What countries is washed by Indian. Indian Ocean

One of most popular resorts , which many tourists from all over the world aspire to, is Goa. But some vacationers have a question: what is the sea or ocean in Goa?

This is a very important question, because sometimes this geographical conditions depends on the ability to swim in plenty in the reservoir, because, for example, the ocean coast can be dangerous (a large number of sharks, poisonous jellyfish), and the sea coast is created for active water recreation.

Indian pools

If you wondered what awaits you on the coast (sea or ocean), get ready to get multiple answers that contradict each other.

Read on how to get to Goa by plane, and how long the flight takes.

Is there ocean or sea in India?

From the west, India is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea, from the east by the Bay of Bengal, a small southern part by the Laccadive Sea, and the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is washed by the waters. All these reservoirs, in turn, are part of the Indian Ocean.

Which body of water borders North and South Goa?

For many inexperienced tourists who decide to go on their vacation to Goa, the question of whether what waters wash the resort: marine or oceanic.

The answer here lies on the surface: Goa is located in the west of India, respectively, washed by the Arabian Sea.

Given that the Arabian Sea is open part the Indian Ocean, it can be said that there is both the sea and the ocean. In the oceanic part of the water expanses of Goa, sharks are rarely found; large concentrations of them are found off the coast and Oceania.

Also, sharks are very fond of reef zones, so divers need to be careful when diving. found in the Indian Ocean tiger, gray and great white sharks, and the most dangerous resorts of these waters are Cosi Bay in South Africa, Seychelles, resorts in Australia.

Holidays in Goa

It should be noted that beach holiday- it not the strongest side state of Goa.

Coast

The sea coast of North Goa and South Goa is not much different. The only visible difference is that sand. In the southern part of the resort, the sand is whiter. Due to this, it visually seems that the beaches here are cleaner, and the sea is more transparent. In the northern half of the resort from Sinkerim-Candolim to Anjuna, the sand is more yellow with a grayish tinge, coarse.

In general, we can say that lovers of clean "paradise" beaches will have a hard time here, since the Indian mentality is rather indifferent to garbage, so you can talk about cleanliness and order here. forget.

Sea waters here seem cloudy, because it constantly worries and mixes with sand and clay from the coast, so lovers of diving off the coast with a mask will have to abandon the idea. Many tourists speak unfavorably about the coast of the northern part of the resort, since the bottom of the coastal waters here is strewn with sharp stones, which you can easily get hurt on.

Find out at what time of the year is best for a holiday in Goa.

In addition to uneven bottoms, dirty seas and unattractive beaches, here you may encounter, for example, cows roaming freely along the coast. So for those who love unusual holiday, will be something to remember after the trip.

Beaches

For those who cannot decide on a beach, here are some of the most popular beaches in both North and South Goa:

Agonda. Agonda can be called a "wild" beach, because here you will not find any restaurants, hotels or spas. It's just a sandy strip that stretches for three kilometers along the sea. This place is suitable for those who do not like hustle and bustle, and prefer solitude and contemplation of the noisy waves to active recreation.

Here you can rent a tent, sunbed, umbrella and give yourself relaxing holiday. A cafe or restaurant can be found further from the beach, in palm thickets, but even there it is rare.

The current here is quite strong, so for those who swim not too well, it is better to choose another beach to relax.

Anjuna. This beach is for those who love leisure with loud music, entertainment and plenty of alcohol to choose from. In the 70s of the last century, this beach was teeming with hippies, so the parties here have a special atmosphere.

Apart from entertainment program, next to this beach there is a flea market on Wednesdays where you can buy the whole world. Due to the constant "parties", this beach accumulates a lot of trash, which no one is in a hurry to clean up, so it can damage a normal beach holiday.

Arambol. One of the longest beaches in North Goa. It stretches as far as 17 kilometers along the sea and is considered a fairly comfortable place for swimming. There are not very many people here, the coast is mixed: there is both sand and pebbles, in some lagoons there is both salt water and fresh water, so there are suitable conditions for everyone.

Also close to the beach Lake, which many tourists seek for health (supposedly, the mud of this lake is curative). There are also parties here, but they are less grandiose than on Anjuna, because different people, with different needs, rest on Arambol.

• Calangute. This beach is considered the most popular in Goa. A huge number of tourists flock here every year. It is especially crowded here from December to February, there is practically no crowding. Due to such an influx of tourists, the infrastructure here is maximally developed. There are a huge number of restaurants, and cafes, and bars, and clubs, so you definitely won't get bored.



• Benaulim. Another option for those who prefer peace and quiet. Most often, tourists from Europe come here, who organize their own holidays. The infrastructure here is quite developed, so you will definitely be provided with a comfortable and relaxing holiday.
• Colva. One of the representatives of South Goa, popular among Indians. You will rarely meet foreign tourists here, which is rather strange, because Colva is a beautiful wide beach, which is literally created for a calm comfortable rest. Here you can get a good tan, swim a lot, and then relax in one of the hotels (there are more than enough of them here).

Palolem. Another representative of the southern part of the resort. This is a very quiet, in terms of sea waves, resort - there are practically no waves here. This resort is suitable for those who prefer an exotic vacation to a traditional one.

The infrastructure here is poorly developed, hotels are rare, cafes and bars are almost impossible to find.

Vacationers live in huts. Pros: This type of holiday is very romantic. Of the minuses: there are no amenities familiar to us in such huts. Excursion groups often depart from here, and fishing enthusiasts will also find something to do here.



Cooking. This beach is very popular among hardened tourists. There are enough vacationers here (not many and not few), the beach itself is quite clean, calm, with white sand.

There is enough space for relaxing sunbathing and swimming, for those who want to eat or drink, there is a sufficient number of restaurants and bars, as well as hotels to suit all tastes. This place is ideal for middle-income tourists who prefer a measured rest.

Entertainment

In addition to a beach holiday, Goa has a number of attractions, among which you can find something that is right for you so that your vacation will be remembered for a long time.

Read in what natural and man-made attractions are worth seeing in North and South Goa.

From water activities, which can be combined with beach passive recreation, are presented:




Apart from water activities, there are land excursions. For example, a popular excursion remains elephant riding. There are not many elephants here, but it is not difficult to find those who provide the opportunity to ride this animal. Sometimes even bathing with elephants is offered if the excursion route passes near a waterfall or spice plantations.

For those who like to experience another culture, there are Indian dance courses, cooking courses, as well as yoga.

Extreme lovers can purchase tickets for bullfighting- spectacles that are held spontaneously, without special arenas or preparations.

A little about seasonality

In addition to the place of rest, you need to choose the time of rest. High or low season, a large or small number of tourists, high or low prices - all this is very important when organizing a holiday.

High season starts in Goa around December and ends in February. It is in December that the most motley audience strives to get a unique golden tan, as well as swim in the sea.

Water temperature in the high season it is not much different from other times in Goa, it ranges from +26 to +29 degrees. You can swim in Goa all year round, so it is not necessary to choose a tourist peak for this. The air temperature is around 29°C to 31°C all year round.

Silence covers Goa in May, this month the parties subside, the hotels are empty, restaurants and cafes are closed. May Days bring suffocating heat, stuffiness and the rainy season to the Indian state.

