Egypt (population 76,117,421 million) is a country in Northern Africa which covers an area of 1,001,450 square kilometres, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula. Its boundaries border Israel , Libya , the Palestinian Authority Gaza Strip and Sudan.

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations.

Today, a rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society.

According to the United Nations human development index (HDI), Egypt is ranked 120/177 countries worldwide (value 0.653).¹ This places Egypt in the group of countries with medium human development.