What Are the Major Mountain Ranges in Egypt?
Some of the major mountain ranges in Egypt are the Sinai High Mountain Region, Halayeb Triangle and Eastern Desert mountain range. The High Mountain Region is part of the Sinai Peninsula in southern Egypt, while the Halayeb Triangle is in the Red Sea’s African coast and is a mountain range that, as of 2014, is disputed between Sudan and Egypt. The Eastern Desert mountain range is in the Sahara Desert.
Gebel Katherina, or Mount Catherine, is located in the Sinai High Mountain Region and is the highest mountain in the country with a summit elevation of 8,625 feet. Next to it is the famous Mount Sinai, which is actually a collection of summits. The southern end of the mountain, called Gebel Musa, has ample religious significance and is considered a Biblical place.
The highest mountain in the Halayeb Triangle is Gebel Elba at 4,708 feet. Egypt, which declared it as a nature reserve, is as of 2014 in control of the region, though Sudan also lays claims to the area. Located just miles away from the Red Sea, the Elba Mountain receives more precipitation than any other coastal mountains in the area and has the widest range of plant species in all of Egypt. Mount Shaiyb al-Banat is the highest peak in mainland Egypt outside the Sinai High Mountain Region. The mountain itself has a group of four peaks, with Gebel Shayeb El-Banat as the highest at 7,175 feet.
