Backgrounder: Brief introduction to Sharm el-Sheikh
Backgrounder: Brief introduction to Sharm el-Sheikh
20:29, November 05, 2009 
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The fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov. 8-9.
The following is a brief introduction to this Egyptian coastal city.
Located at the very southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in northeastern Egypt, Sharm el-Sheikh is on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai.
Sharm el-Sheikh is on a promontory overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Its strategic importance led to its transformation from a fishing village into a major port and naval base for the Egyptian Navy.
It was captured by Israel during the Sinai conflict of 1956 and restored to Egypt in 1957. A UN peacekeeping force was subsequently stationed there until the 1967 Six-Day War when it was recaptured by Israel.
Sharm el-Sheikh remained under the Israeli control until the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt in 1982 after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty was signed in 1979.
Before 1967, Sharm el-Sheikh was little more than an occasional base of operations for local fishermen. Commercial development of the area began during the Israeli presence in it.
After Sinai was restored to Egypt in 1982, the Egyptian government embarked on an initiative to encourage continued development of the city.
Foreign investors, some of whom had discovered the potential of the locality during the Israeli occupation, contributed to a spate of building projects.
Sharm el-Sheikh's major industry is foreign and domestic tourism, owing to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches.
Its water is clear and calm for most of the year and has become popular for various water sports, particularly recreational scuba diving and snorkeling which some consider are among the best in the world.
Coral reefs, underwater and marine life, unmatched anywhere in the world, offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers.
These natural resources, together with its proximity to European tourist markets, have stimulated the rapid growth of tourism that the region is currently experiencing. The total number of resorts increased from three in 1982 to 91 in 2000.
Sharm el-Sheikh is known as the City of Peace, referring to the large number of international peace conferences it has hosted.
Source: Xinhua
The following is a brief introduction to this Egyptian coastal city.
Located at the very southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in northeastern Egypt, Sharm el-Sheikh is on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai.
Sharm el-Sheikh is on a promontory overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Its strategic importance led to its transformation from a fishing village into a major port and naval base for the Egyptian Navy.
It was captured by Israel during the Sinai conflict of 1956 and restored to Egypt in 1957. A UN peacekeeping force was subsequently stationed there until the 1967 Six-Day War when it was recaptured by Israel.
Sharm el-Sheikh remained under the Israeli control until the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt in 1982 after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty was signed in 1979.
Before 1967, Sharm el-Sheikh was little more than an occasional base of operations for local fishermen. Commercial development of the area began during the Israeli presence in it.
After Sinai was restored to Egypt in 1982, the Egyptian government embarked on an initiative to encourage continued development of the city.
Foreign investors, some of whom had discovered the potential of the locality during the Israeli occupation, contributed to a spate of building projects.
Sharm el-Sheikh's major industry is foreign and domestic tourism, owing to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches.
Its water is clear and calm for most of the year and has become popular for various water sports, particularly recreational scuba diving and snorkeling which some consider are among the best in the world.
Coral reefs, underwater and marine life, unmatched anywhere in the world, offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers.
These natural resources, together with its proximity to European tourist markets, have stimulated the rapid growth of tourism that the region is currently experiencing. The total number of resorts increased from three in 1982 to 91 in 2000.
Sharm el-Sheikh is known as the City of Peace, referring to the large number of international peace conferences it has hosted.
Source: Xinhua
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