Water in the sea it warms up to +30 degrees, with constant unrest and such a temperature, it is impossible to swim. The only plus of a holiday in the low season, perhaps, will be the prices.

The coast of the Arabian Sea in Goa is next video:

Indian Ocean- this is the same ocean, the depths of which hold many mysteries and secrets. Although Indonesia is washed by two oceans - the Pacific and Indian, only the second applies to Bali. It is the Indian Ocean that owns the surf spots of the island. Since “you need to know your heroes by sight”, we have collected as many facts about this ocean as possible, some of them are amazing.

General information

The Indian Ocean is about one-fifth the total area of our planet, washes at once 4 parts of the world out of 6 possible: Australia, Africa, Asia and even Antarctica. The ocean covers 57 groups of islands, 16 countries in Africa and 18 in Asia. It is the youngest and warmest ocean in the world.
During the period of great discoveries in the 1500s, the Indian Ocean gained status as one of the most important transportation routes. First of all, this was due to the desire of Europeans to gain access to India, where jewelry, rice, cotton, chic fabrics and much more were actively purchased. It is the Indian Ocean that connects the largest number the most important ports in the world. By the way, it is in the Indian Ocean that about 40% of the world's oil is located. In second place is the production of natural gas (according to research, the reserves are about 2.3 trillion cubic meters).

Indian Ocean and surfing

by the most popular destinations are considered:

Indonesia. Surfing began about 80 years ago when American photographer Robert Coke decided to found the Kuta Hotel. beach hotel. During the events associated with the Second World War and the Indonesian struggle for independence, surfing was forgotten. But insatiable for home spots, Australians revived surfing in the 1960s. The countless number of islands led by Bali have made Indonesia the most popular country in Asia for surfing. Sumatra (pictured above), Sumbawa, Java, Mentwai, Lombok, Nias, Timor - this is just a small part of the places where your vacation will definitely not be “beach”.

Sri Lanka. Surfers sailed here only in 1970. Unfortunately, happiness did not last long, as a civil war broke out in 1983. After some time, when peace reigned, the waves again began to delight surfers. But in 2006, the island was literally destroyed by a tsunami that claimed the lives of about 200,000 people. Restoration work is still going on, but tourism and surfing are returning and gaining momentum. Of course, there are much fewer surf spots than even in Bali - there are about 3 main surf spots here.

India. History is silent about who and when decided to catch their first wave. Although many associate India only with cows, yoga and endless meditations, surfing has a place to be. There are about 20 surf spots in the south, but getting to the waves is not so easy. Since surfing in India is not yet so popular, and the local population speaks little or no English, especially if you are not in Delhi or Mumbai, then get ready for a great language barrier.

Maldives. This place is great not only for honeymoon but also for surfing. The Australians discovered this in the 70s, crossing the Indian Ocean on a merchant ship towards Male. When one of them was forced to return to his homeland, he told his friends about it. fabulous place, which served as a real surf boom. Enterprising Australians immediately began to organize trips. From April to October, when the waves will delight even an avid perfectionist, two days on the road will not stop a real surfer.

Mauritius. It was opened at the end of the last century. The real buzz is concentrated in the south of the island. Remarkably, on the same spot at the same time you can meet windsurfers, kitesurfers, and us ordinary surfers. Therefore, the spots are a bit congested with such a variety. It is also worth noting that Mauritius is included in the segment of luxury resorts, however, like the Maldives, so the option of a hippie vacation or a budget surf trip is unlikely.

Reunion. Small island, a former colony of France. The best spots are located on the west coast of the island. It is very attractive for surfers, even despite the fact that the probability of a shark attack there is incredibly high (this year the 19th case with, alas, a sad outcome has already been recorded).

• In the Indian Ocean, the so-called “Milky Sea” is found - blue water with a radiant whitish tint. The reason for this is the bacterium Vibrio Harveyi, which seeks to get into the most favorable habitat for itself - the intestines of other inhabitants of the ocean. To achieve the goal, this creature takes on just such a “milky” color.
• The blue-ringed octopus is perhaps the most dangerous inhabitant of the Indian Ocean. The size of a palm, a baby octopus is capable of killing up to 10 people with its poison at a time. It should be noted right away that in the water it does not pose a danger, but if it is thrown out of its natural habitat, then this creature shows remarkable aggression. The poison paralyzes the muscular and respiratory systems, as a result of which the person begins to suffocate. It is worth noting that the predominant habitat of this little killer, of course, is in Australia.
• The Indian Ocean is rich not only in surf spots, but also in unsolvable mysteries. It was in these waters that a merchant ship or a ship was found more than once without a single damage, but completely empty. Where the people disappeared remains a mystery to this day.

And finally, here is a beautiful shot from the surf spot Padang Padang, Bali, Indonesia

We bring to your attention short review countries located in the Indian Ocean that will take part in the Eighth Indian Ocean Olympic Games. The Games will be held in the Seychelles from 5 to 14 August 2011.

Mayotte
Mayotte (fr. Mayotte) is an overseas community of France located in the Mozambique Channel, in the western Indian Ocean, between northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar. It consists of the main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), the smaller island of Petit-Terre (or Pamanzi), and several other tiny islets. Geographically, it belongs to the Comoros. Area - 374 km², population - 223.8 thousand (July 2009 estimate). Religions - Muslims 97%, Christians (mostly Catholics) 3%. Mayotte is a separate member of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI), separate from the Comoros. On March 29, 2009, the inhabitants of the island of Mayotte voted by a majority in a referendum to make the island a department of France. 95.2% of voters out of 61.2% of Mayotte residents who took part in the voting were in favor. Mayotte will finally receive the status of a department in 2011 and will thus become the 101st department in France.

Economy of Mayotte The main economic activity is in agriculture and fisheries. Mayotte does not provide itself with food and imports it, as well as manufactured goods, fuel, etc. Export is very insignificant - mainly flavors (vanilla and ylang-ylang), copra, coconuts. The development of the tourism business is difficult due to the remoteness of the island. Mayotte's budget is supported by substantial financial subsidies from France. Monetary unit - euro.

Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is located in the equatorial waters of the Indian Ocean, about 700 km southwest of Sri Lanka. A chain of 20 atolls, consisting of 1192 coral islands. The population is a little over 309 thousand people. Religion - Sunni Islam. The total area is about 300 km². The capital of Male, the only city and port of the archipelago, is located on the atoll of the same name. On July 26, 1965, Britain granted independence to the Maldives. On November 11, 1968, according to the results of a referendum, the Maldives was proclaimed a republic. Since 1978, the Maldives has been ruled by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (6 consecutive five-year terms). In October 2008, Mohamed Nasheed became the first President of the Republic of Maldives elected by popular vote.

Economy of the Maldives The main sectors of the economy are tourist services (28% of GDP) and fishing. The industrial sector is the production of clothing, souvenirs and boats. Agriculture is poorly developed. A significant part of food is imported. The main crop is coconut palm, bananas, vegetables, fruits, sweet potatoes, breadfruit are also grown. Livestock is practically not bred. Export commodities are fish and postage stamps. Main vehicles- sailing and motor boats.

