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The city of Cairo in Egypt
had a population in 2003 approximating to 7.5 million. Known
as Cairenes, the residents of Cairo are mostly Egyptian
Arabs. This district is an important home of the Islamic
faith, and Cairenes are mostly Sunni Muslims; however, the
area is also home to a considerable population of Coptic
Christians. The denomination traces its origins to the early
Christians who populated Cairo prior to the arrival of
Islam. Because of emigration to Israel, the population of
Jewish residents has decreased drastically in the latter
half of the 20th century. Cairo had approximately 16 million
residents in 1998. Cairo's population rises daily as workers
come in droves into the city from the surrounding area,
congesting roads and rail lines every morning and evening.
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Many Cairenes are hail from villages along the Nile.
These rural migrants are equipped with few skills or
resources, and double the existing problems of
unemployment and inadequate housing, a problem which
most developing cities around the world face each
year.
The city of Cairo is one of the most thickly
populated capital cities in the world. The
population of Cairo is approximately 17 million. It
ranks 16th in the world in terms of population
density and in Africa it is the most populous
metropolitan area. The majority of the residents in
Cairo are Egyptians, with a smattering and less
significant number of foreigners. |
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The various ethnic groups
that make up Cairo’s population are Egyptians, Berbers,
Bedouin, Hamitic Arabs and Nubians. Although today the
majority of the Egyptians are Sunni Muslims and the
Christians in Cairo are mostly of Coptic origin, Christians
dominated the population of Cairo before the arrival of
Islam after the Muslim invasion.
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The density of the
population of Cairo within the city is higher than
that of the suburbs. The city’s population is rising
up daily with the relocation of workers from the
suburban areas. These workers are driven to the city
in search of work and better living conditions.
The upward spiral in
population of Cairo shows a vertical trend. A third
of Cairo’s total population is under 15 years old
and nearly three fifths is under 30 years old. This
means the population of the city is relatively
young, which us a good thing. 70 years old is the
average life expectancy for both men and women. The
population of Cairo’s literacy rate is around 52 %.
The Egyptian government is taking positive measures
to control the bulging population within the capital
city. Family planning and birth control methods are
encouraged and advocated to its residents and the
ideas are spreading fast. Education among women is
the government’s highest priority as this is the
most effective way of dealing with the population
problem.
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This makes the
government’s method unique and is applauded and copied in
other countries that face the same problem. The government
believes that population growth can best be addressed by
education and advancement of women and instituting them with
more political and economic responsibilities.
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