Alexandria ( [ ˌælɪɡˈzændriə ] or [ ˌælɪɡˈzɑːndriə ] Arabic : الإسكندرية ; اسكندرية ; Ⲁⲗⲉⲝⲁⲛⲇⲣⲓⲁ , Ⲣⲁⲕⲟⲧⲉ ) is the second largest city and a major economic centre in Egypt , extending about 32 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country . Alexandria is Egypt 's largest seaport , serving approximately 80 % of Egypt 's imports and exports . It became an important center of the Hellenistic civilization and remained the capital of Hellenistic and Roman and Byzantine Egypt for almost 1000 years until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 641 , when a new capital was founded at Fustat ( later absorbed into Cairo ) . Egypt . About half of Egypt 's residents live in urban areas , with most spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo , Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta . The Roman province of Egypt ( , [ ajˈɡʏptʊs ] ; Aigyptos [ ɛ́ːɡyptos ] ) was established in 30 BC after Octavian ( the future emperor Augustus ) defeated his rival Mark Antony , deposed his lover Queen Cleopatra VII and annexed the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt to the Roman Empire .
Alexandria is in Egypt.