Egypt

F

Mining

Petroleum is Egypt’s most important mineral product. It is a major source of export earnings. In the 1980s the government developed the production of natural gas to supply domestic energy needs. It began exporting natural gas in the 1990s. The main oil and gas fields are located along the Red Sea coast and in the Libyan Desert. Other minerals produced in Egypt include phosphate rock (a source of fertilizer), iron ore, and salt.

G

Services

Services contributed 49 percent of the GDP in 2005. Important services include government social services such as health and education, financial services, and personal services.

H

Tourism

In 2005, 8.2 million tourists visited Egypt, providing $6.9 billion in revenues. The majority of visitors make a simple tour that includes Cairo, the great pyramids nearby, and the sites of other ruins and artifacts of ancient Egypt up the Nile. Many tourists also visit Egypt’s Red Sea resorts to take advantage of the warm winter weather. In 1992 attacks on foreigners by Islamic extremists scared off most tourists, but the industry soon recovered. The tourism industry is made up entirely of privately owned businesses.

I

Energy

Egypt is self-sufficient in energy. Its main sources of electricity are hydroelectric power plants at the Aswān High Dam and steam-driven power plants that burn natural gas. Egypt’s own oil and natural gas provide almost all of the country’s fuel needs. Pipelines supply gas to all major urban centers.

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J

Transportation

Egypt has 5,150 km (3,200 mi) of railroads, all of which are owned by the state. The principal line links Aswān and towns north of it in the Nile Valley to Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. The inland waterways of Egypt are used extensively for transportation. These waterways include the Nile, which is navigable throughout its course in the country; about 1,600 km (about 1,000 mi) of shipping canals; and more than 17,700 km (11,000 mi) of irrigation canals in the Nile Delta.

Two highways connect Cairo with Alexandria. Other highways connect Cairo to Port Said, Suez, and Al Fayyūm. The total length of highways and roads in Egypt is 64,000 km (40,000 mi). International airlines provide regular service between Cairo and Alexandria and major world centers. EgyptAir, the government-owned airline, also provides domestic and foreign service. The country has about 80 airports and airfields. The major seaport is Alexandria, followed by Port Said and Suez, all of which are served by numerous shipping companies. The Suez Canal produces substantial annual toll revenues. In the early 2000s about 18,000 vessels used the canal each year.

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