Cairo is located in northern Egypt, known as Lower Egypt, 165 kilometres (100 mi) south of the Mediterranean Sea and 120 kilometres (75 mi) west of the Gulf of Suez and Suez Canal. The city is along the Nile River, immediately south of the point where the river leaves its desert-bound valley and branches into the low-lying Nile Delta region. Although the Cairo metropolis extends away from the Nile in all directions, the city of Cairo resides only on the east bank of the river and two islands within it on a total area of 453 square kilometres (175 sq mi).
Until the mid-19th century, when the river was tamed by dams, levees, and other controls, the Nile in the vicinity of Cairo was highly susceptible to changes in course and surface level. Over the years, the Nile gradually shifted westward, providing the site between the eastern edge of the river and the Mokattam highlands on which the city now stands. The land on which Cairo was established in 969 (present-day Islamic Cairo) was located underwater just over three hundred years earlier, when Fustat was first built.
Low periods of the Nile during the 11th century continued to add to the landscape of Cairo; a new island, known as Geziret al-Fil, first appeared in 1174, but eventually became connected to the mainland. Today, the site of Geziret al-Fil is occupied by the Shubra district. The low periods created another island at the turn of the 14th century that now composes Zamalek and Gezira. Land reclamation efforts by the Mamluks and Ottomans further contributed to expansion on the east bank of the river.
The streets of Islamic Cairo, adorned by Islamic architecture, are narrower and older than those in the city centreBecause of the Nile's movement, the newer parts of the city—Garden City, Downtown Cairo, and Zamalek—are located closest to the riverbank. The areas, which are home to most of Cairo's embassies, are surrounded on the north, east, and south by the older parts of the city. Old Cairo, located south of the centre, holds the remnants of Fustat and the heart of Egypt's Coptic Christian community, Coptic Cairo. The Boulaq district, which lies in the northern part of the city, was born out of a major 16th-century port and is now a major industrial centrer. The Citadel is located east of the city centre around Islamic Cairo, which dates back to the Fatimid era and the foundation of Cairo. While western Cairo is dominated by wide boulevards, open spaces, and modern architecture of European influence, the eastern half, having grown haphazardly over the centuries, is dominated by small lanes, crowded tenements, and Islamic architecture.
Northern and extreme eastern parts of Cairo, which include satellite towns, are among the most recent additions to the city, as they developed in the late-20th and early-21st centuries to accommodate the city's rapid growth. The western bank of the Nile is commonly included within the urban area of Cairo, but it composes the city of Giza and the Giza Governorate. Giza has also undergone significant expansion over recent years, and today the city, although still a suburb of Cairo, has a population of 2.7 million. The Cairo Governorate was just north of the Helwan Governorate from 2008 when some Cairo's southern districts, including Maadi and New Cairo, were split off and annexed into the new governorate, to 2011 when the Helwan Governorate was reincorporated into the Cairo Governorate.
Climate A panorama of the Nile showing Cairo tower in the middle and two major bridges on the far right and leftIn Cairo, and along the Nile River Valley, the climate is a hot desert climate (BWh according to the Köppen climate classification system), but often with high humidity due to the river valley's effects. Wind storms can be frequent, bringing Saharan dust into the city during the months of March and April (see Khamasin). High temperatures in winter range from 19 °C (66 °F) to 29 °C (84 °F), while night-time lows drop to below 11 °C (52 °F), often to 5 °C (41 °F). In summer, the highs rarely surpass 40 °C (104 °F), and lows drop to about 20 °C (68 °F). Rainfall is sparse and only happens in the colder months, but sudden showers do cause harsh flooding.
Aerial view looking south, with the Zamalek and Gezira districts on Gezira Island, surrounded by the Nile. Tahrir Square in 1958 Climate data for Cairo, Egypt Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 31 (88) 36 (97) 40 (104) 42 (108) 44 (111) 48 (118) 44 (111) 42 (108) 44 (111) 41 (106) 37 (99) 33 (91) 48 (118) Average high °C (°F) 18.9 (66) 20.4 (68.7) 23.5 (74.3) 28.3 (82.9) 32.0 (89.6) 33.9 (93) 34.7 (94.5) 34.2 (93.6) 32.6 (90.7) 29.2 (84.6) 24.8 (76.6) 20.3 (68.5) 27.8 (82) Daily mean °C (°F) 14.0 (57.2) 15.0 (59) 17.6 (63.7) 21.5 (70.7) 24.9 (76.8) 27.0 (80.6) 28.4 (83.1) 28.2 (82.8) 26.6 (79.9) 23.3 (73.9) 19.5 (67.1) 15.4 (59.7) 21.8 (71.2) Average low °C (°F) 9.0 (48.2) 9.7 (49.5) 11.6 (52.9) 14.6 (58.3) 17.7 (63.9) 20.1 (68.2) 22.0 (71.6) 22.1 (71.8) 20.5 (68.9) 17.4 (63.3) 14.1 (57.4) 10.4 (50.7) 15.8 (60.4) Record low °C (°F) −1 (30) −2 (28) 3 (37) 3 (37) 10 (50) 10 (50) 17 (63) 14 (57) 16 (61) 11 (52) 2 (36) −2 (28) −2 (28) Precipitation mm (inches) 5.0 (0.197) 3.8 (0.15) 3.8 (0.15) 1.1 (0.043) 0.5 (0.02) 0.1 (0.004) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.7 (0.028) 3.8 (0.15) 5.9 (0.232) 24.7 (0.972) Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 mm) 3.5 2.7 1.9 0.9 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.3 2.8 14.2 % humidity 59 54 53 47 46 49 58 61 60 60 61 61 55.75 Mean monthly sunshine hours 217 232 279 300 310 360 372 341 300 279 240 186 3,416 Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN), Bing Weather for record temperatures, BBC Weather, for data of sunshine hours and March record low, Climate Charts for humidity information Division See also: Greater Cairo and Cairo GovernorateThe Greater Cairo is the largest metropolitan area in Egypt and in Africa. It consists of Cairo Governorate, parts of Giza Governorate, and parts of Qalyubia Governorate.
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