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SINAI GUIDE |
The
Sinai Peninsula represents Egypt's link between two continents,
as the border between Africa and Asia is drawn along the Suez
Canal. At its most southern point, Ras Mohammed, Sinai touches
the Red Sea.
Most of the peninsula is desert with a few oasis scattered
amongst the sandy mountainous terrain. The majority of the
limited population lives along the coast. Inhabitants are
Bedouin tribes: some settled others still living their nomadic
life.
Nowadays people from all over Egypt are following the growing
need for workers in the tourism field. Sinai has been fought
over many of times. Battles have been connected to strategic,
safety and nationalist issues. Since 1989 the peninsula, including
the little town of Taba, belongs again to Egypt after years
of Israeli control. Until now Multinational Force Observers
are observing the peninsula. |
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1869 |
Opening
of the Suez Canal. |
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1956 |
Invasion
by Israel. At the end of the war, all of Sinai's territory
is returned to Egyptian control. |
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1967 |
June
5-10: With the Six-Day War, all of Sinai comes under Israeli
control. |
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1973 |
Disengagement
agreements following the Yom Kippur War, leaves Egypt with
parts on the East Bank of the Suez Canal, a zone stretching
a couple of kilometers into Sinai. |
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1979 |
Peace
agreement with Israel, where Israeli starts to withdraw military
forces as well as disengaging settlements. |
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1982 |
Israel
finishes the withdrawal process. Multinational Force Observers
are installed to secure Israeli protection from Egyptian military
activities. |
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1989
March 15 |
The
little town of Taba, next to the Israeli border, is handed
over to Egypt. Before this happened Egypt and Israel had been
through years of hard negotiations as Israel saw the peace
agreement of 1979 as not including Taba. |
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Egypt, and therefore the Sinai as well, is a Middle Eastern
country and has Middle Eastern customs. It is a conservative
country and visitors should respect this attitude, even
so in most of the hotel resorts everybody is prepared for
tourism. |
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