total population: 71.4%
male: 83%
female: 59.4% (2005 est.)

Education expenditures:

4.2% of GDP (2006)

Government
Egypt

Country name:

conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
local short form: Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Cairo
geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last
Thursday in September

Administrative divisions:

26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah, Al
Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah (El Beheira), Al Fayyum (El
Faiyum), Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma'iliyah
(Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah (El Monofia), Al Minya, Al
Qahirah (Cairo), Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid (New Valley), As
Suways (Suez), Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf (Beni Suef),
Bur Sa'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina' (South Sinai),
Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh (Western Desert), Qina (Qena), Shamal Sina'
(North Sinai), Suhaj (Sohag)

Independence:

28 February 1922 (from UK)

National holiday:

Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)

Constitution:

11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980, 25 May 2005, and 26 March
2007

Legal system:

based on Islamic and civil law (particularly Napoleonic codes);
judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees
validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October
1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed NAZIF (since 9 July
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term (no
term limits); note - a national referendum in May 2005 approved a
constitutional amendment that changed the presidential election to a
multicandidate popular vote; previously the president was nominated
by the People's Assembly and the nomination was validated by a
national, popular referendum; last referendum held 26 September
1999; first election under terms of constitutional amendment held 7
September 2005; next election scheduled for 2011
electio