Kafr El Sheikh Governorate


Kafr El Sheikh Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It lies in the northern part of the country, along the western branch of the Nile in the Nile Delta. Its capital is the city of Kafr El Sheikh.

Overview

Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, which was once part of the Gharbia Governorate, was created in 1949. It was originally named Fuadiyah in honor 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 village of the chief".
The area occupied today by the Kafr El Sheikh Governorate has been inhabited since ancient times and so it has a noteworthy 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, near Desouk.

Municipal divisions

The governorate is divided into municipal divisions, with a total estimated population as of July 2017 of 3,376,809. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.
Anglicized nameNative nameArabic transliterationPopulation
Type
Burullus مركز البرلسAl-Burulus236,095 Markaz
El Hamool مركز الحامولAl-Ḥāmūl290,628 Markaz
El Reyad مركز الرياضAr-Riyād186,960 Markaz
Bila قسم بيلاBilā81,354 Kism
Bila مركز بيلاBilā217,398 Markaz
Desoukقسم دسوقDisūq136,367 Kism
Desoukمركز دسوقDisūq412,682 Markaz
Fuwaمركز فوهFuwah179,800 Markaz
Kafr el Sheikh مركز كفر الشيخKafr ash-Shaykh448,532 Markaz
Kafr el Sheikh 1 قسم أول كفر الشيخKafr ash-Shaykh 1 141,525 Kism
Kafr el Sheikh 2 قسم ثان كفر الشيخKafr ash-Shaykh 2 36,200 Kism
Metoubes مركز مطوبسMuṭūbis303,537 Markaz
Qallin مركز قلينQallīn266,195 Markaz
Sidi Salem مركز سيدى سالمSīdī Sālim439,536 Markaz

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 3,172,753 people residing in the governorate, 2,441,246 people lived in rural areas as opposed to only 731,507 in urban areas.

Cities and towns

is located in the north of the Kafr El Sheikh governorate. The following are in Kafr El Sheikh:
According to the Egyptian Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones, in affiliation with the Ministry of Investment, the following industrial zones are located in this governorate:
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 involves the construction of infrastructure for new as well as 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 biggest 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, alsun and pharmacy.

Notable residents