Names of the seas and gulfs of the Indian Ocean.  Indian Ocean description, interesting facts

The Indian Ocean is the 3rd largest in the world in terms of its size, located off the coast of Africa, Australia, Eurasia and Antarctica.

Seas, straits and bays occupy 15% and amount to 11.68 million km2. The main ones are: the Arabian Sea (Oman, Aden, Persian Gulf), Red, Andaman, Laccadive, Timor and Arafura Seas; Great Australian and Bay of Bengal.

large seas indian ocean- Arabian and Red. In size, they are ahead of their "neighbors" in the Indian Ocean, being the largest among them. Most Interesting Facts we will discuss these seas below.

Arabian Sea

Between Arabian Peninsula and Hindustan is located in the Indian Ocean - Arabian. Its area is huge and is 4832 thousand km², the volume of liquid is 14,514 thousand km³, the most deep point- 5803 m.

The brightest "paradise" place of the Arabian Sea are Maldives- covered with sand Coral reefs. Lack of sources fresh water is an interesting fact of these islands. Majority local residents use desalinated water or collect rainwater.

Red sea

The total area is 450 thousand km², the volume of water in the sea is 251 thousand km³, the most deep depression- 2211 m. This sea of ​​the Indian Ocean is called the most salty in the world. Yes, yes, it is Red, and not Dead (which has no drains, which means it is a lake).

This sea of ​​the Indian Ocean is not considered deep, its bottom is mostly flat and does not exceed a depth of 200 m, with the exception of existing depressions.

Large oil and gas reserves are of particular interest. True, the right to extract resources between Australia and Timor today is controversial.

Arafura Sea

This is a young sea that arose as a result of an increase in the water level of the oceans. Its area is 1017 thousand km², and the volume of water is 189 thousand km³, the deepest depression is 3680 m, salinity is 32-35 g / l, the average water temperature is 25-28 degrees.

Arafura - the sea of ​​the Indian Ocean, "settled" at its outskirts. In addition, it connects this sea with Due to the proximity and similar climate with the Timor Sea, they are called "twin seas".

Typhoons are a frequent occurrence in the Arafura Sea.

The seas of the Indian Ocean are characterized by a rich and diverse fauna, and are also excellent resort areas.

INDIAN OCEAN

Indian Ocean the third largest water area in the world with an area of ​​76.17 million square meters. km, located between Africa in the west, Australia and the Sunda Islands in the east, Asia in the north and Antarctica in the south.

Straits of the Indian Ocean.

Straits– narrow bodies of water, dividing land areas and connecting neighboring seas or oceans.

1. Bab el-Mandeb Strait(Bab el-Mandeb - "gate of tears (sorrow)") - strait between the southwestern tipArabian Peninsula(the state of Yemen) and Africa (the states of Djibouti and Eritrea). Connects the Red Sea with Gulf of AdenArabian Sea.

The smallest width is 26.5 km, the smallest depth is fairway 182 m. Perim Island divided into 2 passages - Big (25 km wide, also known as Dakt el Mayun) and Small (3 km wide, also known as Bab-Iskander- Strait of Alexander). There is also a group of small islands off the African coast known as the Seven Brothers.

currents in the strait: in winter - the surface, carrying less salty water, is directed to the Red Sea, and the deep, with more salty water - from the Red Sea. summer runoff salt water from the Red Sea is carried out by a surface current (depth up to 25-50 m) and a bottom current (from 100-150 m to the bottom), the inflow of water into the Red Sea is an intermediate current (depth from 25-50 m to 100-150 m).

The name of the strait is associated with the danger of navigation through it. There is an Arabic legend that claims that the origin of the name is associated with destructive earthquake that took place in the area in antiquity.

The strait has a large economic and strategic value, since the path from Europe to East and South Asia, as well as Australia.

