Long-form name: Arab Republic of Egypt

Type: republic

Capital: Cairo

Administrative divisions: 26 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Ismailiyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Said, Dumyat, Janub Sina, Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina, Suhaj

Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK); formerly United Arab Republic

Constitution: 11 September 1971

Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 23 July (1952)

Branches: executive power vested in president, who appoints Cabinet; People's Assembly is principal legislative body, with Shura Council having consultative role; independent judiciary administered by minister of justice

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (was made acting President on 6 October 1981 upon the assassination of President Sadat and sworn in as President on 14 October 1981); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Atef Mohammed Najib SEDKY (since 12 November 1986)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: regular elections to People's Assembly every five years (next slated for April 1992); two-thirds of Shura Council is elected for six-year term (next elections to be held in October 1989), with remaining members appointed by president; presidential election every six years; last held October 1987

Political parties and leaders: formation of political parties must be approved by government; National Democratic Party, led by Mubarak, is the dominant party; legal opposition parties are Socialist Liberal Party, Kamal Murad; Socialist Labor Party, Ibrahim Shukri; National Progressive Unionist Grouping, Khalid Muhyi-al-Din; Umma Party, Ahmad al-Sabahi; and New Wafd Party, Fuad Siraj al-Din

Voting strength: 458-seat People's Assembly, including 448 elected seats and 10 presidential appointees; NDP, 358 seats; Labor-Liberal-Muslim Brotherhood Alliance, 60 seats (about 36 belong to the Muslim Brotherhood); New Wafd, 36 seats; Independents, 4 seats

Communists: about 500 party members

Other political or pressure groups: Islamic groups are illegal, but the largest one, the Muslim Brotherhood, is tolerated by the government and recently gained a sizable presence in the new People's Assembly; trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned

Member of: AAPSO, AfDB, Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WPC, WSG, WTO; Egypt suspended from Arab League and OAPEC in April 1979 and readmitted in May 1989

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador El Sayed Abdel Raouf EL REEDY; Chancery at 2310 Decatur Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5400; there are Egyptian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Frank G. WISNER; Embassy at 5 Sharia Latin America, Garden City, Cairo (mailing address is FPO New York 09527); telephone �20� �2� 355-7371; there is a US Consulate General in Alexandria

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flags of the YAR which has one star, Syria which has two stars, and Iraq which has three stars--all green and five-pointed in a horizontal line centered in the white band

NOTE: The information regarding Egypt on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Egypt Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Egypt Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.