Mauritius

Mauritius is an island nation in the southwestern Indian Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. The republic includes the islands of Mauritius (the largest, 1,865 km²) and Rodrigues (104 km²), which are part of the Mascarene archipelago, as well as the Cargados Carajos archipelago, the Agalega Islands and many small islands. The total area of ​​the country is 2,045 km². Population - 1.284 million (July 2009 estimate). The capital of Mauritius is the city of Port Louis, located on the island of Mauritius. On March 12, 1968, Mauritius was declared an independent state within the British Commonwealth. Mauritius became a republic on March 12, 1992.

Economy of Mauritius It is based on sugar production (sugar cane is grown on about 90% of cultivated farmland), on tourism and on the textile industry. Recently, the offshore and banking business has been developing, as well as the extraction and processing of fish. 9% of employees are employed in agriculture, 30% in industry, and 61% in the service sector. Export commodities ($2.4 billion in 2008): sugar, clothing and textiles, flowers, shellfish, fish. The main buyers are Great Britain 30%, France 15%, USA 8%. Imports ($4.4 billion in 2008): manufactured goods, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals. The main suppliers are India 21%, France 11%, China 9%. Despite the remoteness, Mauritius is very popular among European tourists. In Mauritius, mainly beach holidays are common, but excursions to the ocean are also popular, less often inland. Mauritius is one of the three most beautiful and popular tourist resorts along with the Maldives and Seychelles.

Comoros

Union of the Comoros, Comoros, until 2002 Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros - a state in the Indian Ocean, located in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. Area - 2170 km². Population - about 798,000 people (2005), mainly the Antaloatran people. The capital is the city of Moroni. The official languages ​​are Comorian, French and Arabic. The state religion is Islam. 6 July 1975 Chamber of Deputies in unilaterally proclaimed the independent Republic of the Comoros (RKO) as part of the islands of Anjouan, Grande Comore and Moheli. Ahmed Abdallah, chairman of the Government Council, became president. This council was abolished, a parliament was formed, a constitution was adopted and the Arabic names of the islands were restored. In November 1975, Comoros was admitted to the UN as part of the four islands as a single state. France, recognizing the independence of the RKO, assigned to Fr. Mayotte the status of its "territorial unit". Following a referendum in April 2002, a new constitution was approved, granting the islands more autonomous rights. The country became known as the Union of the Comoros (UKO).

Economy The Comoros is one of the poorest countries in Africa. Main income items: export of ylang-ylang (the world's largest exporter), vanilla (the world's second largest exporter after Madagascar); tourism, fishing.

reunion

Reunion is an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, an overseas region of France. The area is 2.5 thousand km². The population is 793 thousand people (2007 estimate). More than half of the population of Reunion are Creoles (of mixed origin, mainly French-African-Malagasy), "white" French make up about a quarter of the population, Indians - about 20%, the rest - Chinese and others. About 90% of the population are Catholics, there are Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and also Rastafarians. Creole is still widely spoken (based on French), although the school teaches only in official French. The administrative center is Saint-Denis (95 thousand people in 2004). Since 1946 Reunion has become overseas department France, since 1974 - an administrative region. Reunion is governed by a prefect appointed by the President of France.

Economy of Reunion The main agricultural export crop is sugar cane. Corn, potatoes, bananas, and mangoes are also cultivated. Livestock - mainly pigs and goats. The tourism business is well developed. The industry is mainly the production of sugar and rum from sugar cane. In addition to sugar, rum, vanilla, geranium essence and other flavors are exported. There is a noticeable difference in the standard of living of the French living on the island and those of the Indian, Creole and other communities. The French government subsidizes the island's economy in an attempt to close this gap.

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is a state in the western Indian Ocean, on the island of Madagascar and adjacent small islands off the east coast of Africa. The total area of ​​the state is 587.040 km². The length is about 1600 km, the width is over 600 km. The central part of the island is occupied by the high-altitude Anjafi plateau, gently descending to the west and abruptly breaking off to the lowlands of the eastern coast. Population - 18.4 million people. (2005 UN est.). The capital is Antananarivo. Date of independence June 26, 1960 (from France). Official languages ​​- Malagasy, French, English.

Economy of Madagascar generally regarded as developing. The main sectors of the economy of Madagascar are agriculture, fishing and the cultivation of spices and spices for export. The main exports are coffee, vanilla (Madagascar is the world's largest producer), cocoa powder, sugarcane, rice, tapioca, legumes, bananas and peanuts. There is a well-known incident when the Coca-Cola company switched from real vanilla to synthetic, which was a significant blow to the economy of the republic. The main sources of economic growth in this moment are tourism, exports of textile and light industry, exports of agricultural products and exports of minerals. Thanks to the unique fauna of the island, bio-tourism attracts more and more people from different corners planets. Approximately 80% of the entire flora and fauna of the island are endemic, and 5% of the total species diversity of the planet live in Madagascar. The Free Trade Zones, located near Antananarivo and Antsirabe, aim to trade with the US and Europe. As natural resources, coal, ilmenite and nickel are mainly mined for export. Two large oil fields have been discovered in the south of the republic. Structural reforms in the economic sector began in the 80s of the last century, mainly under pressure from foreign financial institutions, especially the World Bank. A privatization program was carried out (1988-1993), a free trade zone (Export Processing Zone) was introduced. Madagascar and Mauritania are the last countries in the world not to use a decimal currency. Madagascar ariary is equal to five iraimbilani.

Seychelles

Economy of the Seychelles It is based on serving tourists (30% of employees and more than 70% of foreign exchange earnings) and on fishing (canned and frozen fish are the main export goods). Agriculture is poorly developed. Coconuts, cinnamon and vanilla (for export), sweet potato, cassava (tapioca), bananas are grown. Breeding poultry. Founded in 1978 national airline- Air Seychelles.

Although the Indian Ocean is relatively small on the world map in terms of area, it has a rich, vibrant, unique flora and fauna.

It is the third largest body of water globe, its depths keep many mysteries and secrets. Studied at the lessons of natural history in primary school, further in high school, grades 5-7, this topic is often found in exam papers and tests.

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Characteristics of the Indian Ocean

The ocean washing the shores of Indochina is smaller in size than the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and ranks third in size on Earth.

Its area is 76.17 million km², which is about 20% of the entire water surface.

The average depth of the ocean is about 3.7 thousand meters, while the maximum depth reaches 7.7 thousand meters in the east, in the area where the Yavan Trench is located.

The average temperature on the surface of the water can reach 20-27°C and reach up to 7°C at depth in the equatorial regions, the salinity is approximately 35%.

Research History

It is believed that it was this ocean that people began to overcome the very first, at the beginning ordinary wooden rafts were used for this.

Significant knowledge and information about the ocean has first appeared since the exploration of Vasco da Gama, carrying out his own plan to reach distant lands.

Geographical position

The salty waters of the ocean washes Asia from the north side, from the west they touch the coast of Africa, and the eastern currents are nailed to Australia, it borders on Antarctica in the south.

It also has intersections with the territories of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, one of which runs along the meridian of Cape Agulhas, and the other along Cape Horn. Located south of the Tropic of Cancer.

In the northern hemisphere, the Indian Ocean could easily be confused with big sea which misled sailors and fishermen.

currents

For the most part, currents are directed in the opposite direction from the clockwise direction. In the north, they change with the onset of the season, which is associated with a change in winds. Currents located south of the equator are the same throughout the year.

In winter, the Northeast Monsoon, which originates in the Bay of Bengal, has a strong influence. It washes East Africa, splits, enters the Red Sea and gives rise to the Equatorial Countercurrent.

