Kafr El Sheikh Governorate

Kafr el-Sheikh is one of the Delta region’s five governorates encompassing Gharbia, Menofia, Daqahlia, Kafr el-Sheikh, and Damietta. Its capital is the city of Kafr El Sheikh. This town was the first nationwide to cultivate long-staple cotton for export.

Table Of Contents

Location of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate
Overview
Municipal divisions
Population
Cities and towns
Industrial zones
Projects and programs
Economy
Education
Notable persons

Location of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate

Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate lies in the northern part of the country, along the western branch of the Nile in the Delta.

Overview

Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, once part of the Gharbia Governorate, was created in 1949. It was initially named Fuadiyah in honour of King Fuad I of Egypt. After the 1952 Revolution and the subsequent abolition of the monarchy, the governorate took the name of its capital city Kafr El Sheikh. This name, adopted in 1955, means “the chief’s village”.

The area occupied today by the Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate has been inhabited since ancient times. So it has a significant number of archaeological sites at Tell Metoubes, Fuwwah, Desouk, Tell Qabrit and other settlements around Lake Burrulus. The capital of Lower Egypt, called “Buto”, is located at present-day Tell El Faraain (the Hill of the Pharaohs), near Desouk.

Municipal divisions

The governorate is divided into municipal divisions, with a total estimated population as of July 2017 of 3,376,809. There is a markaz and a kism with the same name.

Population

According to population estimates, in 2015, most residents in the governorate lived in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 23.1%. Out of an estimated 3,172,753 people residing in the governorate, 2,441,246 lived in rural areas instead of only 731,507 in urban areas.

Cities and towns

Lake Burullus is located in the north of the Kafr El-Sheikh governorate. The following are in this province:

El Hamool
Baltim
Biyala
Desouk
Fuwwah
Kafr El Sheikh
Metoubes
Qallin
El Reyad
Sidi Salem

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:

Balteem
Metobas
Industrial Zone in “mlaha of Moneisi”

Projects and programs

In 2016, Switzerland committed to funding a solid waste management program in Kafr El-Sheikh, a project with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment that will conclude in 2021. The National Solid Waste Management Programme (NSWMP) involves the construction of infrastructure for new and the expansion and improvement of existing waste treatment, landfill, and recycling facilities.

Economy

Industries include cotton-processing factories, rice and fishing. Kafr Elsheikh is also home to one of the giant sugar factories in the region.

Education

Kafr El-Sheikh University comprises faculties for medicine, commerce, engineering, agriculture, veterinary medicine, arts, physical education, science, education, special education, dentistry, physical therapy, and pharmacy.