Egypt is the most populous country in the Middle East with a population of nearly 79 million.  Almost all of the population is concentrated along the banks of the Nile near Cairo and Alexandria, in the Delta, and near the Suez Canal.  Egyptians are the largest ethnic group with minorities that include Bedouin Arab, Berber, and Nubian.  Egypt also hosts some 90,000 refugees and asylum seekers made up of mostly Palestinian and Sudanese refugees. 

FACTS

 Full Name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Capital
(and largest city) Cairo (Al-Qahirah)
30°2?N 31°13?E
Official languages Arabic, Masri (national)
Government Republic
 - President Hosni Mubarak
 - Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif
Establishment  
 - First Dynasty c.3150 BC 
 - Independence granted February 28, 1922 
 - Republic declared June 18, 1953 
Area
 - Total 1,001,449 km? (30th)
           386,660 sq mi 
 - Water (%) 0.6
Major language:  Arabic
Major religion:  Islam
Life expectancy:  67 years(men),
  72 years (women) (UN)
Population
 - 2006 estimate 78,887,007 (15th)
 - 1996 census 59,312,914
 - Density 74/km? (120th)
192/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2004 estimate
 - Total $305.253 billion (32nd)
 - Per capita $4,317 (112th)
HDI  (2006) 0.702 (medium) (111th)
Currency Egyptian pound (LE) (EGP)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD .eg
Calling code +20

DEMOGRAPHICS

Egypt is the most populous country in the Middle East and the second-most populous on the African continent, with nearly 79 million people. Almost all the population is concentrated along the banks of the Nile (notably Alexandria and Cairo), in the Delta and near the Suez Canal. Approximately 90% of the population adheres to Islam and most of the remainder to Christianity (primarily the Coptic Orthodox denomination).   Apart from religious affiliation, Egyptians can be divided demographically into those who live in the major urban centers and the fellahin or farmers of rural villages.

Egyptians are by the far the largest ethnic group in Egypt at 97-98% (about 76.4 million) of the total population. Ethnic minorities include the Bedouin Arab tribes living in the eastern deserts and the Sinai Peninsula, the Berber-speaking Siwis of the Siwa Oasis, and the ancient Nubian communities clustered along the Nile in the southernmost part of Egypt. Egypt also hosts some 90,000 refugees and asylum seekers, made up mostly of 70,000 Palestinian refugees and 20,000 Sudanese refugees. The once-vibrant Jewish community in Egypt has virtually disappeared, with only a small number remaining in Egypt and those who visit on religious occasions. Several important Jewish archaeological and historical sites remain.

Source:  Wikipedia