It spans 223,000 square kilometres (86,000 sq mi) of northeastern Africa and is bordered by the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea to the east, and the Nile River to the west.

During the Oligocene period, around 34 million years ago, the land began to tilt and the coastline was pushed back to the north and west.

[5] The mountain range of the Eastern Desert runs between 80 and 137 kilometres (50 and 85 mi) inland from and parallel to the Red Sea Coast.

[7] The mountain range's highest peak is Gebel Shayeb EI-Banat at 2,184 metres (7,165 ft) above sea level.

[7] The Red Sea coastland is the easternmost part of the Eastern Desert, running between Eritrea and the Gulf of Suez.

The storms (khamsins) are caused by tropical air moving up from Sudan, accompanied by strong winds and higher temperatures.

[6] Carbon dating of samples of fossil tufas, a type of limestone which is deposited in the presence of high groundwater levels, has revealed that there have historically been two periods when the Eastern Desert was significantly wetter than it is today.

The most recent wet period is known to have been a result of summer monsoonal rains that moved over the Desert from the Indian Ocean.

The presence of sea spray, tidal movements and salt water seepage means that vegetation in these areas must be well adapted to living in a saline environment.

It grows consistently along a large stretch of the Red Sea coast but is rarely seen to the North of the Egyptian city, Hurghada.

Small plants such as Cymodocea ciliata and Halophila oualis typically form the undergrowth of the mangrove community.

The growth of these plants often creates the coastal dunes as the root systems hold the sand in place when other areas are left exposed to wind erosion.

Small mammals such as the fennec fox, golden spiny mouse, bushy-tailed jird, jerboa and other rodents live in the on the plateaus of the Desert.

The Red Sea Hills provide a unique mountainous habitat which increases the diversity of fauna in the Eastern Desert.

[10] The mountain range also provides a habitat for a variety of birdlife including the golden eagle and the bearded vulture, which are rarely found in any other areas of the Sahara.

[6] The mining of precious metals dates back to Ancient Egyptian times and has carried on in the Eastern Desert until present day.

From the early Pharaonic era (3000 BC), copper and gold were mined from the Desert and used to make tools and for jewellery and embellishment.

There were also mines for precious rocks such as emeralds and amethysts that were discovered by the Ancient Egyptians, and used during the Roman and Islamic periods.

[4] Around 25,000 BC, the land underwent significant climatic change which transformed the grassy plains into desert.