Geographically, the Red Sea is permanently positioned as a vital water body lying directly between the continents of Africa and Asia. It connects to the Indian Ocean to the south via the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, while its northern extremities reach up to the Sinai Peninsula, dividing into the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba to link with the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Its waters wash against the shores of several Middle Eastern and East African nations.