The new atlas of Egypt

Summary

This paper presents the comprehensive geographical atlas of Egypt, compiled under the directive of His Majesty the King, integrating orographical, geological, meteorological, and economic data to provide an up-to-date synthetical overview. The orographical map at 1:1,000,000 scale constitutes the first systematic contouring of the entire country, while comparative analysis with earlier maps demonstrates the significant advances achieved through the adoption of motorized desert transport. Two major discoveries are highlighted: first, in the Libyan Desert, static water-levels of existing sources are shown to delineate a gently curved subsurface piezometric surface, enabling the prediction of well sites independent of surface topography or geology, and two productive wells have already been drilled; second, the identification of the Qattara Depression—an 18,000 km² depression extending below sea level—offers a potential hydroelectric capacity of 200,000 kW, with engineering feasibility studies underway by the Survey of Egypt. The meteorological section incorporates data from 58 meteorological stations in Egypt and Sudan and nearly 100 rainfall-only stations, mapping the entire Nile basin. Economic maps reveal marked spatial disparities: the northern Delta exhibits deficient cultivation and population density, while perennial irrigation in Upper Egypt supports considerably higher land values than basin irrigation, strongly underscoring the urgency of extending irrigation infrastructure. The atlas thus updates geographical knowledge while identifying critical resource and development opportunities for Egypt.