2. Bali Strait ( indon. Selat Bali), Also Strait of Bali - strait in the waters Malay Archipelago between the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali . Connects water areas sea ​​Bali Pacific Ocean(in the north) and indian ocean(in the south), passing between the eastern tip of Java and the western tip of Bali. The minimum width is about 2.4 km, maximum depth- about 60 m.

Is a natural boundary between Java, belonging to the groupGreater Sunda Islands, and a group Lesser Sunda Islands(Bali, Lombok, Sumba, Sumbawa, Flores, Timor and etc.). It also passes the administrative border between the Indonesian provinces. East Java and Bali.

The main oceanological indicators of the strait are identical or close to those of the adjacent areas of the Bali Sea and the Indian Ocean. Water temperature around 27-28°C practically not subject to seasonal fluctuations. Salinity is about 33.0-34.0. Small rivers flowing into the strait from both sides cause only minor, local desalination.

The ecological situation in the strait is relatively favorable, primarily due to the absence of large industrial facilities on the shores. On the Bali coast there is a national park "Western Bali", which includes more than 34 km² of the water area of ​​the strait.

Bali Strait - an area of ​​heavy traffic for small and medium-sized vessels

Navigation in the strait is quite active, but its capabilities are limited by relatively shallow depths - ocean-going vessels with deep draft do not enter here, using the deeper and wider water to pass from the Bali Sea to the Indian Ocean.Lombok Strait.

3. Bass Strait - a strait separating Australia and the island of Tasmania and connecting the Indian Ocean with the Pacific.

The length is 490 m, the smallest width is 213 m, the depth of the navigable part is more than 51 m. In the western part - about. King, in the east - the islands of Furno. The current has a constant direction from West to East. The tides are semidiurnal, 1–2 m. Offshore oil fields are being developed. Port Melbourne ( Australia).

The strait is named by its discovererMatthew Flindersin honor of the ship physician George Bass in 1798.

4. Strait of the Eighth Degree - strait in Indian Oceanbetween the archipelagoLaccadive Islands(Minicoy Island) in the north and Maldivesin the south (under 8 ° north latitude). connectsLaccadive Seawith the main water areaindian ocean. The width is about 150 km.

On French maps, the strait was previously indicated as Courant de Malicut, on Dhivehi the strait is called Maliku-Kandu.

5. Gubal - strait between Sinai Peninsulaand large coral reefs red sea , northwest of Cape Ras Mohammed . It is characterized by relatively shallow depths (up to 40-50 m), medium currents, as well as a sparsely populated coastline covered with medium-altitude mountains.

6. Strait of the ninth degree- a strait in the Indian Ocean, in the southern part of the Laccadive Islands archipelago, between about. Minicoy and other small islands of the archipelago (at 9 ° north latitude). One of the straits connecting the Arabian and Laccadive Seas. Width about 100 km. Depths up to 2597 m.

7. Strait of the Tenth Degree ( English Ten Degree Channel) - strait inIndian Ocean. Passes along 10 ° north latitude, from which it got its name. separatesAndaman Islands(about. Small Andaman) from Nicobar Islands(Fr. Car Nicobar) and connects andaman sea With Bay of Bengal. The width is about 140 km. Depths up to 1500 m.

8. Sunda Strait ( indon. Selat Sunda, sun. Selat Sunda listen)) is a strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra and connects the Indian Ocean with the Java Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean.

There are many in the strait volcanic islands origin, the most famous are the islands Krakatau, whose volcanic eruption in 1883 considered one of the most powerful in modern history.

Sunda Strait in northeast parts has a width of about 24 km and a depth of only about 20 m , which creates a problem for large courts. Especially large ships (for example, tankers) make a "hook » bypassing the islands.

The length of the strait is about 130 km, the tides are up to 1.5 m.

9. Duncan Strait- a strait in the Indian Ocean, about 48 km wide, dividing the island Rutland, Great Andaman , in the north and the island Small Andaman , on South. In the west, the strait opens intobay of bengal, in the east at andaman sea.

