Sohag is a governorate in Upper Egypt and its capital, Sohag, is 517 kilometers south of Cairo. It has 12 cities, 51 major villages, 270 small villages and 1,444 hamlets.  It has a university and its major commercial city is Girga, which has many historical and pharaonic sites.  At the time of the pharaohs the centre of Bilana in Sohag was the capital of Egypt. Girga remained the capital for many years and many Arab tribes settled in this area. During the time of Muhammad Ali Pasha, Girga was a centre but later Suhag became the centre. Its population is 5 million, and it is famous for its sugar-cane crops