Seas

There are many seas in the Indian Ocean:

• Red sea;
• Mawson Sea;
• the Commonwealth Sea;
• Arabian Sea.

Indian Ocean on physical map world (click to enlarge)

They are of great importance not only for tourism, but also important for the transportation and transport of goods. They have many unique natural features.

Climate and climatic zones

Due to the influence of the temperature regime of Asia, a monsoonal climate is established in the north, rich in cyclones moving towards the coasts.

heated in summer sea ​​waters begin to give moisture to the air, making it humid. It moves to the mainland and pours over the surface of the earth in the form of heavy rains. Thunderstorms, storms or cold typhoons are not uncommon in this area.

Flora and fauna

It is the colorful diversity of flora and fauna that makes the Indian Ocean so special.

At the bottom you can see all the variety of species of colorful sponges, starfish, corals, crustaceans.

All those delicacies that are served on the table live here: lobsters, shrimps, mussels, lobsters.

In these climatic zones, characteristic representatives of various fish species are found, not only suitable for catching and eating, but also distinguished by an unusual color, the beauty of which is difficult to compare with anything.

Islands and peninsulas

The largest and famous island, of course, is Madagascar, having an area of ​​​​590,000 km.

Madagascar island

Christmas Island originated from a volcano, the Maldives, Seychelles, Andaman Islands.

Sri Lanka

Tasmania, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Socotra are considered the largest separate islands. It is noteworthy that some islands used to be part of the mainland, and later separated and turned into islands.

Bottom relief

How animal world in the Indian Ocean is diverse and unique, just as surprising is the structure of the oceanic bottom relief.

A feature is the angle of the bottom in the Bay of Bengal, which is unique phenomenon. The bottom is very diverse, in some parts reefs and characteristic faults predominate.

Deepest trench in the Indian Ocean

The deepest point in the ocean is the Yavan Trench, also called the Sunda Trench. The depth in it reaches about 7.7 thousand meters, at the bottom there is practically no relief.

In the area of ​​the Yavan trench not so long ago there was an earthquake of a huge scale, scientists fear that this will soon cause a shift in tectonic plates.

gulfs

In total there are 22 gulfs, the most significant of which can be called Persian (due to the huge oil reserves).

Persian Gulf

Many currents originate in the Bay of Bengal, affecting the temperature of water and air.

Features of nature

Strong winds and monsoons have a special effect on the currents and temperature of coastal areas.

It is also in these places that the richest variety of marine life, species of algae and corals is found.

Coastline

The coastline is heavily indented only from the north, where most of the major seas are located.

From the Persian Gulf, the ocean is protected by mountains from strong winds. In the rest of the territory it is almost flat.

Minerals

The Indian Ocean contains numerous and richest sources of oil and natural gas.

close coastlines, on the shelves a variety of semi gems and metals, which are of great importance for the world industry.

Environmental problems of the Indian Ocean

Problems with the environment appeared in connection with anthropogenic impacts that led to such a deplorable state of natural ecosystems.

Pollution of the waters of the Indian Ocean is influenced by many factors:

1. Starting with military operations and preparations for them, which are a serious source of the release of harmful and toxic substances. Warships heavily neglect environmental controls. At the bottom of the seas, a large number of sunken ships have accumulated since the time of ancient wars. The impact of metals also causes significant environmental damage.
2. Industrial and agricultural emissions dominate.
3. Pesticides, which are the most dangerous substances, cause irreparable damage to the environment.
4. The amount of garbage in the waters is growing rapidly, it gets there from the sides of ships or is thrown out by sewage from land. Plus, radioactive and toxic waste is buried at the bottom.

Types of economic activity

Fishing is not highly developed, as the animal world is insanely beautiful and serves more for the aesthetic enjoyment of tourists. In ant Arctic waters whale fishing used to be widespread, which was subsequently banned.

Tuna fishing is popular around the equator.

Off the coast of Australia, such valuable details of expensive jewelry as mother-of-pearl and natural pearls are mined.

As mentioned above, the Persian Gulf is one of the largest sources of oil production. The countries of the Indian Ocean in large quantities extract all the necessary mineral resources and raw materials here.

sights

Here are just some of the amazing places to look at:

As a conclusion, here are some interesting facts:

1. The volume of water in the ocean is the third largest in the world after the Pacific and Atlantic.
2. In ancient times, the ocean had the name "Eastern", later European discoverers and researchers renamed it.
3. The first swims were made before the advent of our era.
4. A significant contribution to the study of the sea region was made by Covilhã, Vasco da Gama and Cook.
5. In the bowels of the ocean there are almost 2 billion tons of black gold and 2.3 trillion tons of gas.
6. It happens that luminous circles appear on the surface of the ocean. It is believed that this is plankton in large quantities.
7. It is in the Indian Ocean that the sea with the highest salt content on Earth is located - the Red contains 42%.
8. The ocean contains a huge variety of coral reefs that have a great extent.

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean on Earth, covering about 20% of its water surface. Its area is 76.17 million km², volume - 282.65 million km³. The deepest point of the ocean is in the Sunda Trench (7729 m).

• Area: 76,170 thousand km²
• Volume: 282,650 thousand km³
• Maximum depth: 7729 m
• Average depth: 3711 m

In the north it washes Asia, in the west - Africa, in the east - Australia; in the south it borders on Antarctica. The border with the Atlantic Ocean runs along the 20 ° meridian of east longitude; from the Pacific - along the 146 ° 55 'meridian of eastern longitude. The most north point The Indian Ocean is located at approximately 30° north latitude in the Persian Gulf. The width of the Indian Ocean is approximately 10,000 km between the southern points of Australia and Africa.

Etymology

The ancient Greeks called the western part of the ocean known to them with adjacent seas and bays the Erythrean Sea (ancient Greek Ἐρυθρά θάλασσα - Red Sea, and in old Russian sources the Red Sea). Gradually, this name began to be attributed only to the nearest sea, and the ocean gets its name from India, the country most famous at that time for its wealth on the shores of the ocean. So Alexander the Great in the IV century BC. e. calls it Indicon Pelagos (ancient Greek Ἰνδικόν πέλαγος) - "Indian Sea". Among the Arabs, it is known as Bar-el-Hind (modern Arabic المحيط الهندي‎‎ - al-mụkhіt al-hindi) - "Indian Ocean". Since the 16th century, the name Oceanus Indicus (lat. Oceanus Indicus) introduced by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder back in the 1st century was established - the Indian Ocean.

Physical and geographical characteristics

General information

The Indian Ocean is mainly located south of the Tropic of Cancer between Eurasia to the north, Africa to the west, Australia to the east and Antarctica to the south. The border with the Atlantic Ocean runs along the meridian of Cape Agulhas (20 ° E to the coast of Antarctica (Queen Maud Land)). The border with the Pacific Ocean runs: south of Australia - along the eastern border of the Bass Strait to the island of Tasmania, then along the meridian 146 ° 55 'E. to Antarctica; north of Australia - between Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca, further along the southwestern coast of the island of Sumatra, the Sunda Strait, south coast the islands of Java, the southern borders of the Bali and Savu seas, the northern border of the Arafura Sea, the southwestern coast of New Guinea and the western border of the Torres Strait. Sometimes the southern part of the ocean, with northern border from 35°S sh. (on the basis of the circulation of water and the atmosphere) up to 60 ° S. sh. (according to the nature of the bottom topography), they are attributed to the Southern Ocean, which is not officially distinguished.