Several small islands lie along the entire strait.

From north to south they are:

Five Islands, popular place diving; the Manners Strait runs between the northern island of the Five and the island Rutland

Passage Island

sisters

North Brother

South Brother

10. Lombok Strait ( indon. Selat Lombok), Also strait of lombok - strait in the waters Malay Archipelago between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Nusa Penida (west side) and Lombok (from the east side).

Connects water areas the seas of Bali, the Pacific Ocean (in the north) and indian ocean(on South). In the southwestern part of the strait, its water area merges with the water area Badung Strait passing between the islands of Bali and Nusa Penida.

The minimum width is about 18 km - between the eastern tip of Nusa Penida and the southwestern tip of Lombok. The maximum depth is about 1400 m (in the northern part of the strait). Minimum depth along the fairway - at least 250 m.

The strait is the administrative border between the Indonesian provinces. Bali and Western Lesser Sunda Islands.

The largest settlements on the Bali coast Manggis and Kubu, in Lombok - Mataram (the main city of the island and the capital of the province of Western Lesser Sunda Islands) and Lembar . Often, Bali is referred to the ports of the Lombok Strait Padang Bay , which is actually located on the shores of the Badung Strait.

Indian Ocean is component world ocean. Its maximum depth is 7729 m (Zonda Trench), and average depth is slightly more than 3700 m, which is the second result after the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The size of the Indian Ocean is 76.174 million km2. This is 20% of the world's oceans. The volume of water is about 290 million km3 (together with all the seas).

The waters of the Indian Ocean are distinguished by their light blue color and good transparency. This is due to the fact that very few freshwater rivers flow into it, which are the main "troublemakers". By the way, due to this, the water in the Indian Ocean is much saltier compared to the salinity of other oceans.

Location of the Indian Ocean

Most of the Indian Ocean is in the Southern Hemisphere. It borders Asia to the north, Antarctica to the south, Australia to the east, and the African continent to the west. In addition, in the southeast, its waters connect with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and in the southwest with the Atlantic Ocean.

Seas and gulfs of the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean does not have as many seas as other oceans. For example, compared to Atlantic Ocean they are 3 times smaller. Most of the seas are located in its northern part. In the tropical zone are: Red (the most salty sea on Earth), Laccadive, Arabian, Arafura, Timor and Andaman seas. The Antarctic zone hosts the d'Urville, Commonwealth, Davis, Riiser-Larsen, Cosmonauts seas.

Most large bays Indian Ocean - Persian, Bengal, Oman, Aden, Prydz and Great Australian.

Indian Ocean Islands

The Indian Ocean is not distinguished by an abundance of islands. Largest islands having mainland origin- Madagascar, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Java, Tasmania, Timor. Also, there is volcanic islands, such as Mauritius, Regnon, Kerguelen, and coral - Chagos, Maldives, Andaman, etc.

Underwater world of the Indian Ocean

Since more than half of the Indian Ocean is located in the tropical and subtropical zones, its underwater world is very rich and diverse in terms of species. coastal zone in the tropics, it abounds with numerous colonies of crabs and unique fish - mudskippers. Corals live in shallow waters, and various algae grow in temperate waters - calcareous, brown, red.

The Indian Ocean is home to dozens of species of crustaceans, molluscs and jellyfish. Enough also lives in ocean waters a large number of sea ​​snakes, among which there are also poisonous species.

Sharks are a special pride of the Indian Ocean. Many species of these predators plow its waters, namely tiger, mako, gray, blue, large White shark and etc.

Mammals are represented by killer whales and dolphins. Several species of pinnipeds (seals, dugongs, seals) and whales live in the southern part of the ocean.

Despite all the wealth underwater world, the seafood industry in the Indian Ocean is rather poorly developed - only 5% of the world catch. Sardines, tuna, shrimp, lobsters, rays and lobsters are harvested in the ocean.

