Geography & environment — Egypt
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Egypt: Africa
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Africa
- Geographic Coordinates
27 00 N, 30 00 E
- Total Area
386,660 Square Miles 1,001,450 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
384,343 Square Miles 995,450 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
2,317 Square Miles 6,000 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
1,656 Miles 2,665 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
- Coastline
1,522 Miles 2,450 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
Vast desert plateau interrupted by the Nile Valley and delta
- Highest Point
2,629 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Mount Catherine 2,629 m
- Lowest Point
-133 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
Qattara Depression -133 m
- Natural Resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
- Irrigated Land
13,212 Square Miles 34,220 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Thursday in October
Climate
- Climate
From November to April, temperatures range in Cairo from 40° to 65°F, and during the hot period, May to October, from 70° to 110°F. The Mediterranean coast is usually 10° cooler, while Upper Egypt is 10° to 20° warmer. Extreme temperatures during both seasons are moderated by the prevailing northerly winds. The exception is the hot, dry southerly Khamaseen, named for the number 50 because it occurs in a 50-day timeframe from April to June. With winds up to 90 miles an hour, the resulting sandstorms close down airports and roads.
- Terrain
Vast desert plateau interrupted by the Nile Valley and delta
- 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
- Total Area
386,660 Square Miles 1,001,450 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
Environment
- 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
- Environment - International Agreements
- 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