Shadwan Island جزيرة شدوان | |
|---|---|
 Shadwan from a boat | |
  Shadwan Island Location in Egypt Show map of Sinai Shadwan Island Shadwan Island (Egypt) Show map of Egypt | |
| Coordinates:27°34′10.8006″N34°09′28.3212″E / 27.569666833°N 34.157867000°E /27.569666833; 34.157867000 | |
| Country | Egypt |
| Governorate | Red Sea Governorate |
| Markaz | Hurghada |
| Area | |
• Total | 42.49 km2 (16.41 sq mi) |
| • Land | 42.49 km2 (16.41 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EST) |
Shadwan (Egyptian Arabic:جزيرة شدوان) is a barren rocky island 30 miles southwest of the Egyptian city ofSharm el-Sheikh on theSinai Peninsula and 20 miles northeast ofEl Gouna. It is the largest of a group of islands in the mouth of theGulf of Suez in the northernRed Sea and measures 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) in length, and between 3 and 5 kilometres (1.9 and 3.1 mi) wide.[1] It was formerly also calledShaker Island and features alighthouse. The island is famous as a touristic site forunderwater diving andfishing.
On 31 March 1969 the island was the site of an earthquake measuring 6.6 on thesurface-wave magnitude scale. The earthquake caused some damage including numerous rock falls. On 9 April 1996 a station of theHurghada Seismological Network began operating on the island with the aim of gaining information on theseismotectonics of the southern Gulf of Suez region. The station is operated by solar batteries and the seismic data is transmitted by telemetry to theHurghada Seismological Center inHurghada.[2]
During theWar of Attrition betweenIsrael andEgypt, the island was fortified and held by Egyptian troops. On 22 January 1970, it was the site ofOperation Rhodes, a heliborne assault by Israeli troops which occupied the island for 36 hours.[1] 70 Egyptian and 3 Israeli soldiers died during the battle.
27°30′19″N33°58′56″E / 27.5052263°N 33.9820862°E /27.5052263; 33.9820862
Islands ofEgypt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nile islands | ||
| Red Sea islands | ||
| Mediterranean Sea islands | ||
