The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai 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.
The bulk of the peninsula is divided administratively into two of Egypt's 27 governorates
(with three more straddling the Suez Canal area), and has a population of
approximately 500,000 people. In addition to its formal name, Egyptians also
refer to it affectionately as the "Land of Fayrouz", based on the Ancient
Egyptian "Dumafkat", which has the same meaning.
The region has historically been the center of
conflict between various states, based largely on its strategic geopolitical
location. In addition to periods of direct rule by Egyptian governments
(including the Ayyubids, the Mamluks, the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, and the modern
Egyptian republic), it was like the rest of Egypt, also occupied and controlled
by the Ottoman Empire, and the United Kingdom (which occupied Egypt from 1882
until 1956). Israel invaded and occupied Sinai during the Suez Crisis (known in
Egypt as the Tripartite Aggression) of 1956, and during the Six Day War
of 1967. On 6 October 1973, Egypt launched the Yom Kippur War retake the
peninsula, which was the site of fierce fighting between Egyptian and Israeli
forces. In 1982, after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979, Israel withdrew
from the entirety of Sinai. Today, Sinai has become a tourist destination due
to its natural setting, rich coral reefs, and biblical history. Mount Sinai is
one of the most religiously significant places in Abrahamic faiths.