Gulf of Suez

Gulf of Suez
Visible bodies are the Gulf of Suez (west, left in photo), the Gulf of Aqaba (east, right in photo), and the Red Sea (south, bottom left in photo). Photo dated February 2009.
Location	North Africa and West Asia
Coordinates	28°45′N 33°00′E / 28.750°N 33.000°E / 28.750; 33.000
Basin countries	Egypt
Max. length	314 km (195 mi)
Max. width	32 km (20 mi)
Average depth	40 m (130 ft)
Max. depth	70 m (230 ft)

The Gulf of Suez (Arabic: خليج السويس, romanized: khalīǧ as-suwais; formerly بحر القلزم, baḥar al-qulzum, lit. "Sea of Calm") is a gulf at the northern end of the Red Sea, to the west of the Sinai Peninsula. Situated to the east of the Sinai Peninsula is the smaller Gulf of Aqaba. The gulf was formed within a relatively young but now inactive Gulf of Suez Rift rift basin, dating back about 26 million years.^[1] It stretches some 300 kilometres (190 mi) north by northwest, terminating at the Egyptian city of Suez and the entrance to the Suez Canal. Along the mid-line of the gulf is the boundary between Africa and Asia.^[2] The entrance of the gulf lies atop the mature Gemsa oil and gas field.^[3] The gulf is considered one of the world's important maritime zones due to being an entrance to the Suez Canal.