Alexandria extends about 32 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in north-central Egypt and Lake Mariut located on the city’s southern side. It is the second-largest city in Egypt and is the country’s largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt’s imports and exports. Its population is about 6 million. It was famous for its lighthouse which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In ancient times, Alexandria was one of the most famous cities in the world. It was founded around a small pharaonic town c. 331 BC by Alexander the Great. It remained capital of Egypt for nearly a thousand years, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 64. From the late 19th century, it became a major centre for the international shipping industry and one of the most important trading centers in the world, as it profited from the easy overland connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.