The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Party or NDP

       [Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (governing party)]; National Progressive

       Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat EL-SAID]; New Wafd Party or NWP

       [No'man GOMAA]

       note: formation of political parties must be approved by the

       government

      Political pressure groups and leaders: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK tolerated limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first two terms, but moved more aggressively since then to block its influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms; trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned

      International organization participation:

       ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, EBRD,

       FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),

       ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,

       IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS

       (observer), OIC, ONUB, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,

       UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO,

       WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador M. Nabil FAHMY

       chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

       telephone: [1] (202) 895–5400

       FAX: [1] (202) 244–4319

       consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador designate Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr

       embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo

       mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839–4900

       telephone: [20] (2) 797–3300

       FAX: [20] (2) 797–3200

      Flag description:

       three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the

       national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with

       a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name

       of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; design is

       based on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria,

       which has two green stars, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus

       an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white

       band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band

      Economy Egypt

      Economy - overview:

       Lack of substantial progress on economic reform since the mid 1990s

       has limited foreign direct investment in Egypt and kept annual GDP

       growth in the range of 2%-3% in 2001–03. However, in 2004 Egypt

       implemented several measures to boost foreign direct investment. In

       September 2004, Egypt pushed through custom reforms, proposed income

       and corporate tax reforms, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized

       several enterprises. The budget deficit rose to an estimated 8% of

       GDP in 2004 compared to 6.1% of GDP the previous year, in part as a

       result of these reforms. Monetary pressures on an overvalued

       Egyptian pound led the government to float the currency in January

       2003, leading to a sharp drop in its value and consequent

       inflationary pressure. In 2004, the Central Bank implemented

       measures to improve currency liquidity. Egypt reached record tourism

       levels, despite the Taba and Nuweiba bombings in September 2004. The

       development of an export market for natural gas is a bright spot for

       future growth prospects, but improvement in the capital-intensive

       hydrocarbons sector does little to reduce Egypt's persistent

       unemployment.

      GDP (purchasing power parity):

       $316.3 billion (2004 est.)

      GDP - real growth rate:

       4.5% (2004 est.)

      GDP - per capita:

       purchasing power parity - $4,200 (2004 est.)

      GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.2% industry: 33% services: 49.8% (2004 est.)

      Labor force:

       20.71 million (2004 est.)

      Labor force - by occupation:

       agriculture 32%, industry 17%, services 51% (2001 est.)

      Unemployment rate:

       10.9% (2004 est.)

      Population below poverty line:

       16.7% (2000 est.)

      Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.4% highest 10%: 25% (1995)

      Distribution of family income - Gini index:

       34.4 (2001)

      Inflation rate (consumer prices):

       9.5% (2004 est.)

      Investment (gross fixed):

       15.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

      Budget:

       revenues: $15.42 billion

       expenditures: $20.76 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.7

       billion (2004 est.)

      Public debt:

       102.7% of GDP (2004 est.)

      Agriculture - products:

       cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water

       buffalo, sheep, goats

      Industries:

       textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons,

       construction, cement, metals

      Industrial production growth rate:

       2.5% (2004 est.)

      Electricity - production:

       81.27 billion kWh (2002)

      Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81% hydro: 19% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

      Electricity - consumption:

       75.58 billion kWh (2002)

      Electricity - exports:

       0 kWh (2002)

      Electricity - imports:

       0 kWh (2002)

      Oil - production:

       740,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

      Oil - consumption:

       562,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

      Oil - exports:

       NA

      Oil - imports:

       NA

      Oil - proved reserves:

       2.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)

      Natural gas - production: