Kafr El Sheikh Governorate | ||
---|---|---|
Governorate | ||
|
||
Kafr El Sheikh Governorate on the map of Egypt |
||
Coordinates: 31°18′N 30°56′E / 31.3°N 30.93°ECoordinates: 31°18′N 30°56′E / 31.3°N 30.93°E | ||
Country | Egypt | |
Seat | Kafr El Sheikh (capital) | |
Government | ||
• Governor | Al-Sayed Ibrahim | |
Area | ||
• Total | 3,437 km2 (1,327 sq mi) | |
Population (2014) | ||
• Total | 3,093,754 | |
• Density | 900/km2 (2,300/sq mi) | |
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
Website | Kafr El Sheikh |
Kafr El Sheikh Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة كفر الشيخ Muḥāfẓet Kafr El Sheikh) is one of the governorates of Egypt. It lies in the northern part of the country, along the western branch of the Nile in the Nile Delta. Its capital is the city of Kafr El Sheikh.
According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 23.1%. Out of an estimated 3,172,753 people residing in the governorate, 2,441,246 people live in rural areas as opposed to only 731,507 in urban areas.
Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, which was once part of the Gharbia Governorate, was created in 1949. It was originally named Fuadiyah in honor of King Fuad I of Egypt. After the 1952 Revolution and the subsequent abolition of the monarchy, the governorate took the name of its capital city Kafr El Sheikh. This name, adopted in 1955, means "the village of the chief".
The area occupied today by the Kafr El Sheikh Governorate has been inhabited since ancient times. The capital of Lower Egypt, called "Buto", is located at present-day Tell El Faraain (the Hill of the Pharaohs), near Desouk.
Lake Burullus is located in the north of the Kafr El Sheikh governorate.
The governorate comprises 11 cities:
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:
Industries include cotton-processing factories, rice and fishing.
Kafr El Sheikh University comprises faculties for medicine , commerce, engineering, agriculture, veterinary medicine, arts, physical education, science, education, special education and pharmacy.