Seas, bays, islands

The area of ​​the seas, bays and straits of the Indian Ocean is 11.68 million km² (15% of the total ocean area), the volume is 26.84 million km³ (9.5%). The seas and main bays located along the coast of the ocean (clockwise): Red Sea, Arabian Sea (Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf), Laccadive Sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, Timor Sea, Arafura Sea (Gulf of Carpentaria), Large Australian Gulf, Mawson Sea, Davis Sea, Commonwealth Sea, Astronaut Sea (the last four are sometimes referred to as the Southern Ocean).

Some islands - for example, Madagascar, Socotra, Maldives - are fragments of ancient continents, others - Andaman, Nicobar or Christmas Island - are of volcanic origin. The largest island in the Indian Ocean is Madagascar (590 thousand km²). Largest islands and archipelagos: Tasmania, Sri Lanka, Kerguelen Archipelago, Andaman Islands, Melville, Mascarene Islands (Reunion, Mauritius), Kangaroo, Nias, Mentawai Islands (Siberut), Socotra, Groote Island, Comoros, Tiwi Islands (Bathurst), Zanzibar, Simeulue, Furno (Flinders) Islands, Nicobar Islands, Qeshm, King, Bahrain Islands, Seychelles, Maldives, Chagos Archipelago.

The history of the formation of the Indian Ocean

During the early Jurassic, the ancient supercontinent Gondwana began to break apart. As a result, Africa with Arabia, Hindustan and Antarctica with Australia were formed. The process ended at the turn of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (140-130 million years ago), and a young basin of the modern Indian Ocean began to form. In the Cretaceous period, the ocean floor grew due to the movement of Hindustan to the north and the reduction in the area of ​​the Pacific and Tethys oceans. In the Late Cretaceous, the split of the single Australo-Antarctic continent began. At the same time, as a result of the formation of a new rift zone, the Arabian plate broke away from the African plate, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden were formed. At the beginning of the Cenozoic era, the growth of the Indian Ocean stopped towards the Pacific, but continued towards the Tethys Sea. At the end of the Eocene - the beginning of the Oligocene, Hindustan collided with the Asian continent.

Today, the movement of tectonic plates continues. The axis of this movement is the mid-ocean rift zones of the African-Antarctic Ridge, the Central Indian Ridge, and the Australo-Antarctic Rise. The Australian plate continues to move north at a rate of 5-7 cm per year. The Indian plate continues to move in the same direction at a speed of 3-6 cm per year. The Arabian Plate is moving northeast at a rate of 1-3 cm per year. The Somali Plate continues to break away from the African Plate along the East African Rift Zone, which moves at a speed of 1-2 cm per year in a northeasterly direction. On December 26, 2004, in the Indian Ocean near the island of Simeulue, located off the northwestern coast of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia), the largest earthquake with a magnitude of up to 9.3 occurred in the entire history of observations. The reason was a shift of about 1200 km (according to some estimates - 1600 km) of the earth's crust at a distance of 15 m along the subduction zone, as a result of which the Hindustan plate moved under the Burma plate. The earthquake caused a tsunami, which brought enormous destruction and a huge number of deaths (up to 300 thousand people).

Geological structure and topography of the bottom of the Indian Ocean

mid-ocean ridges

Mid-ocean ridges divide the bottom of the Indian Ocean into three sectors: African, Indo-Australian and Antarctic. There are four mid-ocean ridges: the West Indian, Arabian-Indian, Central Indian ridges and the Australo-Antarctic Rise. The West Indian Ridge is located in the southwestern part of the ocean. It is characterized by underwater volcanism, seismicity, rift-type crust and rift structure of the axial zone; it is crossed by several oceanic faults of submeridional strike. In the region of the island of Rodrigues (Mascarene archipelago) there is a so-called triple connection, where the system of ridges is divided to the north into the Arabian-Indian ridge and to the south-west into the Central Indian ridge. The Arabian-Indian ridge is composed of ultramafic rocks; deep depressions(ocean troughs) with depths up to 6.4 km. The northern part of the ridge is crossed by the most powerful Owen Fault, along which the northern segment of the ridge experienced a displacement of 250 km to the north. Further west, the rift zone continues into the Gulf of Aden and north-northwest into the Red Sea. Here the rift zone is composed of carbonate deposits with volcanic ash. In the rift zone of the Red Sea, strata of evaporites and metal-bearing silts associated with powerful hot (up to 70 °C) and very saline (up to 350 ‰) juvenile waters have been found.

In the southwest direction from the triple junction extends the Central Indian Ridge, which has a well-defined rift and flank zones, ending in the south with the Amsterdam volcanic plateau with the volcanic islands of Saint-Paul and Amsterdam. From this plateau, the Australo-Antarctic Rise extends to the east-southeast, having the form of a wide, slightly dissected arch. In the eastern part, the uplift is dissected by a series of meridional faults into a number of segments displaced relative to each other in the meridional direction.

African segment of the ocean

The underwater margin of Africa has a narrow shelf and a distinct continental slope with marginal plateaus and continental foot. In the south, the African continent forms protrusions extended to the south: the Agulhas bank, the Mozambique and Madagascar ridges, folded the earth's crust mainland type. The mainland foot forms a sloping plain extending south along the coast of Somalia and Kenya, which continues in the Mozambique Channel and borders Madagascar from the east. The Mascarene Range runs along the east of the sector, in the northern part of which the Seychelles are located.

The surface of the ocean floor in the sector, especially along the mid-ocean ridges, is dissected by numerous ridges and troughs associated with submeridional fault zones. There are many underwater volcanic mountains, most of which are built on coral superstructures in the form of atolls and underwater coral reefs. Between the mountain rises there are basins of the ocean floor with a hilly and mountainous relief: Agulhas, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mascarene and Somali. In the Somali and Mascarene basins, vast flat abyssal plains are formed, where a significant amount of terrigenous and biogenic sedimentary material enters. In the Mozambique Basin, there is an underwater valley of the Zambezi River with a system of alluvial fans.

Indo-Australian segment of the ocean

The Indo-Australian segment occupies half the area of ​​the Indian Ocean. In the west, in the meridional direction, the Maldives Range passes, on the top surface of which the islands of Laccadive, Maldives and Chagos are located. The ridge is composed of continental-type crust. A very narrow shelf, a narrow and steep continental slope, and a very wide continental foot stretched along the coast of Arabia and Hindustan, mainly formed by two giant fans of turbid streams of the Indus and Ganges rivers. These two rivers carry 400 million tons of debris into the ocean. The Indus cone extends far into the Arabian Basin. And only the southern part of this basin is occupied by a flat asbyssal plain with separate seamounts.

