in from the Sahara during the spring
season.
Money
The basic unit of currency in Egypt is the pound,
abbreviated E£. (In Arabic, the pound is called a
guineh.) The pound is divided into 100 piastres, and
each piastre into 10 millims. Bills are available in
denominations of E£ 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100, and 25 and 50
piastres, while coins are available in denominations of
5, 10 and 25 piastres. For current international
exchange rates, see the Currency Converter.
Credit cards are accepted by larger hotels, restaurants
and shops—especially those which cater to
tourists—but cash is still the preferred method of
payment.
Traveler's checks can be changed at most banks and are
accepted as payment at many tourist shops, hotels, and
restaurants. Don't forget to take your passport when
exchanging money.
There is a shortage of small change in Egypt. Be sure to
ask for plenty of coins in small denominations when
changing money.
Tipping
Tipping (called baksheesh in Egypt) is common practice
for most services, regardless of how inconsequential. In
hotels and restaurants, a service charge of about 12
percent is added to the bill, but an extra 5 percent tip
is customary. Taxi fares often include a tip, but if
your driver has given especially good service, tip about
10 percent; tips for porters and bellhops is about a
pound. Many people rely on tipping to supplement their
incomes, so it is important to be aware of the practice
and to remember to carry small change.
Customs
Incoming cars, motorcycles and video cameras will be
assessed a duty, but personal clothing, work equipment,
one bottle of liquor and 200 cigarettes, or 25 cigars,
or 200 grams of tobacco may be brought into the country
duty-free. Gifts up to the value of E£500 may also be
brought in duty-free.
Note: All
cash, traveler's checks, and credit cards must be
declared on arrival.
Fireworks, explosives, any printed matter, photographs,
video, film or phonographs that could be considered are
prohibited from being brought into the country.
Measurements
The metric system is standard throughout the country.
Electricity
The electrical current in most areas is 220 volts , 50
Hz AC, although some rural areas still use 110–130
volts, 60 Hz AC. Plugs are the two-pin European style.
Visitors from abroad who wish to operate personal small
electronic items should bring a plug adapter and a
transformer (these can be difficult to find in Egypt).
Driving
Road conditions are satisfactory throughout most of the
country. Traffic in Cairo is extremely heavy, and
challenging. Private automobile touring in desert areas
is not recommended without suitable vehicles and a
guide. A driver's license from one's home country as
well as an international driving permit (available from
most auto clubs in your home country) are required. All
vehicles must carry a fire extinguisher and a red hazard
triangle. See Transportation for more details.
Emergencies
In an emergency dial 123 for an ambulance, 122 to reach
the police, and 125 for a fire emergency. Note: The
tourist police are often more helpful to foreigners than
the regular police.
Pharmacists in Egypt usually speak English, and in Cairo
a few pharmacies are open 24 hours.
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