Faiyum Governorate


Faiyum is one of the governorates of Egypt in the middle of the country. Its capital is the city of Faiyum, located about 81 mi south west of Cairo. It has a population of 3,848,708.
WWW fayoum.gov.eg

Etymology

The name Faiyum comes from Coptic / efiom/peiom, meaning the Sea or the Lake, which in turn comes from late Egyptian pA y-m of the same meaning, a reference to the nearby Lake Moeris.

Overview

The rate of poverty is more than 60% in this governorate but recently some social safety networks have been provided in the form of financial assistance and job opportunities. The funding has been coordinated by the country's Ministry of Finance and with assistance from international organizations.

Municipal divisions

The governorate is divided into the following municipal divisions for administrative purposes, with a total estimated population as of April 2025 of 4,206,852. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.
Anglicized nameNative nameArabic transliterationPopulation
Type
Al Shawashnaمركز الشواشنة257,768Markaz
Faiyumمركز الفيوم625,249Markaz
Faiyum 1قسم أول الفيوم281,676Kism
Faiyum 2قسم ثان الفيوم248,210Kism
Ibshewayمركز إبشواى467,862Markaz
Itsaمركز إطسا797,962Markaz
New Faiyumمدينة الفيوم الجديدة442New City
Sinnurisمركز سنورس714,085Markaz
Tamiyaمركز طامية502,444Markaz
Yousef El Seddikمركز يوسف الصديق incl. 151,689Markaz

Geography

The governorate of Faiyum includes:
  • The large fertile Faiyum Oasis, which comprises farmland, Lake Moeris, and some cities.
  • South of the Faiyum Oasis, a smaller depression contains the town of El Gharaq el Sulţāni. It is also irrigated from the Nile.
  • A dry barren depression named Wadi El Rayan, which covers 280 mi², west of the El Gharaq el Sulţāni depression.
  • Desert and dry mountains, which mostly surround the depressions.

Population

According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 22.5%. Out of an estimated 3,170,150 people residing in the governorate, 2,456,368 people lived in rural areas and only 713,782 lived in urban areas.

Industrial zones

According to the Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones, the following industrial zones are located in Faiyum:
Zone name
Kom Oshim Industrial Zone
Kutah Industrial Zone
New Faiyum Industrial Zone

Notable people