Farasan Islands is a large coral island group in the Red Sea

Red Sea

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...

, belonging to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

. It is located some 40 km offshore from Jizan

Jizan

-Ethnography:The inhabitants of Jazan, are made up of Arabs. Islam is the religion of almost the totality of the inhabitants of the city and the province.-External links:*http://www.jazan.gov.sa* *http://krwetatnt.com/vb/...

, in the far southwestern part of the country. It is located at around 16°46′21"N 41°58′0"E. It is a protected area and was home to the extinct Arabian gazelle

Arabian Gazelle

The Arabian gazelle was an elusive gazelle that was apparently hunted to extinction in its Middle Eastern homeland, Saudi Arabia. It is only known from a single specimen collected on the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea in 1825...

 and, in winter, migratory birds from Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. The largest island of the archipelago is Farasan Island

Farasan Island

Farasan Island is the largest island of the Farasan Islands, in the Red Sea. It is located some 50 km offshore from Jizan, the far southwestern part of Saudi Arabia. It is located at around . The main town on the island is Farasan....

; others include Sajid Island

Sajid Island

Sajid Island is one of the Farasan Islands in Saudi Arabia, located in the Red Sea near . Its area is 156.0 km² and shoreline is 82.7 km.- References :*...

 and Zufaf Island.

External links

• Farasan Islands Website
• Saudi Aramco World: Dreaming of Farasan
• Protected Areas in the Arab World
• Photo of the beach on the Farasan Island
• Farasan Island Gallery
• Photo of a structure
• Photo
• Farasan Island, a diver's paradise, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes