Sharqia Governorate
محافظة الشرقية | |
|---|---|
Sharqia Governorate on the map of Egypt | |
| Coordinates: 30°42′N 31°38′E / 30.7°N 31.63°E | |
| Country | |
| Seat | Zagazig (capital) |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Shazem El-Ashmouni |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,180 km2 (1,610 sq mi) |
| Population (January 2023) | |
• Total | 7,859,068 |
| • Density | 1,880/km2 (4,870/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | EGP 302 billion (US$ 19.2 billion) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EGY) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| HDI (2021) | 0.73 high · 14th |
| Website | www |
Sharqia (Arabic: محافظة الشرقية, romanized: Moḥāfeẓeh esh-Sher'eyyeh, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [eʃ.ʃæɾˈʔejjæ], rural: [eʃ.ʃæɾˈɡejje]; lit. 'Governorate of the Eastern') is one of the 27 governorates of Egypt, and the third most populous one. It is located in Lower Egypt on the eastern side of the Nile Delta. Its capital is the city of Zagazig. Sharqia, along with the rest of the eastern portion of the Nile Delta, it is often identified with the Biblical Land of Goshen.

The capital of the governorate is Zagazig and Sharqia has a strong industrial and agricultural sector.
Sharqia is the third most populous governorate in Egypt and is considered the birthplace of many historical leaders and figures in Egypt.
The governorate is divided into the following municipal divisions for administrative purposes, with a total estimated population as of January 2023 of 7,021,046. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.
| Anglicized name | Native name | Arabic transliteration | Population (January 2023 est.) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Hammad | مركز أبو حماد | Abū Ḥammād | 465,376 | Markaz |
| Abu Kebir | مركز أبو كبير | Abū Kabīr | 491,984 | Markaz |
| El Husseiniya | مركز الحسينية | El-Ḥusayniya | 373,774 | Markaz |
| El Ibrahimiya | مركز الأبراهيمية | El-Ibrāhīmiya | 200,590 | Markaz |
| El Qanayat | قسم القنايات | El-Qanāyāt | 74,611 | Kism (fully urban) |
| El Qurein | قسم القرين | El-Qurayn | 99,884 | Kism (fully urban) |
| New Salhia | قسم الصالحية الجديدة | Eṣ-Ṣaliḥiyah el-Jedīda | 62,610 | Kism (fully urban) |
| Awlad Saqr | مركز أولاد صقر | Awlād Ṣaqr | 244,870 | Markaz |
| Zagazig 1 | قسم اول الزقازيق | Ez-Zaqāzīq 1 | 208,682 | Kism (fully urban) |
| Zagazig 2 | قسم ثان الزقازيق | Ez-Zaqāzīq 2 | 245,662 | Kism (fully urban) |
| Zagazig | مركز الزقازيق | Ez-Zaqāzīq | 933,504 | Markaz |
| Bilbeis | مركز بلبيس | Bilbays | 889,709 | Markaz |
| Diyarb Negm | مركز ديرب نجم | Diyarb Najm | 532,950 | Markaz |
| Faqous | قسم فاقوس | Fāqūs | 104,244 | Kism (fully urban) |
| Faqous | مركز فاقوس | Fāqūs | 654,084 | Markaz |
| Hihya | مركز ههيا | Hihyā | 326,627 | Markaz |
| Kafr Saqr | مركز كفر صقر | Kafr Ṣaqr | 302,084 | Markaz |
| 10th of Ramadan City 1 | قسم أول مدينة عشرة رمضان | Madīnat 'Ashirh min-Ramaḍān 1 | 87,808 | Kism (fully urban) |
| 10th of Ramadan City 2 | قسم ثان مدينة عشرة رمضان | Madīnat 'Ashirh min-Ramaḍān 2 | 171,997 | Kism (fully urban) |
| Mashtool El Souk | مركز مشتول السوق | Mashtūl es-Sūq | 241,857 | Markaz |
| Minya El Qamh | مركز منيا القمح | Minyā el-Qamḥ | 831,505 | Markaz |
| Minshat Abu Omar | مركز منشاه ابوعمر | Munshāh Abū 'Umar | 86,670 | Markaz |
| Tanis | مركز صان الحجر | Ṣān el-Ḥajar | 158,443 | Markaz |
According to population estimates, in 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate lived in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of 25%. Out of an estimated 6,485,412 people residing in the governorate in 2015, 4,987,707 people lived in rural areas and 1,497,705 lived in urban areas.
According to the Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), the following industrial zones are located in Sharqia:
| Zone name |
|---|
| 10th of Ramadan Industrial Zone |
| New El Salhia Industrial Zone |
The following cities and towns are located in Sharqia Governorate.