Almost exactly 90° E. The blocky oceanic East Indian Ridge stretches for 4,000 km from north to south. Between the Maldives and the East Indian Ranges is the Central Basin - the largest basin of the Indian Ocean. Its northern part is occupied by the Bengal alluvial fan (from the Ganges River), to the southern border of which the abyssal plain adjoins. In the central part of the basin there is a small Lanka ridge and the Afanasy Nikitin seamount. To the east of the East Indian Ridge are the Cocos and Western Australian Basins, separated by a blocky sublatitudinally oriented Cocos Rise with the Cocos and Christmas Islands. In the northern part of the Coconut Basin there is a flat abyssal plain. From the south, it is bounded by the West Australian Rise, which drops steeply to the south and gently plunges under the bottom of the basin to the north. From the south, the West Australian Rise is bounded by a steep ledge associated with the Diamantina Fault Zone. The ralome zone combines deep and narrow grabens (the most significant are the Ob and Diamatina) and numerous narrow horsts.

The transitional region of the Indian Ocean is represented by the Andaman Trench and the deep-water Sunda Trench, which is associated with the maximum depth of the Indian Ocean (7209 m). The outer ridge of the Sunda island arc is the underwater Mentawai Range and its continuation in the form of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Underwater margin of the Australian mainland

The northern part of the Australian continent is bordered by a wide Sahul shelf with many coral structures. To the south, this shelf narrows and widens again off the coast of southern Australia. The continental slope is composed of marginal plateaus (the largest of them are the Exmouth and Naturalists plateaus). In the western part of the Western Australian Basin, the Zenith, Cuvier and other rises are located, which are pieces of the continental structure. Between the southern underwater margin of Australia and the Australo-Antarctic Rise, there is a small South Australian Basin, which is a flat abyssal plain.

Antarctic segment of the ocean

The Antarctic segment is bounded by the West Indian and Central Indian ridges, and from the south by the coast of Antarctica. Under the influence of tectonic and glaciological factors, the shelf of Antarctica is overdeepened. A wide continental slope is cut by large and wide canyons, through which supercooled water flows from the shelf into the abyssal depressions. The continental foot of Antarctica is distinguished by a wide and significant (up to 1.5 km) thickness of loose deposits.

The largest protrusion of the Antarctic continent is the Kerguelen Plateau, as well as the volcanic uplift of the Prince Edward and Crozet Islands, which divide the Antarctic sector into three basins. To the west is the African-Antarctic Basin, which is half located in the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its bottom is a flat abyssal plain. The Crozet Basin, located to the north, is characterized by a large-hilly bottom topography. The Australo-Antarctic Basin, lying to the east of Kerguelen, is occupied in the southern part by a flat plain, and in the northern part by Abyssotian hills.

Bottom sediments

The Indian Ocean is dominated by calcareous foraminiferal-coccolithic deposits, which occupy more than half of the bottom area. The wide development of biogenic (including coral) calcareous deposits is explained by the position of a large part of the Indian Ocean within the tropical and equatorial belts, as well as by the relatively shallow depth of oceanic basins. Numerous mountain uplifts are also favorable for the formation of lime deposits. In the deep parts of some basins (for example, the Central, Western Australian), deep-sea red clays occur. The equatorial belt is characterized by radiolarian muds. In the southern cold part of the ocean, where the conditions for the development of diatom flora are especially favorable, siliceous diatom deposits are represented. Iceberg sediments are deposited off the Antarctic coast. At the bottom of the Indian Ocean, ferromanganese nodules are widely distributed, confined mainly to areas of deposition of red clays and radiolarian oozes.

Climate

In this region, four climatic zones are distinguished, stretched along the parallels. Under the influence of the Asian continent, a monsoonal climate is established in the northern part of the Indian Ocean with frequent cyclones moving towards the coasts. High atmospheric pressure over Asia in winter causes the northeast monsoon to form. In summer, it is replaced by a humid southwest monsoon, carrying air from the southern regions of the ocean. During the summer monsoon, there is often a wind force of more than 7 points (with a frequency of 40%). In summer, the temperature over the ocean is 28-32 °C, in winter it drops to 18-22 °C.

In the southern tropics, the southeast trade wind dominates, which in winter time does not extend north of 10°N. The average annual temperature reaches 25 °C. In the zone 40-45°S. Throughout the year, the western transfer of air masses is characteristic, it is especially strong in temperate latitudes, where the frequency of storm weather is 30-40%. In the mid-ocean, stormy weather is associated with tropical hurricanes. In winter, they can also occur in the southern tropical zone. Most often, hurricanes occur in the western part of the ocean (up to 8 times a year), in the areas of Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. In subtropical and temperate latitudes, the temperature reaches 10-22 °C in summer and 6-17 °C in winter. Strong winds are characteristic from 45 degrees and south. In winter, the temperature here ranges from -16 °C to 6 °C, and in summer - from -4 °C to 10 °C.

The maximum amount of precipitation (2.5 thousand mm) is confined to the eastern region of the equatorial zone. There is also increased cloudiness (more than 5 points). The least amount of precipitation is observed in the tropical regions of the southern hemisphere, especially in the eastern part. In the northern hemisphere, clear weather is characteristic of the Arabian Sea for most of the year. The maximum cloudiness is observed in Antarctic waters.

Hydrological regime of the Indian Ocean

Surface water circulation

In the northern part of the ocean, there is a seasonal change in currents caused by monsoon circulation. In winter, the Southwest Monsoon Current sets in, starting in the Bay of Bengal. South of 10° N. sh. this current passes into the Western Current, crossing the ocean from the Nicobar Islands to the coast of East Africa. Further, it branches: one branch goes north to the Red Sea, the other - south to 10 ° S. sh. and, turning to the east, gives rise to the Equatorial countercurrent. The latter crosses the ocean and, off the coast of Sumatra, again divides into a part that goes into the Andaman Sea and the main branch, which between the Lesser Sunda Islands and Australia goes to the Pacific Ocean. In summer, the southeast monsoon ensures the movement of the entire mass of surface water to the east, and the Equatorial countercurrent disappears. The summer monsoon current begins off the coast of Africa with a powerful Somali current, to which in the area Gulf of Aden joins the current from the Red Sea. In the Bay of Bengal, the summer monsoon current divides into north and south, which flows into the South Equatorial Current.

In the southern hemisphere, currents are constant, without seasonal fluctuations. Driven by the trade winds, the South Trade Wind Current crosses the ocean from east to west towards Madagascar. It intensifies in winter (for the southern hemisphere) due to additional water supply. Pacific Ocean arriving along the northern coast of Australia. At Madagascar, the South Equatorial Current forks, giving rise to the Equatorial Countercurrent, Mozambique and Madagascar currents. Merging southwest of Madagascar, they form the warm Agulhas Current. southern part of this current goes into the Atlantic Ocean, and part of it flows into the westerly winds. On the approach to Australia, the cold West Australian Current departs from the latter to the north. Local gyres operate in the Arabian Sea, the Bengal and Great Australian Bays, and in Antarctic waters.

