The map and line graph illustrate the physical expansion of Alexandria, Egypt, and its corresponding population growth over a 140-year period spanning from 1840 to 1980.
Overall, the city underwent a profound transformation across both dimensions, remaining relatively contained until the mid-twentieth century before experiencing an explosive surge in both territorial size and population in the decades that followed.
In 1840, Alexandria occupied a mere 4 km², clustered along a narrow coastal strip bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and Lake Marriout to the south. The population at this time was negligible, remaining well below half a million. This pattern of modest, gradual growth persisted through to approximately 1900, during which the city expanded marginally along the coastline while its population edged upward at an unremarkable pace. By 1920, the number of inhabitants had reached an estimated 200,000, and the city had begun extending southward, though its footprint remained comparatively limited.
The period between 1920 and 1960 marked the beginning of accelerated change. The population climbed steadily to approximately 1.1 million, while the city simultaneously pushed further southward toward Lake Marriout, broadening its boundaries in multiple directions.
The most dramatic transformation, however, occurred in the two decades leading up to 1980. By this point, Alexandria had expanded to a total of 100 km² – a twenty-five-fold increase from its 1840 extent – with growth radiating outward along both the coastline and into previously undeveloped southern territory. Mirroring this physical expansion, the population skyrocketed to roughly 3 million, representing the steepest rate of demographic increase across the entire period under review.