Faiyum Governorate ( ar, محافظة الفيوم ) is one 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 ...

in the middle of the country. Its capital is the city of

Faiyum Faiyum ( ar, الفيوم ' , borrowed from cop, ̀Ⲫⲓⲟⲙ or Ⲫⲓⲱⲙ ' from egy, pꜣ ym "the Sea, Lake") is a city in Middle Egypt. Located southwest of Cairo, in the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyu ...

, located about 81 mi (130 km) south west of

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

. It has a population of 3,848,708 (2020).

Etymology

The name Faiyum comes from Coptic / ''efiom/peiom'' (whence the proper name ), meaning ''the Sea'' or ''the Lake'', which in turn comes from late Egyptian ''pA y-m'' of the same meaning, a reference to the nearby Lake Moeris.

Overview

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 3,615,486. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.

Geography

The governorate of Faiyum includes: * The large fertile Faiyum Oasis, which comprises farmland, Lake Moeris, and some cities. * South of the Faiyum Oasis, a smaller depression contains the town of El Gharaq el Sulţāni. It is also irrigated from the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

. * A dry barren depression named Wadi El Rayan, which covers 280 mi² (725 km²), west of the El Gharaq el Sulţāni depression. * Desert and dry mountains, which mostly surround the depressions.

Population

According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 22.5%. Out of an estimated 3,170,150 people residing in the governorate, 2,456,368 people lived in rural areas and only 713,782 lived in urban areas.

Industrial zones

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: *Kom Oshim *New Kom Oshim *Kouta *(New urban community industrial zone) New Fayoum

Notable people

* Aly Lotfy Mahmoud *

Ahmed Fakhry Ahmed Fakhry ( ar, أحمد فخري) (born in Faiyum Governorate in 1905 – 1973) was an Egyptian archaeologist who worked in the Western desert of Egypt (including in 1940 dig at El Haiz, and then at Siwa), and also in the necropolis at ...

Arafa El Sayed Arafa El-Sayed ( ar, عرفة السيد; born 23 October 1988) is an Egyptian Association football, footballer who plays for Wadi Degla SC, Wadi Degla as a center forward. Honors Zamalek SC: * Egypt Cup: 2012–13 Egypt Cup, 2012–13 External ...

* Fawzia Fahim * Hamdi Abu Golayyel * Pope John XVIII of Alexandria * Magdy Atwa *

Mariam Fakhr Eddine Mariam Mohamed Fakhr Eddine ( ar, مريم محمد فخر الدين , 8 September 1933 – 3 November 2014) was an Egyptian film and television actress, and was the second wife of prominent filmmaker Mahmoud Zulfikar (1914-1970). She was nickn ...

Mohamed Abdelwahab Mohamed Abdelwahab ( ar, محمد عبد الوهاب, 1 October 1983 – 31 August 2006) was an Egyptian footballer. He played in the defensive left back position. He was an important part of the Egyptian squad that went on to win the 2006 A ...

* Mohamed Ihab *

Saadia Gaon Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon ( ar, سعيد بن يوسف الفيومي ''Saʻīd bin Yūsuf al-Fayyūmi''; he, סַעֲדְיָה בֶּן יוֹסֵף אַלְפַיּוּמִי גָּאוֹן ''Saʿăḏyāh ben Yōsēf al-Fayyūmī Gāʾōn''; ...

Sayed Abdel Hafeez Sayed Mohamed Mohamed Abdel Hafeez ( ar, سيد محمد محمد عبد الحفيظ; born 27 October 1977) is an Egyptian retired professional footballer who played as a winger. Career statistics International International Goals :''S ...

* Sayed Moawad *

Sabri Raheel Sabri El-Sayed Abdalmonteleb Mayhoub Raheel ( ar, صبري السيد عبدالمطلب ميهوب رحيل; born on 2 October 1987) is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Egyptian Premier League side Al Ittihad Alex ...

* Sufi Abu Taleb * Tefta Tashko-Koço * Youssef Wahbi *

Yousef Wali Yousef Waly ( ar, يوسف والي; 2 April 1930 – 5 September 2020) was an Egyptian politician who served as Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation from 1982 to 2004. Wali was not married but he's a godfather and uncle to three siblings, ...

* Zakariyya Ahmad

References

External links

El Wattan News of Faiyum Governorate
* {{Authority control Governorates of Egypt