The northern part of the Indian Ocean is characterized by the predominance of a semidiurnal tide. The amplitudes of the tide in the open ocean are small and average 1 m. In the Antarctic and subantarctic zones, the amplitude of the tides decreases from east to west from 1.6 m to 0.5 m, and near the coast they increase to 2-4 m. The maximum amplitudes are noted between islands, in shallow bays. In the Bay of Bengal, the tide is 4.2-5.2 m, near Mumbai - 5.7 m, near Yangon - 7 m, near northwestern Australia - 6 m, and in the port of Darwin - 8 m. In other areas, the amplitude of the tides about 1-3 m.

temperature, salinity

In the equatorial zone of the Indian Ocean, the surface water temperature is about 28 ° C all year round in both the western and eastern parts of the ocean. In the Red and Arabian Seas, winter temperatures drop to 20-25 °C, but in summer the maximum temperatures for the entire Indian Ocean are set in the Red Sea - up to 30-31 °C. High winter water temperatures (up to 29 ° C) are typical for the coasts of northwestern Australia. In the southern hemisphere, at the same latitudes in the eastern part of the ocean, the water temperature in winter and summer is 1-2° lower than in the western part. Water temperatures below 0°C in summer are found south of 60°S. sh. Ice formation in these areas begins in April and the thickness of the fast ice reaches 1-1.5 m by the end of winter. Melting begins in December-January, and by March the waters are completely cleared of fast ice. In the southern part of the Indian Ocean, icebergs are common, sometimes setting north of 40 ° S. sh.

The maximum salinity of surface waters is observed in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, where it reaches 40-41 ‰. High salinity (more than 36 ‰) is also observed in the southern tropical zone, especially in the eastern regions, and in the northern hemisphere also in the Arabian Sea. In the neighboring Bay of Bengal, due to the desalination effect of the Ganges runoff from the Brahmaputra and the Irrawaddy, the salinity is reduced to 30-34 ‰. Increased salinity correlates with areas of maximum evaporation and the least amount of precipitation. Reduced salinity (less than 34 ‰) is characteristic of subarctic waters, where the strong freshening effect of melted glacial waters is felt. The seasonal difference in salinity is significant only in the Antarctic and equatorial zones. In winter, desalinated waters from the northeastern part of the ocean are carried by the monsoon current, forming a tongue of low salinity along 5°N. sh. In summer, this language disappears. In the Arctic waters in winter, salinity slightly increases due to the salinization of waters in the process of ice formation. Salinity decreases from the surface to the bottom of the ocean. Bottom waters from the equator to the arctic latitudes have a salinity of 34.7-34.8 ‰.

water masses

The waters of the Indian Ocean are divided into several water masses. In the part of the ocean north of 40 ° S. sh. they distinguish central and equatorial surface and subsurface water masses and underlying them (deeper than 1000 m) deep. To the north to 15-20 ° S. sh. the central water mass spreads. The temperature varies with depth from 20-25 °C to 7-8 °C, salinity is 34.6-35.5 ‰. Surface layers north of 10-15°S sh. make up the equatorial water mass with a temperature of 4-18 ° C and a salinity of 34.9-35.3 ‰. This water mass is characterized by significant speeds of horizontal and vertical movement. In the southern part of the ocean, subantarctic (temperature 5-15 ° C, salinity up to 34 ‰) and Antarctic (temperature from 0 to -1 ° C, salinity due to melting ice drops to 32 ‰) are distinguished. Deep water masses are divided into: very cold circulation, formed by lowering the Arctic water masses and the inflow of circulation water from Atlantic Ocean; South Indian, formed as a result of lowering subarctic surface waters; North Indian, formed by dense waters flowing from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman. Deeper than 3.5-4 thousand m, bottom water masses are common, formed from the Antarctic supercooled and dense salt waters of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean is extremely diverse. The tropical region stands out for its abundance of plankton. The single-celled alga Trichodesmium (cyanobacteria) is especially abundant, due to which the surface layer of water becomes very cloudy and changes its color. The plankton of the Indian Ocean is distinguished by a large number of night-luminous organisms: peridine, some species of jellyfish, ctenophores, and tunicates. Brightly colored siphonophores, including poisonous physalia, are abundant. In temperate and arctic waters, the main representatives of plankton are copepods, euphausids and diatoms. The most numerous fish of the Indian Ocean are dolphins, tuna, notothenia and various sharks. From reptiles there are several species of giant sea turtles, sea snakes, from mammals - cetaceans (toothless and blue whales, sperm whales, dolphins), seals, sea elephants. Most cetaceans live in temperate and polar regions, where, due to the intensive mixing of waters, favorable conditions arise for the development of planktonic organisms. Birds are represented by albatrosses and frigatebirds, as well as several species of penguins that inhabit the coasts of South Africa, Antarctica and islands in the temperate ocean.

The flora of the Indian Ocean is represented by brown algae (Sargasso, Turbinarium) and green algae (Caulerpa). The calcareous algae lithotamnia and chalimeda also flourish and participate together with corals in the construction of reef structures. In the process of activity of reef-forming organisms, coral platforms are created, sometimes reaching a width of several kilometers. Typical for the coastal zone of the Indian Ocean is a phytocenosis formed by mangroves. Such thickets are especially characteristic of river mouths and occupy significant areas in Southeast Africa, in western Madagascar, in South-East Asia and other areas. For temperate and Antarctic waters, the most characteristic are red and brown algae, mainly from the groups of fucus and kelp, porphyry, and helidium. In the subpolar regions of the southern hemisphere, giant macrocystis are found.

Zoobenthos is represented by a variety of mollusks, calcareous and flint sponges, echinoderms ( sea ​​urchins, starfish, brittle stars, holothurians), numerous crustaceans, hydroids, bryozoans. Coral polyps are widespread in the tropical zone.

Ecological problems

Human economic activity in the Indian Ocean has led to the pollution of its waters and to the reduction of biodiversity. At the beginning of the 20th century, some species of whales were almost completely exterminated, others - sperm whales and sei whales - still survived, but their number was greatly reduced. Since the 1985-1986 season, the International Whaling Commission has introduced a complete moratorium on commercial whaling of any kind. In June 2010, at the 62nd meeting of the International Whaling Commission, under pressure from Japan, Iceland and Denmark, the moratorium was suspended. The Mauritius dodo, destroyed by 1651 on the island of Mauritius, became a symbol of extinction and extinction of species. After it became extinct, people first formed the opinion that they could cause the extinction of other animals.

A great danger in the ocean is the pollution of waters with oil and oil products (the main pollutants), some heavy metals, and waste from the nuclear industry. The routes of oil tankers transporting oil from the countries of the Persian Gulf run across the ocean. Any major accident can lead to an ecological disaster and the death of many animals, birds and plants.

States of the Indian Ocean

States along the borders of the Indian Ocean (clockwise):

• Republic Of South Africa,
• Mozambique,
• Tanzania,
• Kenya,
• Somalia,
• Djibouti,
• Eritrea,
• Sudan,
• Egypt,
• Israel,
• Jordan,
• Saudi Arabia,
• Yemen,
• Oman,
• United United Arab Emirates,
• Qatar,
• Kuwait,
• Iraq,
• Iran,
• Pakistan,
• India,
• Bangladesh,
• Myanmar,
• Thailand,
• Malaysia,
• Indonesia,
• East Timor,
• Australia.

In the Indian Ocean there are island states and possessions of states outside the region:

• Bahrain,
• British Indian Ocean Territory (UK),
• Comoros,
• Mauritius,
• Madagascar,
• Mayotte (France),
• Maldives,
• Reunion (France),
• Seychelles,
• French Southern and Antarctic Territories (France),
• Sri Lanka.

