South Sinai Governorate
| South Sinai Governorate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Governorate | ||
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.svg) South Sinai Governorate on the map of Egypt |
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| Coordinates: 29°03′N 33°50′E / 29.05°N 33.83°ECoordinates: 29°03′N 33°50′E / 29.05°N 33.83°E | ||
| Country |
 Egypt
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| Seat | El Tor (capital) | |
| Government | ||
| • Governor | Khaled Foudda Seddiq Mohamed | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 33,140 km2 (12,800 sq mi) | |
| Population (2014) | ||
| • Total | 164,574 | |
| • Density | 5.0/km2 (13/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
| Website | South Sinai | |
South Sinai Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة جنوب سيناء Muḥāfẓet Ganūb Sīnāʾ) is the least populated governorate of Egypt. It is located in the east of the country, encompassing the southern half of the Sinai Peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site of world renown, is located in central part of the governorate.
Sharm El Sheikh has developed into a major tourist resort, but the industry has been severely affected by terrorism. In 2005, the resort was the site of terrorist attacks perpetrated by an extremist Islamist organisation. 88 people were killed, the majority of them Egyptians, and over 200 were wounded in the attack, making it the deadliest terrorist action in the country's history (even exceeding the Luxor massacre of 1997). In February 2014, a tourist bus was attacked in Taba. The perpetrators killed the Egyptian bus driver and three South Korean tourists. On 31 October 2015, Russian plane Metrojet Flight 9268 took off from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and disintegrated on route to Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 217 passengers and seven crew members who were on board were killed. On October 14, 2016 twelve Egyptian troops were killed.
According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in urban areas, with an urbanization rate of 51.1%. Out of an estimated 167,426 people residing in the governorate, 85,502 people live in urban areas as opposed to only 81,924 in rural areas. The Bedouin inhabit the Mount Sinai area. Due to poor accessibility, at times the orchards in the mountains have served to hide narcotics smugglers in the region.
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