Sharm el-Sheikh is probably the best-known town of the
southern Sinai, for the simple reason that it is Sharm
el-Sheikh which gave the st1:place>Red Sea an international
reputation as one of the world's most extraordinary diving
destinations.
And the coral reefs of Ras Mohammed, Tiran, and the Aqaba
coast, on which Sharm built its legendary reputation,
are as dazzling as ever. Today, however, diving is only
part of the attraction here, as many visitors arrive simply
to enjoy the sun, to parasail and windsurf and bicycle,
or to explore the magical desert landscape of the southern
Sinai. Since the mid-1980s, the Sharm el-Sheikh area has
come into its own as a world-class resort destination,
with the construction of almost forty hotels and resorts.
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course, such expansion brings with it new problems and
concerns--it is the natural beauty of the Sinai that
brings so many guests, and it is also the natural beauty
of the Sinai that is most endangered by so many visitors.
Accordingly, the last several years have witnessed strong
efforts by the Sharm el-Sheikh community to protect
and to preserve the fragile environment of this region.
The creation of Ras Mohammed National Park in 1983 marked
the first great step in this effort, and today a full
52% of the Egyptian shoreline on the Gulf of Aqaba is
now protected.
Before 1967, Sharm el-Sheikh
didn't even appear on most maps, and it was politics
rather than diving that first brought the world's attention
to this tiny port. Situated right at the approach to
the Strait of Tiran, Sharm became famous when Egypt's
President Nasser decided to blockade the straits, thus
cutting off Israel's access to the Red Sea. The direct
result of the blockade was the Arab-Israeli conflict
of June 5th, 1967, and Sharm el- Sheikh only began to
grow in 1968, under Israeli occupation. Over the ensuing
years it gradually began to attract divers, travellers,
and resort guests, but its strategic importance is still
evident. The town's large southwestern inlet, Sharm
el-Sheikh bay, remains a military harbour.
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