Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
embassy: (North Gate) 8, Kamel El-Din Salah Street, Garden City,
Cairo
mailing address: Unit 64900, APO AE 09839-4900
Flag description: 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 flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Syria that has two green stars and to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band
Economy
Economy—overview: At the end of the 1980s, Egypt faced problems of low productivity and poor economic management, compounded by the adverse social effects of excessive population growth, high inflation, and massive urban overcrowding. In the face of these pressures, in 1991 Egypt undertook wide-ranging macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform measures. This reform effort has been supported by three IMF arrangements, the last of which expired in September 1998. Egypt's reform efforts—and its participation in the Gulf war coalition—also led to massive debt relief under the Paris Club arrangements. Substantial progress has been made in improving macroeconomic performance. Cairo tamed inflation, slashed budget deficits, and built up foreign reserves to an all-time high. Although the pace of structural reforms—such as privatization and new business legislation—has been slower than envisioned under the IMF program, Egypt's steps toward a more market-oriented economy have prompted increased foreign investment. The November 1997 massacre of foreign tourists in Luxor affected tourism enough to slow the GDP growth rate for 1998 compared to earlier projections. Tourism's slow recovery, coupled with low world oil prices, caused a downturn in foreign exchange earnings in 1998, but external payments are not in crisis.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$188 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,850 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 16% industry: 31% services: 53% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 26.7% (1991)