|
| 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) |
|
