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Red Sea

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

A peaceful coastline view from Farasan Island in Saudi Arabia.

The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. It connects to the ocean in the south through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To the north, you will find the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez, which leads to the Suez Canal. The Red Sea sits above the Red Sea Rift, part of the larger Great Rift Valley.

Covering about 438,000 km2 (169,000 sq mi), the Red Sea stretches nearly 2,250 km (1,400 mi) in length and can be up to 355 km (221 mi) wide. Its average depth is around 490 m (1,610 ft), with the deepest point reaching nearly 2,730 m (8,960 ft) in the central Suakin Trough.

Because much of the Red Sea is shallow, especially along its edges, it supports a rich variety of marine life. Over 1,000 different invertebrate species and 200 kinds of soft and hard coral call it home. As the world's northernmost tropical sea, the Red Sea has been named a important natural area, known as a Global 200 ecoregion, thanks to its colorful corals and thriving underwater world.

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization describes the Red Sea's borders.

To the north, it includes the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba. To the south, it ends between Husn Murad and Ras Siyyan.

Exclusive economic zone

The Red Sea has special areas called exclusive economic zones. These areas are managed by nearby countries.

Tihama on the Red Sea near Khaukha, Yemen

Note: The Hala'ib Triangle is a place that both Sudan and Egypt claim, and it is counted for both countries.

NumberCountryArea (Km2)
1 Saudi Arabia186,392
2 Sudan92,513
3 Egypt91,279
4 Eritrea78,383
5 Yemen35,861
6 Djibouti7,037
TotalRed Sea491,465

Name

The Red Sea has many names in the languages of the region around it. In Modern Standard Arabic, it is called al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar. In Hebrew, it is hayYām hāʾĀḏōm, and in older times, it was known as Yam Sūf. Other names include Phiom Enhah in Coptic, Qeyyiḥ bāḥrī in Tigrinya, Badda Cas in Somali, and Qasa Bad in Afar.

The English name "Red Sea" comes from the Ancient Greek Erythrà Thálassa. It was also called the Erythraean Sea by Europeans and Mare Rubrum in Latin. Some think the name "red" might refer to the color of small plants that sometimes appear in the water, or it could mean the direction south.

History

Ancient era

The earliest known exploration of the Red Sea was done by ancient Egyptians, who tried to create trade routes to Punt. Two big trips happened around 2500 BCE and 1500 BCE, led by a leader named Hatshepsut.

Ancient Egyptian expedition to the Land of Punt on the Red Sea coast during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut

The Hebrew Bible tells a story about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, which they called Yam Suph. A leader named Rabbi Saadia Gaon much later said this crossing happened at the Gulf of Suez.

In 6th century BCE, Darius the Great, a ruler from Persia, worked hard to make travel in the Red Sea safer. He sent teams to study the sea and find dangers like rocks and strong currents. He also built a canal linking the Nile River to the northern end of the Red Sea at Suez, helping trade between Egypt and places far away.

Alexander the Great sent Greek sailors to explore the Red Sea in the late 4th century BCE. Later, Roman leaders used the Red Sea for trade with India, bringing goods from China to the Roman world.

Middle Ages and modern era

During the Middle Ages, the Red Sea was important for the spice trade. In 1798, France sent Napoleon I to take control of the Red Sea, but he did not succeed.

The Suez Canal opened in November 1869, changing trade in the area. After the Second World War, the Suez Canal closed from 1967 to 1975 because of conflicts.

Red Sea crisis

Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis have attacked Western ships near Bab al-Mandeb during the Gaza war. One ship was taken to Yemen.

Oceanography

Annotated view of the Nile and Red Sea, with a dust storm, viewed from the International Space Station

The Red Sea is surrounded by dry, desert lands and semi-desert areas. Many parts of its coast have colorful coral reefs and large reef systems. Because of strong tides, few people living nearby, and little building in this hot area, the Red Sea’s coral reefs are among the healthiest in the world. The Red Sea mixes its water with the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean through the Gulf of Aden. These factors help balance the sea’s water, which would otherwise become too salty because of strong evaporation and hot temperatures.

The climate of the Red Sea changes with two monsoon seasons: one from the northeast and one from the southwest. These winds happen because the land heats up more than the sea. The Red Sea is very warm and salty, making it one of the warmest and saltiest seas in the world. In summer, the surface water temperature is about 26 °C (79 °F) in the north and 30 °C (86 °F) in the south, with only small changes in winter. The average temperature is 22 °C (72 °F). The sea has clear water, often reaching visibility of about 200 metres (660 feet). It is known for strong winds and changing local currents.

Rainfall around the Red Sea is very low, about 60 millimetres (2.36 inches) each year. Rain usually comes as short showers, sometimes with thunderstorms or dust storms. Because there is almost no fresh water flowing into the sea and very little rain, the water evaporates quickly—up to 2,050 millimetres (81 inches) each year—making the sea very salty. Recent studies of the sea near Sudan and Eritrea found that even in very hot water, the coral stayed healthy with many fish, showing very little damage. Scientists are studying these corals to see if they can help other damaged reefs.

Geology

The Red Sea formed when the Arabian Peninsula moved away from the Horn of Africa along the Red Sea Rift. This process began in a time called the Eocene and sped up during the Oligocene. The sea is still growing wider. Scientists think it might become an ocean someday.

Dust storm over the Red Sea

Hot, salty water was found deep in the Red Sea, coming from an underwater crack. This is similar to a place called Lake Asal in Djibouti. The water there is very salty and not good for most living things.

The Red Sea has many different minerals in its sediments. These include tiny shells and fossils, volcanic materials, pieces of rocks, and minerals that form in salty water. Some of these minerals are important for science and industry.

Ecosystem

The Red Sea is home to a rich and diverse collection of sea life. Over 1,200 different fish species live there, and 10% of these fish are found only in the Red Sea. Since the Suez Canal opened in 1869, many sea creatures from the Red Sea have traveled north to live in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Red Sea has long stretches of coral reef along its coast. These reefs, some of the oldest in the world, provide homes for many sea animals. The area also includes special underwater spots like the Blue Hole (Red Sea) and many types of reefs, sea plants, and deep-sea areas studied for their unique life forms. The Ras Mohammed National Park was created to protect this important sea life.

Because many ships pass through the Red Sea, there are worries about pollution, especially from oil spills, which could harm the coral reefs and sea animals. Scientists study these risks to help keep the sea safe.

Hawksbill sea turtle in the Elphinstone Reef

List of fauna species found in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba

Crustaceans

  • Alachosquilla vicina
  • Hairy elbow crab
  • Rusty guard crab
  • Brown guard crab
  • Indo-Pacific hairy hermit crab
  • Grapsus granulosus
  • Furrowed crab
  • Tiny rock crab
  • Soft coral spider crab
  • Purple estuarine rock crab
  • One-horned spider crab
  • Soft coral crab
  • Scaly rock crab
  • Haig's porcelain crab
  • Violet crab
  • Ornamental spider crab
  • Xenia swimming crab
  • Reticulated hermit crab
  • Showy xanthid crab
  • Giant elbow crab
  • White-handed fiddler crab
  • Woodmason's hermit crab
  • Inversed fiddler crab
  • African blue swimming crab
  • Rosy hermit crab
  • Tetralia nigrolineata
  • Setiferous hermit crab
  • Hairy coral crab

Sea turtles

Dolphins

Nudibranch egg ribbon at Shaab Mahmoud

Fish

Jellyfish and cnidarians

Sharks

Billfish

Red Sea coral and marine fish

Octopuses and other cephalopods

Rays

Lobsters

Whales

Environmental impacts of the Red Sea crisis

Since late 2023, attacks on ships by forces in the area have made the Red Sea a risky place for travel. These attacks have caused serious problems for the environment.

One big problem is pollution from oil and chemicals spilling into the water. When a ship called the MV Rubymar sank in early 2024, it spilled oil and chemicals that could harm fish and coral reefs. Other attacks on ships have also caused oil spills, hurting plants and animals on land and in the water.

Because of these dangers, many ships are taking longer routes to avoid the Red Sea. This means they use more fuel, which creates more pollution that harms the environment. It also makes it harder to meet goals to reduce pollution worldwide. There are worries that using other routes, like the path near the North Pole, could also cause damage to nature in those areas.

More ships traveling means more noise under the water, which can disturb sea animals. Military activities in the area and objects placed in the water to stop ships can also hurt sea life and the environment. The Red Sea does not have strong rules to protect its nature, making it hard to respond to these problems.

Desalination plants

Many places near the Red Sea need clean water, so they use special factories called desalination plants to make water from the sea. There are at least 18 of these plants along the coast of Saudi Arabia. These plants take the salt out of the water, but they also put salty water and some chemicals back into the sea. This can hurt the coral and make fish sick, but right now it only affects a small area. However, if this continues, it could become a bigger problem for fishing in the future.

Trade

The Red Sea is very important for worldwide trade. Many ships carry goods between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea each year. This makes the trip between Asia and Europe much shorter than going around Africa. About 12% of all the world’s trade passes through the Red Sea, including a lot of the containers used for shipping.

The Red Sea is also famous for its beautiful places to dive, like Ras Mohammed and the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck. It became popular for diving in the 1950s. Many people visit resorts along the coast, such as El Gouna and Hurghada in Egypt, and Sharm-el-Sheikh and Aqaba in nearby countries.

The Red Sea has busy sea routes connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, and East Asia, with many ships passing through. Several governments work together to keep the waters safe. Recently, there have been challenges with attacks on ships, which have affected trade. Countries are working together to protect shipping in the area.

Bordering countries

The Red Sea is split into three parts: the main Red Sea, and in the north, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez. Six countries border the main Red Sea:

The Gulf of Suez is only bordered by Egypt. The Gulf of Aqaba borders Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Sometimes, places like Somalia are also thought of as close to the Red Sea because of how close they are and their ties to the countries around it.

Towns and cities

Many towns and cities are located along the coasts of the Red Sea, including areas in Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Eritrea, Israel, Sudan, and Djibouti. Some well-known places are Aqaba in Jordan, Eilat in Israel, Hurghada in Egypt, and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. These coastal towns are popular for their beautiful beaches and tourism.

The list of towns and cities includes:

Images

A scenic view of a stony beach along the Red Sea in Taba, Egypt.
Powerful ocean waves crashing along the California coastline during a stormy day.
Water flowing from a tap – a refreshing drink for everyone!
A beautiful table coral from the genus Acropora, found in the pristine waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Related articles

Indian Ocean
Sea
Bab-el-Mandeb
Great Rift Valley
Invertebrate
Coral

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Red Sea, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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