Khedivate of Egypt

Also known as Egypt, Egyptian Khedivate

1867-1914 monarchy in Northeastern Africa

Key facts

1882: 6,805,000
1897: 9,715,000
1907: 11,287,000
Status: Largely independent vassal state of the Ottoman Empire under British occupation since 1882
Capital: Cairo
Common languages: Arabic , Ottoman Turkish , Albanian , Greek , French , English
Religion: Sunni Islam (official), Coptic Christianity (minority)
Government: Constitutional monarchy
1867 1879: Isma'il Pasha
1879 1892: Tewfik Pasha
1892 1914: Abbas II
1883 1907: Evelyn Baring

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^a. English became the sole official language in 1898. ^b. Area and density include inhabited areas only. The total area of Egypt, including deserts, is 994,000 km, however, the size of the Khedivate of Egypt consisted many other territories, and was approximately 5,000,000 km.

The Khedivate of Egypt was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire established and ruled by members of the dynasty of Muhammad Ali. Following the defeat and expulsion of Napoleon's forces from Egypt in 1801, Muhammad Ali and his successors had already ruled Ottoman Egypt with a significant degree of autonomy. In 1867, the Ottoman sultan granted Muhammad Ali's grandson, Isma'il Pasha (r. 1863–1879), the title of Khedive along with near-total autonomy over internal affairs, certain diplomatic privileges, and the order of succession.