a strip of land connecting Africa and Asia and separating the Mediterranean and Red seas. Occupying a tectonic depression, the isthmus has a maximum width of 112 km. The surface consists of an argillaceous plain, with sand dunes and barchans in the west. There are numerous salt lakes, including the Great Bitter Lake. The area has a subtropical desert climate. The Suez Canal crosses the Isthmus of Suez.