Egypt and the Middle East

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz; MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Wednesday, 27 June 2007, 06:59 CDT Download full size image

This image, captured on June 5, 2007, by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite, is a remarkably clear view of the lower Nile River and Delta. Also visible is the Sinai Peninsula, Israel and Palestine.

For millenia, the consistent yearly flooding of the Nile has provided a rich strip of land near the river that can be used for farming, which resulted in the rise of ancient Egyptian civilization almost 5000 years ago. On the western edge of the Delta, on the Mediterranean Sea, is the ancient city of Alexandria. The current focus of Egyptian life can be seen near the head of the Nile river delta, where Cairo is located.

This picture also provides a great view of the Suez Canal, located between the Sinai peninsula and Egypt proper (it runs approximately north to south). Moving further east and a little north, we see present day Israel and the Palestinian territories, the West Bank and the Gaza strip (on the Mediterranean Sea). The lowest point in the world, the Dead Sea, is bordered by the West Bank and Israel, with Jordan to the east. The smaller sea to the north is the Sea of Galilee.

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