The huge country that's the world's 'most rectangular' home to a whopping 114m people

Egypt is often known for its ancient history, vast deserts, and famous landmarks like the Pyramids of Giza - but now it's gained a new title. According to a recent geographical analysis, Egypt is considered the most rectangular country in the world.

It's not the first thing you think of when you think about a country, but it is one of those random fun facts that sparks curiosity. Australian statistician David Barry compared the rectangularness of all countries in the world and found that Egypt is the best.

With a population of more than 114 million, the North African country stands out not just for its rich past but also for its almost perfectly straight borders.

The shape has caught attention for how closely it resembles a large block on the world map.

Its neat layout is mostly the result of man-made borders drawn during the colonial era.

Unlike many countries that follow rivers or mountain ranges, Egypt's boundaries were largely created using straight lines through desert terrain, giving it a clear-cut rectangular appearance.

The curiosity to find out the most rectangular started after a friend of Barry took to Facebook to note how "remarkably rectangular" the country of Turkey is.

This made Barry challenge the idea of finding out the shape of every country in the world and decide to rank them in order. He built a comparison tool using the maximum percentage overlap with a rectangle of the same area as a country. The results were surprising.

While this unusual fact might sound minor, it's sparked interest among geography fans online. A Reddit user posted: "Colonial empires shaped modern Middle Eastern borders" whilst another added "it had a different shape until it was separated from Sudan".

Other countries that ranked high for their boxy borders included Vatican City and Poland, though none could match Egypt's near-perfect proportions. In contrast, countries with more jagged or uneven coastlines scored much lower.

It's not the kind of title that usually draws tourists in, but it's another interesting point about a country that already has so much to offer - from the Nile River and ancient temples to cities like Cairo and Alexandria.

So, while most visitors are drawn by Egypt's history and warm weather, the country's place on the map is just as unique as its contents.