Flag Coat of arms Anthem: Bilady, Bilady, Bilady

Capital (and largest city) Cairo 30°2'N, 31°13'E Official languages Arabic1 Demonym Egyptian Government Semi-presidential republic  -  President Hosni Mubarak  -  Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif Establishment  -  First Dynasty c.3150 BCE   -  Independence from United Kingdom February 28, 1922   -  Republic declared June 18, 1953  Area  -  Total 980,869 km? (30th) 378,715 sq mi 386,660 Including Hala'ib Triangle sq mi   -  Water (%) 0.632 Population  -  2007 estimate 80,335,036 (est.)[1]   -  1996 census 59,312,914   -  Density 74/km? (120th) 192/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate  -  Total $329.791 billion (29th)  -  Per capita $4,836 (110th) Gini (1999?00) 34.5 (medium)  HDI (2007) ? 0.708 (medium) (112nd) Currency Egyptian pound (EGP) Time zone EET (UTC+2)  -  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3) Internet TLD .eg Calling code +20 1 Spoken language is Egyptian Arabic. Egypt (Egyptian: Kemet; Coptic: ???? Kimi; Arabic: ??? ? Mi?r ; Egyptian Arabic: M??r), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country in North Africa that includes the Sinai Peninsula, a land bridge to Asia. Covering an area of about 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,660 sq mi), Egypt borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. The northern coast borders the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Cyprus; the eastern coast borders the Red Sea. Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa. The great majority of its estimated 78 million people (2007) live near the banks of the Nile River in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi) where the only arable agricultural land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely populated centers of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta. Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and the Great Sphinx. The southern city of Luxor contains numerous ancient artifacts, such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural nation of the Middle East.