MINUFIYAH, AL-

also spelled Munufia, muhafazah (governorate) of Lower Egypt in the western part of the apex of the Nile River delta, between the Damietta (east) and Rosetta (west) branches of the Nile. Its 592 square miles (1,532 square km) of settled area includes some of the most productive land of the delta, supporting a rural population that reaches 2,500 persons per square mile (970 persons per square km). Agriculture is the principal occupation, employing more than three-fifths of the workers. Nearly one-third of the land is under corn (maize); other crops include cotton, wheat, clover, dates, and onions. Milk and dairy products also are produced. The major source of irrigation water is Al- Minufiyah Canal, which flows from the Delta (Al-Khayriyah) Barrage on the Nile via Shibin and Baquriyah canals. Most of the population lives in villages and small towns. The principal centres are Shibin al-Kawm (capital of the muhafazah), Minuf, and Ashmunall with cotton-ginning facilities. Pop. (1986 prelim.) 2,227,087.