Cairo

Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة al-qāhirah; lit. "the Conqueror") is the capital of the Egyptian Arab Republic and most populous city in the Arab Union. As the preeminent cultural and economic capital of the Arab Union, Cairo's GDP accounts for nearly 45% of Egypt's total GDP, and is higher than the total GDP of four other republics of the Arab Union. Home to a massive and highly diverse population of 16.1 million spread over an area of 556 km2, Cairo is the third-most densely populated municipality in the Arab Union. An additional 19 million people live in the 22 municipalities making up the surrounding urban area, which together with Cairo proper are known collectively as the Cairo Metropolitan Area; altogether, Cairo and its metropolitan area have a total population of over 35 million, making Cairo the second-most populous megacity in the world, after Tokyo, Japan.

Due to its significant population size and cultural and economic importance, Cairo is considered an Alpha World City, hosting the highest number of international visitors annually out of all cities in the Arab Union. Downtown Cairo is home to Garden City, capital of the Arab Union's film and music industry, with over 50 active film studios and 32 commercial record labels, as well as a major industry-related tourism scene. Cairo is also home to the largest, wealthiest, and arguably most important central business district in the Arab Union; located just north of Tahrir Square, the CBD includes more major corporate and financial headquarters than any other locale in the Arab Union, as well as the Cairo Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the Arab Union and third-largest in the world by market capitalisation and by number of listed companies valued at US$100 million or more. Many multinational corporations, global media conglomerates, and other international organisations have regional headquarters in Cairo, which is also home to the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, Al-Azhar University, now the third-largest of Cairo's seven universities by number of enrolled students. Cairo has an additional 22 smaller private universities and countless other colleges and higher education programs, making it also a major centre of education.

As the capital of the Egyptian Arab Republic, Cairo is home to the Egyptian Arab Congress, the Egyptian government's legislative branch, which meets in the Parliament Building just northeast of the Garden City district, and a kilometre west of Abdeen Palace, official residence and workplace of the Premier of Egypt and meeting place of the Cabinet of Egypt. Cairo is also home to the Supreme Court of Egypt, located just a few blocks north of Tahrir Square in Downtown Cairo, directly across 26th of July Street from the Egyptian Court of Appeals and the Cairo District Court.