Gulf of Aqaba
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Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez(west), Gulf of Aqaba(east) viewed from Space Shuttle STS-40. Click for broader view.
The Gulf of Aqaba, also known as the Gulf of Eilat, is a large gulf of the Red Sea. Geologically, the Gulf of Aqaba is an integral part of the Great Rift Valley that runs from East Africa northwards though the Red Sea into southwest Asia.
The northern end of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula, creating the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba in the east. The Gulf, measuring 24 km at its widest point, stretches some 160 km north from the Straits of Tiran, ending where the southern border of Israel meets the borders of Egypt and Jordan. At this junction are three separate cities: Taba in Egypt, Eilat in Israel, and Aqaba in Jordan. All serve both as strategically important ports and (more recently) as popular resort destinations for tourists seeking to enjoy the warm climate of the Gulf of Aqaba.External links
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