Ismailia, the city, is situated halfway between Port-Said and Suez, and Ismailia Governorate is laying south of port-said Governorate, north of Suez Governorate west of Sinai, east of Sharqia Governorate and north e-east of Cairo Governorate. Ismailia Governorate includes municipalities: Ismailia. Fayd, El-tal El-keber, west Kantara and east kantara.

The total area of Governorate is1441.6 square kilometers in addition to strip of Sinai with an area of 70Km log and 30Km deep along the east bank of the Suez Canal. Lake Timsah covers an area of 14 square kilometers and El-Morra [i.e. bitter] lakes cover an area of 234 square kilometers. Ismailia is 10.20 meters above sea level.

Ismailia has a warm dry splendid weather all the year round. The average temperature is36.1 C° in summer, and 11C° in winter. 

The estimated figure of the population of Ismailia governorate is approx. 700.000 inhabitants ( 58% urban and 42% rural ).

Thanks to its Location on Lake Timsah and El-Morra lakes and the fine weather it enjoys all the year round, Ismailia is planning to get place among the leading touristic Governorates of Egypt.
Beaches with blankets of sand and greenery invite the vacationers to enjoy the ample recreational facilities and sea sports such as: swimming, picnicking, fishing, boating, skiing and other sports such as golf, tennis, squash, etc..
Beautiful Ismailia is the venue of numerous congresses, international meetings, sport competitions, cultural events, conferences and festivals. Much of the Pharaonic, Roman Coptic and Islamic antiquities that will rewrite the history of Egypt have been recently discovered but many of history secrets are still hidden beneath its archaeological sites.
Ismailia has sister-city relationships with some Arab and foreign cities, such as:
Vigeac (France) - Sale (Morocco) - Conakry (Guinea) - Yogyakarta (Indonesia).

Beaches, Clubs and Tourist Villages

Timsah Lake:

Known for its pure calm water on which many water sports can be practiced and were many beaches, clubs and tourist villages are located, such as: El-Nouras_El-Gandoul_El-Sharq El-Awsat_ El-Shobban El-Moslemeen_El-Melaha_El-Bahary_El-Fayrouz_El-Taawen_ El-Mokaweloon ElArab.
In addition to the Suez canal Authority beaches, such as: The D'enfants_El-Tagdeef_El-shiraa_El-Osra. There are also some army and police beaches. Ismailia is also known for its social clubs with their green areas and children playgrounds such clubs are centers for cultural and artistic activities, and their list includes: the Social Club_El-Shagara_El-Montaza_El-Nakhil_El-Salam_El-Shohada_ElMawany, …, etc. 

El-morra Lakes:

Two lakes stretching about 33 km south of Ismailia where beaches and tourist villages are located such as: Fayed El-Gadeed_El-Zohour_El-Louts_El-Fanar_El-Ferdaus_El-Yasmeen_Shammousa, and others.

Farming and fishing are the oldest economic activities found in the region Their actual existence goes back well before the establishment of Ismailia in 1863.
According to the 1991 estimates the total cultivated area of the governorate amounts to 166.000 feddans (approx.70.000 hectares); of which 80% are irrigated by the River Nile and 20% by the under-ground supplies Dense arable farming represents the prevailing agricultural activity but there is widening scope for livestock and fish farming.
The situation of Ismailia in the Canal Zone and outside the Nile Delta bestowed special features upon its agriculture:
The greater part of the cultivated area pertains pedagogically to sandy clay soils This in addition to the climatic nature of the region allows some sort of specialization in horticulture and certain crops.
Thus Ismailia is relatively advantaged in producing some quality crops such as mango strawberry winter tomato snap bean peanut and sesame. Agricultural extension system has fulfilled a remarkable success in cultivating seedless grape on wire trellis, and in cultivating some of the foreign improved varieties of olive.
One tangible feature of the agriculture here is the moving and enterprising nature of the farmers of the governorate.
This urges them always to try and accept the latest technological innovations with the result that Ismaila took the initiative in applying sprforated pipe irrigation.

The agricultural production of Ismailia enjoys two advantages:

• Marketability through Greater Cairo markets.

• Exportability through Cairo Airport and the nearby harbors.

