At a Glance
Egypt
Population: 62,359,000
Size: 1,001,449 square km
Language: Arabic
People: Berbers, Bedouins, Nubians
Religion: Islam, Christian
Time: Greenwich Mean Time plus two hours. When it's noon in New York, it's 7pm in Egypt.
Currency: Currency is the Egyptian pound. A supply of US currency in small denominations is useful for bargaining for taxi rides and souvenirs. Banking hours are 8:30am – 2pm Sunday –Thursday; closed Friday, Saturday and most holidays.
Electricity: 220 volts
Cairo
Population: 7,734,334
Size: 214 square km
Language: Arabic
People: Egyptian Arab
Religion: Islam, Christian
Time: Greenwich Mean Time plus two hours. When it's noon in New York, it's 7pm in Egypt.
Currency: Currency is the Egyptian pound. A supply of US currency in small denominations is useful for bargaining for taxi rides and souvenirs. Banking hours are 8: 30am – 2pm Sunday – Thursday; closed Friday, Saturday and most holidays.
Electricity: 220 volts
Israel
Population: 7.1 million
Size: 20,770 square kilometers
Language: Hebrew, Arabic, English
People: Jewish (76%), Arabic (19%), Minorities (5%)
Religion: Jewish (76%), Muslim (16%), Arab Christians (1.7%), Druze (1.6%)
Time: Greenwich Mean Time plus two hours; plus three hours during daylight savings time.
Currency: Currency is the Israeli new Sheqel. Normal banking hours are Sunday-Friday 8:30am-12pm, and Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday 4pm-6pm. ATMs are widely available.
Electricity: 220 volts, round 2-pin plugs are widely used.
Jordan
Population: 6.2 million
Size: 89,342 square kilometers
Language: Arabic
People: Arab (98%), Armenian (1%), Circassian (1%)
Religion: Islam (90%), Christian (7%)
Time: Greenwich Mean Time plus two hours. When it's noon in New York, it's 7pm in Jordan.
Currency: Currency is the Jordanian dinar. Banking hours are 8am-2pm Sunday-Thursday, 9am-3pm during Ramadan; closed Friday, Saturday and most holidays. ATMs are widely available.
Electricity: 230 volts, round 2-pin plugs are widely used.