I.

Introduction

Alexandria, city and major seaport in northern Egypt, in the River Nile delta, on a ridge that separates Lake Mareotis from the Mediterranean Sea. The modern city is situated mainly on a peninsula about the mole, reaching to and including the island of Pharos, and on the portion of the mainland immediately south of the eastern harbour. The part of the modern city on the peninsula is a characteristically Egyptian town; the European quarter is on the mainland. Alexandria has had, since ancient times, two harbours, of which the western one is the chief commercial centre containing the customs house and many warehouses for cotton, grain, sugar, and wool. More than 80 per cent of Egypt's imports and exports pass through the city. Population 3,750,000 (2007 estimate).