muḥāfaẓah (governorate) in the Nile River delta, Lower Egypt, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bisected by the Damietta branch of the Nile, which empties into the Mediterranean Sea 8 miles (13 km) northeast of the capital, Damietta. Fishing and agriculture are the main industries outside of Damietta. The Al-Salaam Canal was opened in 1979 to bring water from the Damietta branch to the Suez Canal zone and Sinai. Reclamation from Lake Al-Manzilah to the east has brought more land under cultivation, but there are still extensive salt marshes in the north. The capital is the only important urban centre. Area 227 square miles (589 square km). Pop. (2006) 1,092,316.