Sinai

Map of the Sinai Peninsula with country borders shown

Extract from Wikipedia.

The Sinai Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about 60,000 km² (23,000 sq mi) in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two continents. It has a population of approximately 500.000 people. Sinai has become a tourist destination due to its natural setting, rich coral reefs, and biblical history.

St. Catherine's Monastery is the oldest working Christian monastery in the world and the most popular tourist attraction on the peninsula

Over the past 30 years the Sinai has become a tourist destination due to its natural setting, rich coral reefs, and biblical history. The most popular tourist destination in Sinai are Mount Sinai ("Jabal Musa") and St. Catherine's Monastery, which is considered to be the oldest working Christian monastery in the world, and the beach resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba. 

Most of the Sinai Peninsula is divided among two Egyptian governorates, or provinces, named Janub Sina ("South Sinai") and Shamal Sina ("North Sinai"). Three more governates span the Suez Canal, crossing into African Egypt. el-Sewais ("the Suez") is on the southern end of the Suez Canal, el-Isma'ileyyah in the center, and Port Said in the north.

Approximately 66,500 people live in Janub Sina and 314,000 live in Shamal Sina. 

Large numbers of Egyptians from the Nile Valley and Delta have moved to the area to work in tourism.








 

Gallery

Image from Gemini 11 spacecraft, featuring part of Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula in the foreground and theLevant in the background   Canadian and Panamanian UNEF UN peacekeepers in Sinai, 1974.   Sand dune and rocky exposure on the Sinai Peninsula   Mount Sinai ("Gabal Musa")   Scuba Diver at Sharm el-Sheikh   Dust Storm in the Peninsula