New Valley Governorate | ||
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Governorate | ||
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New Valley Governorate on the map of Egypt |
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Coordinates: 24°32′44″N 27°10′24″E / 24.54556°N 27.17333°ECoordinates: 24°32′44″N 27°10′24″E / 24.54556°N 27.17333°E | ||
Country | Egypt | |
Seat | Kharga (capital) | |
Government | ||
• Governor | Mahmoud Abdel Rahman Ashmawy | |
Area | ||
• Total | 376,505 km2 (145,369 sq mi) | |
Population (2014) | ||
• Total | 219,615 | |
• Density | 0.58/km2 (1.5/sq mi) | |
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
Website | New Valley |
New Valley Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة الوادي الجديد Muḥāfẓet El Wādī El Ǧedīd Egyptian Arabic: [moˈħɑfzet elˈwæːdi lɡɪˈdiːd]) is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the southwestern part of the country, in Egypt's Western Desert, part of the Sahara Desert – between the Nile, northern Sudan, and southeastern Libya.
Consisting of roughly a third of Egypt's area, the New Valley Governorate is the country's largest governorate and one of the biggest on the African continent. The capital is at the Kharga Oasis.
According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 48.0%. Out of an estimated 225,416 people residing in the governorate, 117,180 people live in rural areas as opposed to only 108,236 in urban areas.
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:
Violent clashes were reported in the New Valley Governorate on February 8–9, 2011 as part of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Protesters set fire to police stations and the NDP - National Democratic Party building. Multiple deaths were reported in addition to hundreds of injuries amid claims that the police opened fire on protesters in Kharga Oasis with live ammunition.