Research History

The shores of the Indian Ocean are one of the areas of settlement of the most ancient peoples and the emergence of the first river civilizations. In ancient times, ships such as junks and catamarans were used by people for sailing, with favorable monsoons from India to East Africa and back. The Egyptians in 3500 BC were busy maritime trade with the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, India and East Africa. The countries of Mesopotamia for 3000 years BC made sea trips to Arabia and India. From the 6th century BC, the Phoenicians, according to the Greek historian Herodotus, made sea voyages from the Red Sea across the Indian Ocean to India and around Africa. In the 6th-5th centuries BC, Persian merchants conducted maritime trade from the mouth of the Indus River along the east coast of Africa. At the end of the Indian campaign of Alexander the Great in 325 BC, the Greeks with a huge fleet with a crew of five thousand in severe storm conditions made a many-month voyage between the mouths of the Indus and Euphrates rivers. Byzantine merchants in the 4th-6th centuries penetrated in the east to India, and in the south - to Ethiopia and Arabia. Starting from the 7th century, Arab sailors began intensive exploration of the Indian Ocean. They perfectly studied the coast of East Africa, West and East India, the islands of Socotra, Java and Ceylon, visited the Laccadives and Maldives, the islands of Sulawesi, Timor and others.

At the end of the 13th century, the Venetian traveler Marco Polo, on his way back from China, passed through the Indian Ocean from Malacca to the Strait of Hormuz, visiting Sumatra, India, and Ceylon. The journey was described in the Book of the Diversity of the World, which had a significant impact on navigators, cartographers, and writers of the Middle Ages in Europe. Chinese junks made trips along the Asian shores of the Indian Ocean and reached the Eastern coast of Africa (for example, Zheng He's seven voyages in 1405-1433). An expedition led by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, rounding Africa from the south, passing along east coast continent in 1498, reached India. In 1642, the Dutch trading East India Company organized an expedition of two ships under the command of Captain Tasman. As a result of this expedition, central part Indian Ocean and it was proved that Australia is a mainland. In 1772, a British expedition under the command of James Cook penetrated the southern Indian Ocean to 71°S. sh., while extensive scientific material on hydrometeorology and oceanography was obtained.

From 1872 to 1876, the first scientific oceanic expedition took place on the English sailing-steam corvette Challenger, new data were obtained on the composition of the ocean waters, on the flora and fauna, on the bottom topography and soils, the first map of the depths of the ocean was compiled and the first collection was collected. deep sea animals. A round-the-world expedition on the Russian sail-propeller corvette "Vityaz" of 1886-1889 under the leadership of the scientist-oceanographer S. O. Makarov conducted a large-scale research work in the Indian Ocean. A great contribution to the study of the Indian Ocean was made by oceanographic expeditions on the German ships Valkyrie (1898-1899) and Gauss (1901-1903), on the English ship Discovery II (1930-1951), the Soviet expedition ship"Ob" (1956-1958) and others. In 1960-1965, under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Expedition under UNESCO, an international Indian Ocean Expedition was carried out. She was the largest of all the expeditions ever to work in the Indian Ocean. The program of oceanographic work covered almost the entire ocean with observations, which was facilitated by the participation of scientists from about 20 countries in the research. Among them: Soviet and foreign scientists on the research ships Vityaz, A. I. Voeikov”, “Yu. M. Shokalsky, non-magnetic schooner Zarya (USSR), Natal (South Africa), Diamantina (Australia), Kistna and Varuna (India), Zulfikvar (Pakistan). As a result, valuable new data were collected on hydrology, hydrochemistry, meteorology, geology, geophysics and biology of the Indian Ocean. Since 1972, the American ship Glomar Challenger has carried out regular deep-sea drilling, work on the study of the movement of water masses at great depths, and biological research.

V recent decades numerous measurements of the ocean were carried out using space satellites. The result was a bathymetric atlas of the oceans released in 1994 by the US National Geophysical Data Center with a map resolution of 3-4 km and a depth accuracy of ±100 m.

Economic importance

Fishing and marine industries

The importance of the Indian Ocean for the world fishing industry is small: the catches here are only 5% of the total. The main commercial fish of the local waters are tuna, sardine, anchovy, several species of sharks, barracudas and rays; Shrimps, lobsters and lobsters are also caught here. More recently, intense southern regions Ocean whaling is rapidly curtailing, due to the almost complete extermination of some species of whales. On the northwestern coast of Australia, in Sri Lanka and the Bahrain Islands, pearls and mother-of-pearl are mined.

Transport routes

The most important transport routes of the Indian Ocean are the routes from the Persian Gulf to Europe, North America, Japan and China, as well as from the Gulf of Aden to India, Indonesia, Australia, Japan and China. The main navigable straits of the Indian Strait: Mozambique, Bab-el-Mandeb, Hormuz, Sunda. The Indian Ocean is connected by the artificial Suez Canal to mediterranean sea Atlantic Ocean. In the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, all the main cargo flows of the Indian Ocean converge and diverge. Major ports: Durban, Maputo (export: ore, coal, cotton, minerals, oil, asbestos, tea, raw sugar, cashew nuts, import: machinery and equipment, manufactured goods, food), Dar es Salaam (export: cotton , coffee, sisal, diamonds, gold, petroleum products, cashew nuts, cloves, tea, meat, leather, import: manufactured goods, food, chemicals), Jeddah, Salalah, Dubai, Bandar Abbas, Basra (export: oil, grain, salt, dates, cotton, leather, import: cars, timber, textiles, sugar, tea), Karachi (export: cotton, textiles, wool, leather, shoes, carpets, rice, fish, import: coal, coke, oil products, mineral fertilizers, equipment, metals, grain, food, paper, jute, tea, sugar), Mumbai (export: manganese and iron ore, oil products, sugar, wool, leather, cotton, fabrics, import: oil, coal, cast iron, equipment, grain, chemicals, manufactured goods), Colombo, Chennai (iron ore, coal, granite, fertilizers, oil products, containers, cars), Kolkata (export: coal, iron and copper ores , tea, import: manufactured goods, grain, food, equipment), Chittagong (clothing, jute, leather, tea, chemicals), Yangon (export: rice, hardwood, non-ferrous metals, bagasse, legumes, rubber, precious stones, import: coal, cars, foodstuffs, fabrics), Perth Fremantle (export: ores, alumina, coal, coke, caustic soda, phosphate raw materials, import: oil, equipment).

Minerals

The most important minerals of the Indian Ocean are oil and natural gas. Their deposits are found on the shelves of the Persian and Suez Gulfs, in the Bass Strait, on the shelf of the Hindustan Peninsula. On the coasts of India, Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa, the islands of Madagascar and Sri Lanka, ilmenite, monazite, rutile, titanite and zirconium are exploited. Off the coast of India and Australia there are deposits of barite and phosphorite, and in the shelf zones of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, deposits of cassiterite and ilmenite are exploited on an industrial scale.

Recreational resources

The main recreational areas of the Indian Ocean: the Red Sea, the western coast of Thailand, the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia, the island of Sri Lanka, the area of ​​coastal urban agglomerations of India, the eastern coast of Madagascar, the Seychelles and Maldives. Among the countries of the Indian Ocean with the largest flow of tourists (according to 2010 data from the World Tourism Organization) stand out: Malaysia (25 million visits per year), Thailand (16 million), Egypt (14 million), Saudi Arabia (11 million), South Africa(8 million), United Arab Emirates (7 million), Indonesia (7 million), Australia (6 million), India (6 million), Qatar (1.6 million), Oman (1.5 million).

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