Sharqia Governorate ( ar, محافظة الشرقية ', ,
rural: ) is the 3rd most populous of the
governorates of Egypt
Egypt has a centralised system of local government officially called local administration as it is a branch of the Executive. The country is divided into twenty-seven governorates ( '; ; genitive case: ; plural: '), the top tier of local a ...
. Located in the northern part of the country, its capital is the city of
Zagazig
Zagazig ( ar, الزقازيق ' , rural: ) is a city in Lower Egypt. Situated in the eastern part of the Nile delta, it is the capital of the governorate of Sharqia.
It is located on the Muweis Canal and is a hub of the corn and cotton ...
.
Overview
Bilbeis is the former capital of Sharqia. A section of the governorate once was part of the Qalyubia Governorate. There is a strong agriculture industry, poultry and fish farming in Sharqia.
The rate of poverty is more than 60% in this governorate but recently some social safety networks have been provided in the form of financial assistance and job opportunities. The funding has been coordinated by the
country's Ministry of Finance and with assistance from international organizations.
Municipal divisions
The governorate is divided into the following
municipal divisions for administrative purposes, with a total estimated population as of July 2017 of 7,192,355. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.
Population
According to population estimates, in 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate lived in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 23.1%. Out of an estimated 6,485,412 people residing in the governorate in 2015, 4,987,707 people lived in rural areas and 1,497,705 lived in urban areas.
Industrial zones
According to the Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) the governorate is home to two industrial zones. They are located in New Salhia, and in 10th of Ramadan.
Cities and towns
The following cities and towns are located in Sharqia Governorate.
Notable people
*
El-Said Badawi, sociolinguist
*
Mohamed Morsi, former President of Egypt
*
Ahmed Shafik, former Prime Minister of Egypt and Presidential Candidate for
Egyptian presidential election, 2012
*
Abaza family, the largest family in Sharqia and Egypt's largest family of Circassian origin.
*
Ahmed Subhy Mansour, founder of the Quranist movement
*
Abdel Halim Hafez
Abdel Halim Ali Shabana ( ar, عبد الحليم علي شبانة), commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez ( ar, عبد الحليم حافظ,) (June 21, 1929 – March 30, 1977), was an Egyptian singer, actor, conductor, businessman, music teach ...
, popular singer and actor
*
Miral al-Tahawy, award-winning Bedouin novelist
*
Yusuf Abu Rayya, award-winning novelist
*
Husayn Fawzi Al Najjar, political historian and Islamic scholar
*
Magdi Yacoub, professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the National Heart and Lung Institute
*
Sama El Masry, actress, belly dancer, and activist
*
Ahmed Fouad Negm, Egyptian vernacular poet
*
Rushdy Abaza, actor
*
Fekry Pasha Abaza, journalist and political activist
*
Ahmed 'Urabi
Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet.
Etymology
The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the v ...
, the leader of the 1881 nationalist uprising against the British
*
Hamada Helal, Egyptian singer
*
Emad Moteab
Emad Mohamed Abdelnaby Ibrahim Moteab ( ar, عماد محمد عبد النبي إبراهيم متعب; born 20 February 1983) is an Egyptian semi-retired professional footballer who played as a striker.
Career statistics International
:Sourc ...
, Egyptian footballer
*
Ahmed el-Mansy, an Egyptian officer who was killed in clashes with terrorists in North Sinai
References
External links
El Watan News of Sharqia Governorate
{{Authority control
Governorates of Egypt