EGYPT IN BRIEF

 Egypt is an Arab country situated mainly within North Africa, with its Sinai desert forming a connection to Southwest Asia covering an area of about 1,010,000 square kilometers, according to the 2006 census [4]. Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, Libya to the west, Palestine and Israel to the northeast.  Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Arab world, Africa and the Middle East, and the 15th most populated in the world with over 82million people [1]. The majority of its people live near the Nile River that provides the primary water resource and the life artery for Egyptian. Egypt is the cultural leader of the Arab world and major African economic  power [4].  Its Al-Azhar Mosque, founded in 970 CE, is one of the highest authorities in Sunni Islam.

Egypt became a republic on 18 June 1953 for the first time on its history after the wake of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 [5]. The first President took office was President Mohamed Naguib. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak was the fourth president, since 1981, following the assassination of former president Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat [5]. Following the Tunisian Revolution, Hosni Mubarak was forced to resign on 11 February 2011, ending his fifth term in office [6]. 

There are two legislative branches, the people’s assembly with 454 deputies and the consultative council with 264 members. Political parties are allowed to exist according to the Egyptian Constitution. As of 2012, more than 30 registered political parties in Egypt. The largest are Freedom and Justice Party, al-Nour Party, New Wafd Party, Free Egyptians Party, Justice Party, Wasat Party, Egyptian Social Democratic Party, and Coalition of the Youth of the Revolution [7].


2012 Egyptian Elections