The desert that surrounds the Nile Valley in northeastern Africa and forms the eastern part of the Sahara is the Eastern Desert.
It lies east of the Nile and west of the Red Sea, extending across parts of Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. The region includes the Red Sea Hills, broad plateaus, wadis, and a narrow coastal plain, so it is not simply a uniformly sandy landscape.
The Eastern Desert has long been important to human history. Ancient Egyptians mined gold, copper, iron, and gemstones there, while routes crossed its valleys to Red Sea ports. A common mix-up is the Nubian Desert: it is a distinct desert region mainly south of Egypt, although it is often discussed as part of the broader Eastern Desert landscape.