Egypt has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea, the River Nile, and the Red Sea. It borders Libya to the west, Palestine and Israel to the east, and Sudan to the south (with a current dispute over the Halaib triangle).
Egypt is a country located in northeastern Africa along the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. It has a rich history as one of the world’s earliest and greatest civilizations.
Let's delve into the geographical aspects of the Red Sea and its connection to Egypt.
Overview of Egypt's Geography
Egypt occupies an area of 1,010,408 square kilometers (390,121 sq mi), which is the 12th largest in Africa. The longest straight-line distance in Egypt from north to south is 1,420 km (880 mi), while that from east to west measures 1,275 km (792 mi).
Egypt has more than 2,900 km (1,800 mi) of coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Suez, and the Gulf of Aqaba. The map shows the Red Sea, an arm of the Indian Ocean, between northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
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Egypt is predominantly desert. Most of the country lies within the wide band of desert that stretches eastwards from Africa's Atlantic Coast across the continent and into southwest Asia. 35,000 km2 - 3.5% - of the total land area is cultivated and permanently settled.
The Red Sea is about 1400 miles (2250km) long, and is a critical link between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.
The Red Sea is a strategic waterway that connects Western Asia, Africa, and Europe through the Suez Canal.
The Red Sea extends from the Suez Canal in the north to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the south. The Gulf of Aqaba and Gulf of Suez are its northern extensions.
The Nile Valley and Delta, the most extensive oasis on earth, was created by the world's longest river and its seemingly inexhaustible sources. Despite covering only about 5% of the total area of Egypt; the Nile Valley and Nile Delta are the most important regions, being the country's only cultivable regions and supporting about 99% of the population.
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Without the topographic channel that permits the Nile to flow across the Sahara, Egypt would be entirely desert.
The Nile enters Egypt a few kilometers north of Wadi Halfa, a Sudanese town that was completely rebuilt on high ground when its original site was submerged in the reservoir created by the Aswan High Dam.
At Cairo, the Nile spreads out over what was once a broad estuary, subsequently filled by silt deposits to form what is now a fertile, fan-shaped delta some 250 km wide at its seaward extremity and extending about 160 km from north to south.
The Nile Delta covers approximately 22,000 km2 (roughly equivalent in area to that of Massachusetts).
Today the Aswan High Dam obstructs most of this sediment, now retained in Lake Nasser.
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The Western Desert covers an area of some 700,000 km2, thereby accounting for around two-thirds of Egypt's total land area. This immense desert to the west of the Nile spans the area from the Mediterranean Sea southwards to the Sudanese border.
The Siwah Oasis, close to the Libyan border and west of Qattara, is isolated from the rest of Egypt but has sustained life since ancient times.
The topographic features of the desert region east of the Nile differ from those to the west of the Nile. The Eastern Desert is relatively mountainous.
The Sinai Peninsula is a triangular-shaped peninsula, about 61,100 km2 in area slightly smaller than Latvia (64 573 km2). Similar to the desert, the peninsula contains mountains in its southern sector that are a geological extension of the Red Sea Hills, the low range along the Red Sea coast that includes Mount Catherine (Jabal Katrinah), the country's highest point, at 2,642 m above sea-level.
The Red Sea: Physical Characteristics
Underwater Wonders, Red Sea, Egypt. 8K 360 video
The Red Sea covers an area of around 438,000 km², which is roughly twice the size of the United Kingdom or the size of California. The Red Sea connects the Indian Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean through the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
Countries bordering the Red Sea are Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the east and Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti in the west.
The Red Sea is 360 km (225 mi) wide at its widest point and is about 1,960 km (1,220 mi) long, from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the south to the tip of the Sinai Peninsula in the north. The southern two-thirds of its length are in the tropics.
The northeastern branch of the Red Sea is the Gulf of Aqaba. It is bordered by four countries: Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The port at Aqaba is Jordan's only access to the world's oceans.
The Red Sea occupies part of a large rift valley in the continental crust of Africa and Arabia. This break in the crust is part of a complex rift system that includes the East African Rift System.
The Gulf of Suez is shallow-approximately 180 to 210 feet deep-and it is bordered by a broad coastal plain. The Gulf of Aqaba, on the other hand, is bordered by a narrow plain, and it reaches a depth of 5,500 feet.
The Red Sea region receives very little precipitation in any form. In general, the climate is conducive to outdoor activity in fall, winter, and spring-except during windstorms-with temperatures varying between 46 and 82 °F (8 and 28 °C).
No water enters the Red Sea from rivers, and rainfall is scant; but the evaporation loss-in excess of 80 inches per year-is made up by an inflow through the eastern channel of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Gulf of Aden.
The Red Sea has a high salinity level, averaging around 40 parts per thousand (ppt). This is due to high evaporation rates, little rainfall, and lack of freshwater inflow.
Historical Significance of the Red Sea
As far back as 2500 BCE, pharaohs sent expeditions across the Red Sea to the Land of Punt for exotic goods, gold, and incense.
The parting of the Red Sea is a central event in the Exodus story, through which the Prophet Moses (Musa) leads the Israelites out of Egypt. Its exact location is disputed, but it connects Egypt firmly to biblical and Islamic tradition.
In the Islamic period, the Red Sea emerged as a fundamental Hajj route, particularly for Egyptian pilgrims traveling by sea from Suez or Aydhab to Jeddah.
Modern Importance
The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway in Egypt that connects the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea. The canal was opened in November 1869 and runs in a north-south direction through the Isthmus of Suez. It is the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe. Before the canal was built, ships had to take a much longer route and sail around Africa.
Today, the Suez Canal is one of Egypt’s most precious economic assets, generating billions of dollars in revenue annually.
Egypt maintains a strong naval presence in the Red Sea. It plays a key role in regional alliances, counter-piracy operations, and security around the Suez Canal.
Key Ports on the Red Sea
There are around 15 major ports on the Red Sea. The busiest is Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Islamic Port. The port serves Jeddah and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
- Jeddah Islamic Port: The primary port of Saudi Arabia and the second largest and busiest port in the Arab world.
- Port of Suez: A strategically important maritime facility located at the northern end of the Gulf of Suez in Egypt.
- Port Sudan: Sudan's main port, handling general cargo, containers, and petroleum.
- Port of Djibouti: An important regional trading hub and the main transshipment point for goods from landlocked Ethiopia.
- Yanbu Commercial Port: One of the major ports of Saudi Arabia and a vital link for the industrial city of Yanbu.
- Port of Safaga: One of the oldest ports of Egypt and a gateway to the Upper Nile Valley.
- Port of Eilat: Israel's port on the Red Sea and a strategic asset for the country.
- Port of Aqaba: A major logistics hub and an important part of Jordan's economy.
- Port of Hodeidah: An important port in Yemen and a lifeline for the country's humanitarian supplies.
Red Sea Statistics
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Area | Approximately 438,000 km² |
| Length | Approximately 1,960 km |
| Max Width | 360 km |
| Average Salinity | Around 40 parts per thousand (ppt) |
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