Christians are not an extreme minority in Egypt: it's difficult to find estimates, but I believe the proportion of Christians in Egypt is higher than in Jordan or Syria (10-15%? mainly in Middle Egypt...). They are a minority, but a rather powerful one that - as far as I know - has historically always occupied some important positions economically or in the intellectual elite...

The CIA fact book says 9% copts, 1% protestants.. but the Copts I know here in LA tell me there are more Copts in the US/Europe than in Egypt proper, and the Coptic diaspora is approx 1-2million. Pope Shenouda III himself comes and stays at my friends house when His Holiness travels to Los Angeles area, and holds a High Mass at my local Coptic parish (copts and tewahedo are in full communion so I am a member of both my local Ethiopian parish and my local Coptic parish) however His Holiness is the one who asserts that claims of 10%. US studies have put the figures between 3.4-5% which is significantly lower and is more reflective of what the local Coptic populations in diaspora tell me..

my mistake on the Syria/Jordan. I was using outdated references in my mind, Jordan at a times been above 15% and Syria above 40% but those are not contemporary. However, the dominance of Christians in both Syria and Jordan makes them look like a more significant population, but this is because Jordan and Syria are homes to some of both the origins of Christianity and the longest continuous Christian communities in the world.