Faiyum Governorate

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Faiyum (محافظة الفيوم)
Governorate
Country  Egypt
Capital Faiyum
Population 2,512,792 (2006)
Map of Egypt with Faiyum highlighted

Faiyum Governorate (Arabic: محافظة الفيوم‎ is one of the governorates of Egypt in the middle of the country. Its capital is the city of Faiyum, located about 81 mi (130 km) southwest of Cairo. It has a population of 2,512,792 (2006),[1]

Contents

[edit] Etymology

pA-y-m (Faiyum)
in hieroglyphs
pA A i i G20 n
n
n
N36

The name Fayyum comes from Coptic 'Ⲫⲓⲟⲙ /Ⲡⲉⲓⲟⲙ efiom/peiom (whence the proper name Ⲡⲁⲓⲟⲙ payoum), meaning the Sea or the Lake, which in turn comes from late Egyptian pA y-m of the same meaning, a reference to the nearby Lake Moeris.

[edit] Location and Settings

The governorate of Faiyum comprises a number of cities and towns. Besides its capital city of Faiyum, there are Senuris and Tomia to the north, and Senaru and Etsaa on the road to the lake.

[edit] Geography

The governorate of Faiyum includes:

  • The large fertile Faiyum Oasis, which comprises farmland, Lake Moeris, and some cities.
  • South of the Faiyum Oasis, a smaller depression contains the town of El Gharaq el Sulţāni. It is also irrigated from the Nile.
  • A dry barren depression named Wadi Elrayan, which covers 280 mi² (725 km²), west of the El Gharaq el Sulţāni depression.
  • Desert and dry mountains, which mostly surround the depressions.
  • In Etsa region there are many ancient places like Madi city,

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]

[edit] External links

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Coordinates: 29°21′48″N 30°44′45″E / 29.36333°N 30.74583°E / 29.36333; 30.74583