Egypt is building a new capital city—it's located just 28 miles east of Cairo, the current capital. The yet-to-be-named city, referred to as the New Administrative Capital, will be the new financial and administrative capital of Egypt.
The Egyptian government recently announced that trial operations in the new administrative capital will start in the first half of 2021. The move was supposed to happen in the second half of 2020, but like so many things, was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With space for 6.5 million people, along with the parks, hospitals, mosques, and churches that residents will need, construction of the city is an ambitious undertaking. The Egyptian government is motivated to create a new capital city, as Cairo is plagued by air pollution and poverty. The move is partly intended to relieve congestion in Cairo, one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
Other countries have included overcrowding among the reasons for moving from their current capital. In 1960, Brazil moved its capital to Brasilia, in part, because Rio de Janeiro was too crowded. The same is true of the Nigerian capital, Abuja, which was created in 1991 partly as a way to relieve overcrowding in Lagos. Indonesia is planning to relocate its capital from the overcrowded Jakarta to a proposed new site in the East Kalimantan province.
For Egypt, the long-running project to build the new capital city, which started in 2015, is finally coming to an end. Relocation of the main government departments and ministries, plus foreign embassies, will be a priority in early 2021.
At Seterra, we can't wait to find out the name of the new capital city of Egypt. When the Egyptian government picks a name, we'll immediately update all affected map quizzes.