The Northern coast of Egypt extends for about 1050 km (652 miles) from Rafa'h to the east, on the Egyptian-Palestinian border, to Sallum in the west, on the Egyptian-Libyan border. The coastline borders both the Arabian desert and the Sahara, including the Suez Canal and the Nile delta as the northern gateway to Africa. Before the advent of commercial airliners flying directly through Cairo, the Nile and the Gulf of Suez were the main transportation areas for travel further into the African continent, from Europe and Asia. The city of Alexandria, in the center of the coastline, as chosen by Alexander the Great, has been the hub of sea travel between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile delta for over 2300 years. Egypt's Red Sea coast runs from the Gulf of Suez to the Sudanese border with a total lenth of about 1700 km. Its mineral-rich red mountain ranges inspired the mariners of antiquity to name the sea Mare Rostrum, or the Red Sea.
