The Egyptian capital is home to a diverse population. The country is 90% Muslim, and the majority of Egyptians follow the Sunni branch of Islam. However, a significant portion of the population follows native Sufi orders. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has a global following of fifteen million believers. While the city is the largest in the Middle East, it is still considered relatively small in comparison to other Egyptian cities.
The economy of Egypt is based on oil exports, agriculture, tourism, and media. Approximately three million citizens work abroad, in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf, and in Europe. The Aswan High Dam, completed in 1971, altered the ecology of the Nile River and created the Lake Nasser. While there are several factors contributing to the rapidly expanding population, the Aswan High Dam is the most controversial.
The city's growth rate reflects the pressures of the broader social order. With over eleven million residents, Cairo is neither a tentacled nor a sprawling megalopolis. Yet it remains the political and cultural center of the Arab world. Although it is the largest city in the Arab world, Cairo's growth rate is slowing, averaging just 1.9 percent a year.
The Egyptian president has been the dominant force in the political system since 1953. The Arab Socialist Union was the only legal political party until President Sadat allowed three minor parties to participate in parliamentary elections. In 1978, he replaced the ASU with his own organization. He became the chairman of the National Democratic Party. The National Democratic Party won three-fourths of the seats in the People's Assembly in June 1979, followed by the Socialist Labor Party with twenty-eight seats.