Most of the mines are remnants of World War II and regional wars. Afghanistan and the Pakistani border with India are high on the list as well.

Egypt alone has 21.8 million landmines (20 percent of the world's amount), according to the Egyptian Center Against Landmines. The vast majority of Egypt's landmines are in the western desert, which witnessed a number of battles between warring European countries. Israel planed 5.1 million mines in the Sinai peninsula and Suez Canal regions before 1973.

Most countries of the world have banned anti-personnel landmines, but opposition from the United States, Russia and China blocked a worldwide ban on all forms of mines, which would have included anti-vehicle mines as well.

The head of the Egyptian Center Against Landmines said that with a few million dollars from Europe, which created the minefields for Egypt, "the problem could be solved in Egypt." But so far the Europeans have refused to cough up the money.

But Egyptian military expert Qudri Said, a fellow at the Al-Ahram Political and Strategic Studies Center in Cairo, said that Egypt was not asking for the aid seriously. "Egypt is embarrassed by the issue. It has not signed the Ottowa agreement banning mines, not because it doesn't believe in the agreement but because it wants to take advantage of its refusal in other negotiations with countries," he said.