North Sinai Governorate

North Sinai Governorate
Governorate

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North Sinai Governorate on the map of Egypt
Coordinates: 30°30′N 33°36′E / 30.5°N 33.6°E / 30.5; 33.6Coordinates: 30°30′N 33°36′E / 30.5°N 33.6°E / 30.5; 33.6
Country  Egypt
Seat Arish (capital)
Government
 • Governor Sayed Abdel Fatta Harhour [1]
Area
 • Total 27,574 km2 (10,646 sq mi)
Population (2014)
 • Total 421,984
 • Density 15/km2 (40/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
Website North Sinai

North Sinai Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة شمال سيناء‎‎ Muḥāfẓet Shamāl Sīnāʾ) is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country, and encompasses the northern half of the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, in the south by South Sinai Governorate, in the west by Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez Governorates,[2] and in the east by the Gaza Strip and Israel. Its capital is the city of Arish. A governorate is administered by a governor, who is appointed by the President of Egypt and serves at the president's discretion.

The population of the North Sinai Governorate as at 2014 was 421,984 people, predominantly Bedouin tribesmen. The Governorate covers an area of 27,574 square kilometers. The population density is 15 inhabitants per square kilometer.

A significant economic activity of the Bedouin tribes has been smuggling. They have been active in the smuggling of supplies and weapons into the Gaza Strip by way of cross-border tunnels as well as assisting illegal migrants into Israel. These activities have been curtailed by the Egyptian government crackdown of smuggling into the Gaza Strip and by the building of the Israel-Egypt barrier.

North Sinai has since 2011 been especially affected by the Sinai insurgency and measures by government forces to combat it,[3] which has resulted in many casualties.

Population

According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in urban areas, with an urbanization rate of 60.2%. Out of an estimated 434,781 people residing in the governorate, 261,686 people live in urban areas as opposed to only 173,095 in rural areas.[4]

Cities

Towns

Industrial zones

According to the Egyptian Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), in affiliation with the Ministry of Investment (MOI), the following industrial zones are located in this governorate:[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Egypt's Government Governorates Directory". Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  2. ↑ State Information Service
  3. ↑ IRIN: Economic life slows to a crawl amid crackdown in North Sinai
  4. ↑ "Population Estimates By Sex & Governorate 1/1/2015" (PDF). CAPMAS. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Investment Regimes, Industrial Zones of Governorate". Ministry of Investment Egypt. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
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