Location & Area:

1. The Burullus Protected Area is situated in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate in the northern part of the Nile Delta, in a central position between the Damietta (Domiat) Branch to the east, and the Rosetta (Rasheed) Branch to the west. The Protectorate includes the entire area of Lake Burullus with its numerous islets, as well as the sand bar separating the Lake from the Mediterranean Sea, with a shoreline of about 65 km. The total extent of the Protected Area is 460 km².

2. The Protected Area is virtually rectangular, with its northern boundary determined by the sea. Its limits are 31º 36' N 30º 33' E in the north-west, 31º 36' N 31º 07' E in the north-east, 31º 22' N 30º 33' E in the south-west and 31º 22'N 31º 07' E in the south-east.

3. Lake Burullus is centered between the five principal coastal lagoons of northern Egypt. To its east are Lake Manzala and Lake Bardawil, to its west are Lake Idku and Lake Mareotis. It is a part of Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, which lies in the northern part of the Delta between the two branches of the Nile.

4. Lake Burullus is separated from the Mediterranean sea by a 65 Km long sand bar. The middle section of the bar is narrow and is penetrated by an inlet (Bughaz) that connects the sea with the lake. The Lake is a registered Ramsar site, and is identified as an IBA by the Birdlife International.

5. The Lake comprises a body of water (410 Km²). The area decreased during the last 50 years due to land reclamation at its southern stretches. The average volume of water in the Lake (at zera m.s.l.) is c. 328 million m³. Nine agricultural drains of the Delta farmlands discharge into the Lake some 3.9 billion m³ of water per year; most of this water flows to the sea through the Burghaz. This one direction outward flow reduced the inflow of seawater to the Lake, and made the Lake mostly brackish (almost fresh in places). The original balance between inflowing sea saltwater and drainage brackish water is apparently upset, which negatively affects biota including fish populations and species diversity.

6. The Lake embraces some 50 islets, the largest (Kawm El-Akhdar) is c. 9 km². These small islets provide habitat for a rich diversity of plants and animals including birds.

7. The inlet (Bughaz) is the direct connection between the Lake and the Mediterranean. It is c. 250 m. long, more than 50 m. wide at places, and 50-200 cm deep. It is the site of the mouth of the (now vanished) Sebennetic branch of the Delta.