Destination Egypt, a Nations Online profile of the transcontinental country situated in northeastern Africa and the Sinai Peninsula in Western Asia (Middle East). The country borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea to the east. It is bordered by Libya in the west, the Palestinian territory (Gaza Strip) and Israel in the northeast, and Sudan in the south. Egypt shares maritime borders with Cyprus, Turkey and Greece in the Mediterranean Sea, and with Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Modern Egypt became independent in 1922. From 1958 until 1961, Egypt was united with Syria as the United Arab Republic.