Multiple ships heading out from Sharm port to the coral formations in the Red Sea in Egypt

Sharm el Sheikh is a town located near the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. The town is fairly recent in importance, with the strategic history of the town only being present for the past few decades. Starting near the 1950's, the strategic location of the town meant that the Egyptian navy started using it as a base; and then in the 1956 war with Israel it was captured and then released back to the Egyptians in 1957. Similarly, in the 1973 war, the Sinai was captured and was released back to Egypt in 1982 as part of the peace agreement. Over a period of time, the town was developed into a tourist location, helped by the long stretches of beach, the great weather, and the incredible coral formations in the sea. These coral formations in turn help develop an incredible environment of different types of fish, which has been used by the Government to drive the whole area as a tourism magnet, especially related to snorkeling and scuba diving. A large number of ships head out to the coral formations on a daily basis, taking tourists for their adventures.

Sharm El Sheikh (New Millennium Collection: North Africa)	View Larger Map