Final answer:
The Sinai Peninsula is bordered by the Gulf of Aqaba to the east and the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. It has been a historical buffer zone and site of significant military campaigns. Notable religious sites, like the Monastery of Saint Catherine, are also located in Sinai.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Sinai Peninsula is bordered by the Gulf of Aqaba to the east and the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. This peninsula has been a significant land bridge between Africa and Asia and a strategic location in numerous conflicts, including the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, where Egypt and Syria launched an invasion to retake the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights from Israel.
The region has historically provided a buffer zone, like during the times of Old Kingdom Egypt, limiting incursions and cultural contact due to its vast desert landscape. The strategic and historical importance of the Sinai Peninsula is evident from various military campaigns, such as the British, French, and Israeli forces moving westward across it toward the Suez Canal, which despite being in Egypt, was long controlled by Western powers.
Today, the Sinai also carries cultural significance with religious sites such as the Monastery of Saint Catherine, situated where it's believed the prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments.