North Sinai Governorate

North Sinai Governorate
Governorate
Arish fort, 1916
Arish fort, 1916
Flag of North Sinai Governorate
Flag
Official logo of North Sinai Governorate
North Sinai Governorate in Egypt
North Sinai Governorate in Egypt
Coordinates: 30°30′N 33°36′E / 30.5°N 33.6°E / 30.5; 33.6
Country Egypt
SeatArish (capital)
Government
 • GovernorMohamed Abdel-Fadil[1]
Area
 • Total
27,574 km2 (10,646 sq mi)
Population
 (January 2024)[2]
 • Total
450,531
 • Density16/km2 (42/sq mi)
GDP
[3]
 • TotalEGP 49 billion
(US$ 3.1 billion)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
HDI (2021)0.738[4]
high · 10th
Websitewww.northsinai.gov.eg

North Sinai Governorate (Arabic: محافظة شمال سيناء Muḥāfẓet Shamāl Sīnāʾ) is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country, and encompasses the northern half of the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, in the south by South Sinai Governorate, in the west by Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez Governorates,[5] and in the east by the Gaza Strip in Palestine (Rafah Governorate) and Israel (Southern District). Its capital is the city of El Arish. A governorate is administered by a governor, who is appointed by the President of Egypt and serves at the president's discretion.

North Sinai has a rich history dating back to ancient times and is home to several ancient settlements that hold significant historical and Biblical importance – Ostrakine and Kasion, both of which served as a border city between Egypt and Syria and an important bishopric in the Byzantine era; Kadesh Barnea, an important site, with its history tied to the events described in the Bible.

The population of the North Sinai Governorate as at 2015 was 434,781 people, comprising predominantly Bedouin tribesmen. The Governorate covers an area of 27,574 square kilometers. The population density is 15 inhabitants per square kilometer.

North Sinai has since 2011 been especially affected by the Sinai insurgency and measures by government forces to combat it,[6] which has resulted in many casualties. On October 14, 2016, twelve Egyptian troops were killed at a checkpoint near El Arish.[7] On November 27, 2017, a mosque in the village of Al-Rawda was attacked by roughly 40 gunmen, killing at least 305 and injuring up to 128 others, making it the deadliest terror attack in Egyptian history.[8][9]

  1. ^ "Egypt names six provincial governors, mostly ex-generals" رسمياً.. المحافظون الجدد ونوابهم يؤدون اليمين الدستورية أمام الرئيس. Almasry Alyoum (in Arabic). 30 August 2018. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  2. ^ "ﻋـــﺩﺩ ﺍﻟﺳﻛــﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﺗﻘﺩﻳﺭﻯ ﻟﻸﻗﺳــﺎﻡ" (PDF). www.capmas.gov.eg (in Arabic). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  3. ^ "GDP BY GOVERNORATE", mped.gov.eg
  4. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Table - Global Data Lab". globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  5. ^ "State Information Service". Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  6. ^ IRIN: Economic life slows to a crawl amid crackdown in North Sinai Archived 2015-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ SWEILAM, Ashraf (14 October 2016). "Militant attack kills 12 Egyptian soldiers in Sinai". AP. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Egypt's Mufti performs Friday prayers at Rawdah mosque - Egypt Today". www.egypttoday.com. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  9. ^ Walsh, Declan; Youssef, Nour (24 November 2017). "Militants Kill 305 at Sufi Mosque in Egypt's Deadliest Terrorist Attack". The New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 29 June 2020.