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Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
The Indian Ocean is the
third-largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and
Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean).
Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt),
Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait
of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International
Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth
ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south
of 60 degrees south. |
| Location: |
body of water between Africa,
the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
20 00 S, 80 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 68.556
million sq km
note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal,
Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Mozambique Channel,
Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, and other tributary water
bodies |
| Area
- comparative: |
about 5.5 times the size of
the US |
| Climate: |
northeast monsoon (December
to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur
during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and
January/February in the southern Indian Ocean |
| Terrain: |
surface dominated by
counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the
southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the
northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from
hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and
southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over
northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast
monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is
dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast
Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m |
| Natural
resources: |
oil and gas fields, fish,
shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic
nodules |
| Natural
hazards: |
occasional icebergs pose
navigational hazard in southern reaches |
| Environment
- current issues: |
endangered marine species
include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the
Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
major chokepoints include Bab
el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the
Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait |
| Economy
- overview: |
The Indian Ocean provides
major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with
Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of
petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf
and Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the
bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets
from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian
Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are
being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and
western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil
production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy
minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by
bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri
Lanka, and Thailand. |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Chennai (Madras; India),
Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata
(Calcutta; India) Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India),
Richards Bay (South Africa) |
| Disputes
- international: |
some maritime disputes (see
littoral states) |
|
