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 El-Said Badawi (El-Saʿīd Muḥammad Badawī) () was a scholar and linguist and author of many works, both in English and in Arabic, dealing with various aspects of the Arabic language. Having learned the Qur'an by the age of ten in his village, ...

, sociolinguist *

Mohamed Morsi Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012 Ahmed Shafik Ahmed Mohamed Shafik ZakiAlso spelled: ''Shafiq''. ( ar, أحمد محمد شفيق زكى, ; born 25 November 1941) is an Egyptian politician and former presidential candidate. He was a senior commander in the Egyptian Air Force and later ser ...

, former Prime Minister of Egypt and Presidential Candidate for

Egyptian presidential election, 2012 Presidential elections were held in Egypt in 2012, with the first round on 23 and 24 May 2012 and the second on 16 and 17 June. The 2012 Egyptian Presidential election was the first democratic presidential election of Egypt’s history. The Musl ...

Abaza family The Abaza family ( ar, الأسرة الأباظية) is an Egyptian family of maternal Circassians, Circassian origin. They have had an influence in the late 18th century to modern times. They are believed to have a net worth of over US$800 mi ...

, 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 Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub ( ar, د/مجدى حبيب يعقوب ; born 16 November 1935), is an Egyptian retired professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Imperial College London, best known for his early work in repairing heart valves with surgeon ...

, professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the National Heart and Lung Institute * Sama El Masry, actress, belly dancer, and activist *

Ahmed Fouad Negm Ahmed Fouad Negm ( ar, أحمد فؤاد نجم, ; 22 May 1929 – 3 December 2013), popularly known as el-Fagommi الفاجومي (), was an Egyptians, Egyptian vernacular poetry, poet. Negm is well known for his work with Egyptian composer Shei ...

, Egyptian vernacular poet * Rushdy Abaza, actor *

Fekry Pasha Abaza Fekry Pasha Abaza (1895 – 9 February 1979) was an Egyptian journalist and democratic political activist. Early life and education Abaza was born in 1895 in the village of Kafr Abu Shehata in the East, Egypt. He was a member of the Abaza Fa ...

, 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 Mohamed Abdel-Fatah Mohamed Abdulaziz Helal ( ar, محمد عبد الفتاح محمد عبد العزيز هلال; born March 20, 1980), better known as Hamada Helal ( ar, حمادة هلال), is an Egyptian singer, actor, and composer who w ...

, 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