It worth's saying that horizontal expansion is doing well too The total cultivated area fulfilled the formidable leap of adding 100.000 feddans approx 29.400 hectares between 1974 and 1991 This is a 140% expansion in 17 years.

Fisheries:

In his classical Fishing in Egypt and in his essays in the Egyptian Gazette the British sportswriter and amateur angler A Fluker wrote much on the fisheries of Ismailia where he had got his biggest catches and on the deliciousness of their fishes These fisheries include the Bitter Lakes Lake Timsah and the canal waterway The fishing yield includes the following fishes and marine animals.


• Mullets.

• Denees (Chrysophrys sp.)

• Loot (Scaeina squibla)

• Wiqar (Epicphalus sp.)

• Shabar (Tilapia sp.)

• Bass.

• Shrimps.

• Squids.

• Crabs.

• A variety of mollusks.

Most of these are among the most Iuxurious foods known in Egypt.

Ismailia offers the investors good conditions and chances in several fields of industry. There are many factors sustaining this such as:

1. Mildness of climate all the year round.

2. Situation among three of the most important ports of Egypt (Port Said Suez and Cairo airport).

3. Availability of cheap and skilled labor.

4. Availability of a wide variety of crops, especially fruits, vegetable, sesame and peanuts a fact that denotes the possibility of establishing a huge foodstuff industry.

5. Availability of infrastructure and all needed facilities.

Private sector is invited to invest in our governorate therefore three industrial zones were established in order to fulfil the needs of businessmen and much grounds equipped with the infrastructure facilities were allotted to them.

The first industrial zone:
Located west of Ismailia city on Cairo-Port Said road over an area of about 153 hectares allotted to 41 industrial projects working in textiles metalwork's, foodstuffs garments, shoes, construction materials and electric and electronic equipment's The zone is supplied with full infrastructure facilities.
Priorities such as which industries the zone should include are based on exportability of products in order to maximize development of national economy.

The second industrial zone:
Located west of Ismailia city on Cairo-Port Said over an area of 113 hectares It is specialized in light industries and includes 61 industrial projects working in foodstuffs building materials shoes garments and metalwork's.

The third industrial zone:
Located in East kantara on the main road of the Suez Canal east bank over an area of about 34 hectares including the surrounding roads This zone provides investors with the needed facilities to set up their projects on condition that they offer the following documents:

1. Feasibility study.

2. Architectural design of the project.

3. Financial position of the investor.

The file of the project is to be submitted to a certain technical committee to study the project and issue the relevant decision.
Now, the available vacant grounds amounts to about 17 hectares.
Within the third stage, 100 career projects are to be carried out for 100 youngsters in the fields of carpentry metalwork's plastic works marble and manufacturing of bicycles and shoes and leather.
This plan for extending handicraft projects will last for five years and it is expected to be a good pace on the road of industrializing our community.

The Industrial free Zone:
Established in 1974 on an area of about 507 hectares and in order to reduce the basic costs of the infrastructure the zone was divided into four stages the first of which was established on 84 hectares including the including the infrastructure facilities such as the networks of roads water drainage and electricity and public parks as well.
The rate of rental cost was defined as 2.5 dollars/m2 per year for industrial projects and 6 dollars/m2 per year for service and storage These fates are valid until the year 2000.

Handicraft Projects:

In order to curb unemployment and develop youth capacities Ismailia Government has played an outstanding role in extending handicraft industries A special department was formed to deal with youth in fields of handicraft projects These activities are financed by the Social Fund for Development and a plan of there stages was designed:


• Within the first stage, 74 career projects were carried out for 84 youngsters males and females in the fields of wool knitting furniture carpentry plastic works metalwork's printing leather works shoemaking and manufacturing of garments and tile and marble.

• Within the second stage, 44 career projects were carried out for 54 youngsters in the fields of carpentry metalwork's printing and Khan El-Khalili works and manufacturing of manual carpet and irrigation equipments.

• Within the third stage, 100 career projects are to be carried out for 100 youngsters in the fields of carpentry Metrowerks plastic works marble and manufacturing of bicycles and shoes and leather.

This plan for extending handicraft will last for five yeas and it is expected to be a good pace on the of industrializing our community.