Cairo (القاهرة), the capital and largest city of Egypt, is located in the northeast of the country. This vibrant metropolis is one of the largest cities in Africa and a significant cultural and historical center.
The geographic coordinate system enables any place in the world to be located using its latitude and longitude. The latitude is the position relative to the equator, specifying the north-south position. The longitude specifies the east-west position measured from a reference meridian (usually the Greenwich Prime Meridian).
Cairo is situated near the Nile Delta and serves as an important transportation hub in the Mediterranean region. Millions of tourists visit Cairo every year to explore its landmarks, cultural sites, and bustling markets.
Geographical Coordinates of Cairo
Cairo is located at latitude 30.06263 and longitude 31.24967. It is part of Africa and the northern hemisphere. The latitude and longitude of Cairo have been calculated based on the geodetic datum WGS84.
Cairo Satellite Image
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Here are the coordinates in different formats:
- Simple Decimal Standard: 30.06263, 31.24967
- Decimal Degrees (DD): 30.0626° N, 31.2497° E
- Degrees, Minutes and Seconds (DMS): 30°3'45.5'' N, 31°14.98' E
DMS latitude longitude coordinates for Cairo are: 30°3'45.47"N, 31°14'58.81"E.
The following table matches the equivalence between the most common formats:
| System | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| Simple decimal standard | 30.06263 | 31.24967 |
| Decimal Degrees (DD) | 30.0626° N | 31.2497° E |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes (DDM) | 30°3.758' N | 31°14.98' E |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds (DMS) | 30°3'45.5'' N | 31°14'58.8'' E |
The latitude is the position relative to the equator, specifying the north-south position. The longitude specifies the east-west position measured from a reference meridian (usually the Greenwich Prime Meridian).
Cities at the Same Latitude as Cairo
Several cities around the world share a similar latitude with Cairo. Here are a few examples:
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- Jacksonville, United States: 30.33218, -81.65565
- Chengdu, China: 30.66667, 104.06667
- Wuhan, China: 30.58333, 114.26667
- Hangzhou, China: 30.29365, 120.16142
- Austin, United States: 30.26715, -97.74306
Cities at the Same Longitude as Cairo
Similarly, other cities share a comparable longitude with Cairo:
- Harare, Zimbabwe: -17.82772, 31.05337
- Juba, South Sudan: 4.85165, 31.58247
- Durban, South Africa: -29.8579, 31.0292
- Mbabane, Eswatini: -26.31667, 31.13333
- Chernihiv, Ukraine: 51.50541, 31.28656
A Glimpse into Cairo's Rich History
Cairo is not only geographically significant but also rich in history and culture. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt, with nearby sites like the Giza pyramid complex and the ancient cities of Memphis and Heliopolis.
The area that would become Cairo was part of ancient Egypt, as the Giza pyramid complex and the ancient cities of Memphis and Heliopolis are near-by. Around the turn of the fourth century, as Memphis was continuing to decline in importance, the Romans established a large fortress along the east bank of the Nile.
Subsequently, Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in 969. Cairo has since become a longstanding centre of political and cultural life, and is titled "the city of a thousand minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture. Cairo's historic center was awarded World Heritage Site status in 1979.
Some argue that Mistram (Ⲙⲓⲥⲧⲣⲁⲙ Late Coptic: [ˈmɪstəɾɑm]) or Nistram (Ⲛⲓⲥⲧⲣⲁⲙ Late Coptic: [ˈnɪstəɾɑm]) is another Coptic name for Cairo, although others think that it is rather a name for the Abbasid province capital al-Askar.
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The Muslim conquest of Byzantine Egypt was led by Amr ibn al-As from 639 to 642. In 641 or early 642, after the surrender of Alexandria, the Egyptian capital at the time, he founded a new settlement next to Babylon Fortress. The city, known as Fustat (Arabic: الفسطاط, romanised: al-Fusṭāṭ, lit. 'the tent'), served as a garrison town and as the new administrative capital of Egypt.
In 969, the Fatimid Caliphate conquered Egypt after ruling from Ifriqiya. The Fatimid Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah instructed his courtier and general Jawhar al-Saqili to establish a new fortified city northeast of Fustat and of former al-Qata'i. When Caliph al-Mu'izz arrived from the old Fatimid capital of Mahdia in Tunisia in 973, he gave the city its present name, Qāhirat al-Mu'izz ("The Vanquisher of al-Mu'izz"), from which the name "Cairo" (al-Qāhira) originates.
In 1176, Saladin began construction on the Cairo Citadel, which was to serve as the seat of the Egyptian government until the mid-19th century. The construction of the Citadel definitively ended Fatimid-built Cairo's status as an exclusive palace-city and opened it up to common Egyptians and to foreign merchants, spurring its commercial development.
Cairo's political influence diminished significantly after the Ottomans defeated Sultan al-Ghuri in the Battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516 and conquered Egypt in 1517.
Until his death in 1848, Muhammad Ali Pasha instituted a number of social and economic reforms that earned him the title of founder of modern Egypt.
The British departed Cairo following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, but the city's rapid growth showed no signs of abating. Seeking to accommodate the increasing population, President Gamal Abdel Nasser redeveloped Tahrir Square and the Nile Corniche, and improved the city's network of bridges and highways.
Cairo Today
Cairo is considered a World City with a "Beta +" classification according to GaWC. The city is also a center of finance and commerce, academics and the arts, and is home to Cairo Symphony Orchestra and the Cairo Opera House, while the Academy of Arts provides visual arts education.
Other attractions in the city are Muizz Street, Talaat Harb Square, Azhar Park, Ramses Station, Cairo International Stadium, the Egyptian Museum, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Tahrir Square, Old Cairo, Al-Muizz Street, Sultan Hassan Mosque-Madrasa, the al-Rifa'i Mosque, Bayt Al-Suhaymi, Mosque of Muhammad Ali, and Khan el-Khalili.
Cairo is also famous for its numerous shopping centers and markets, where it is possible to find virtually everything in the world.
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Cairo Skyline at Dusk
Cairo International Airport, the busiest airport in the country, serves the city and is located to the northeast of Cairo.
New Cairo City is a satellite of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, located in Cairo Governorate. It is quite a new city built just a few decades ago almost in the middle of the desert. The city is considered an educational hub with a few international educational establishments. It is situated in the southeastern part of Cairo Governorate. The city has the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior of Egypt which is a part of the Cabinet of Egypt, as well as Future University in Egypt which is a private university located at 90 Street. New Cairo has also the Petrified Forest Protected Area which is about 35 million years old and located 30 kilometers away from Cairo.
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