1. ancient name Indian Ocean - East.

2. In the Indian Ocean, ships are regularly found in good condition, but without a crew. Where he disappears is a mystery. Over the past 100 years, there have been 3 such ships - Tarbon, Houston Market (tankers) and the Cabin Cruiser.

3. Many species of the underwater world of the Indian Ocean have a unique property - they can glow. This is what explains the appearance of luminous circles in the ocean.

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Located in the northern Indian Ocean. In the east it is bounded by the Indochina peninsula, in the west - Andaman Islands, in the south - the island of Sumatra. The area of ​​the sea is 605 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 1043 m, the largest reaches 4507 m.

Like many tropical waters, the Andaman Sea boasts a rich underwater world. More than 400 species of fish live here, among which there are such unusual ones as sailboats and flying fish, angel fish and butterfly fish.

Currently, the Andaman Sea is one of the most popular tourist centers. Its coast is a whole constellation worldwide famous resorts- Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi Islands, Kuala Lumpur.

Located in the northern part of the ocean between two large peninsulas Asia: Arabian and Hindustan. The area of ​​the sea is 3.8 million sq. km, the average depth is 2734 m, the maximum depth is 4652 m.

The sea is named after the peninsula of the same name, but in ancient times it was called in a completely different way: Green, Omani, Eritrean, Persian, Sindhu Sea.

By the number of inhabitants of the underwater world, the Arabian Sea is one of the richest on earth. More than 100 commercial fish species live here.

The sea has a lot transport value. First, here are the main sea ​​routes going through the Suez Canal. Secondly, by Arabian Sea oil is transported from the Persian Gulf.

Separates Australia from the island New Guinea. The area is 1 million sq. km, the average depth is 186 m, although the greatest depth is recorded at around 3680 m.

The sea got its name from the name of a local tribe, the natives. Moluccas- Alfurov. Translated from the local dialect, "alfura" means "inhabitant of the forests."

One of the richest seas of the Indian Ocean, which is home to almost a third of all species of flora and fauna represented in this ocean.

One of the attractive features of the Arafura Sea is its clean and clear water. The lands surrounding the reservoir are sparsely populated. There is no mining activity here, and no major ports. Therefore, nothing threatens the ecology of the sea yet.

A long ribbon stretched along the coast of Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Djibouti, Jordan and Yemen. It is an inland sea separating Africa and Asia. The area is 450 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 437 m.

The Red Sea is considered the most salty in the world. 1 liter of water here contains 41 g of salt (for comparison: in the Black - 18 g, in the Baltic - 5 g). There are two reasons for this salinity:

1. Not a single river flows into the Red Sea. But it is the rivers that desalinate the sea water.

2. A lot of metal-bearing brines were found at the bottom of the sea.

The uniqueness of the Red Sea lies in the fact that it is the richest in species diversity among all the reservoirs of the northern hemisphere. There are 13 species of sharks, 14 species of moray eels, and among hundreds of species of fish, 30% are endemic.

The Red Sea is also the most transparent in the world. It is no coincidence that divers love it so much and often call it an "underwater resort".

marginal sea located between southwest coast Hindustan, Laccadive Islands and Maldives. The area is 786 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 1929 m.

Despite the monsoon climate, the sea remains warm all year round, in summer the water temperature is 28-29ºC, in summer it rarely drops below +25ºC. South part The sea is replete with corals. This sea is the main industrial sea ​​area for India, fishing and the extraction of shrimp and lobsters flourish here.

Separates Australia and the island of Timor. The area is 432 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 435 m.

The Timor Sea is famous for its hydrocarbon reserves. Oil and gas production has already been established here and new deposits are being searched. The proximity to the equator determined the climate - the waters of the water area are warm throughout the year, storms are a rare occurrence. But shallow water has become the reason that typhoons often dominate here, especially during the rainy season.

Translated from Portuguese, "Timorese" means "orange sea".