the chief port of Egypt, on the Nile Delta: cultural centre of ancient times, founded by Alexander the Great (332 bc). Pop: 3 760 000 (2005 est)
Arabic name: El Iskandariyah
Alexandria in American English
(ˌælɪgˈzændriə)
1.
seaport in Egypt, on the Mediterranean at the W end of the Nile delta: pop. 3,485,000: founded by Alexander the Great and,later, a center of Hellenistic culture
2.
city in NE Va., on the Potomac, near Washington, D.C.: pop. 128,000
Word origin
(sense 2) after the seaport, but with allusion to the Alexander family, owners of the town site