Alexandria

Alexandria
Alexandria; Αλεξάνδρεια (Greek); الإسكندرية (Arabic); al-Eskandariyya
	Ceety
	Alexandria
	Banner
	Eik-name(s): Pearl o the Mediterranean
	Alexandria Location in Egyp
	Coordinates: 31°12′N 29°55′E / 31.200°N 29.917°ECoordinates: 31°12′N 29°55′E / 31.200°N 29.917°E
Kintra	Egyp
Govrenorate	Alexandria
Foondit	332 BC
Govrenment
• Govrenor	vacant
Area
• Total	2679 km2 (1,034 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Total	4,110,015
	CAPMS 2006 Census
Time zone	UTC+2 (EST)
Area code(s)	++3
Website	Offeecial wabsteid

Alexandria (Arabic: الإسكندرية al-Iskandariyya; Coptic: Ⲣⲁⲕⲟⲧⲉ Rakotə; Greek: Αλεξάνδρεια; Ancient Greek: Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ κατ' Αἴγυπτον; Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه [eskendeˈrejːæ]), wi a population o 4.1 million, is the seicond-lairgest ceety in Egyp, an is the kintra's lairgest seaport, servin approximately 80% o Egyp's imports an exports. Alexandria is an' a' an important tourist resort. Alexandria extends aboot 32 km (20 mi) alang the coast o the Mediterranean Sea in north-central Egyp. It is hame tae the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (the new Library o Alexandria). It is an important industrial centre acause o its natural gas an ile pipelines frae Suez.

In auncient times, Alexandria wis ane o the maist famous ceeties in the warld. It wis foondit aroond a sma pharaonic toun c. 331 BC bi Alexander the Great. It remained Egyp's caipital for nearly a thoosan years, till the Muslim conquest o Egyp in AD 641, when a new caipital wis foondit at Fustat (Fustat wis later absorbed intae Cairo). Alexandria wis kent acause o its Lichthouse o Alexandria (Pharos), ane o the Seiven Wonders o the Ancient Warld; its library (the lairgest leebrar in the ancient warld); an the Catacombs o Kom el Shoqafa, ane o the Seiven Wonders o the Middle Ages. Ongoin maritime archaeology in the harbor o Alexandria, which began in 1994, is revealin details o Alexandria baith afore the arrival o Alexander, when a ceety named Rhacotis existit thare, an durin the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Frae the late 19t century, Alexandria became a major centre o the internaitional shippin industry an ane o the maist important tradin centers in the warld, baith acause it profitit frae the easy owerland connection atween the Mediterranean Sea an the Red Sea, an the lucrative tred in Egyptian cotton.