In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egyptian forces built pontoon bridges to cross the Suez Canal and stormed the supposedly impregnable Bar-Lev Line to gain control of most of the Eastern Bank. Some held positions and others were pushed back across the Suez Canal, the war ending with some of each side’s forces on both sides of the canal. As part of the subsequent Sinai Disengagement Agreements, Israel withdrew from west of the canal and pulled out of an additional strip in the western Sinai–while Egyptians held positions in Sinai–allowing for the later re-opening of the canal eventually under Egyptian control.

In 1979 Israel and Egypt signed a Peace Treaty, in which Israel agreed to transfer all control over Sinai to Egypt. Subsequently, Israel pulled out of Sinai in several stages, ending in 1982. The Israeli pull-out involved the destruction of several Israeli settlements including the town of Yamit in north-eastern Sinai.

Present

The Sinai Peninsula is currently divided among several governorates, or provinces, of Egyptian administration. The southern portion of the Sinai is called Janub Sina’ in Arabic, literally “Sinai South.” The northern portion is named Shamal Sina’, or “Sinai North.” the other three governates converge on the Suez Canal, including Al Isma’iliyah on its southern end and crosses into Egypt-proper. In the center is As Suways, literally “the Suez;” and Bur Sa’id lies in the north with its capital at Port Said.

Approximately 66,500 live in Janub Sina’ and 314,000 live in Shamal Sina’. Port Said itself has a population of roughly 500,000, while the rest of the governorate (Bur Sa’id) itself. Portions of the populations of Al Isma’iliyah and As Suways live in Sinai, while the rest live on the western side of the Suez Canal in Egypt-proper. The combined population of these two governorates is roughly 1.3 million (only a part of that population live in the Sinai, while the rest live on the western side of the Suez).