:''(
Red Sea is also the name of a state in
Sudan)''
Conshelf II in the Red Sea ([[Sudan)]]
The
Red Sea (
Arabic البحر الأحمر Baḥr al-Aḥmar,
al-Baḥru l-’Aḥmar;
Hebrew ים סוף Yam Suf; Tigrigna ቀይሕ ባሕሪ
QeyH baHri) is a
gulf or basin of the
Indian Ocean between
Africa and
Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the
Bab el Mandeb sound and the
Gulf of Aden. In the north is the
Sinai Peninsula, the
Gulf of Aqaba and the
Gulf of Suez (leading to the
Suez Canal). The sea is roughly 1900 km long and at its widest is over 300 km. The sea floor has a maximum depth of 2,500 m in the central median trench and an average depth of 500 m, but it also has extensive shallow shelves, noted for their marine life and
corals. The sea has a surface area of roughly 438,000 or 450,000 km². The sea is the habitat of over 1000
invertebrate species and 200 soft and hard corals. The sea occupies a part of the
Great Rift Valley.
Name
The sea was called the "Arabian Gulf" in most European sources up to the 20th century. This was derived from older Greek sources.
Herodotus, Straban and
Ptolemy all call the waterway "Arabicus Sinus", while reserving the term "Sea of Erythrias" (Red Sea) for the waters around the southern
Arabian Peninsula, now known as
Indian Ocean.
The name of the sea does not indicate a real
red colour, as the seawater is actually blue when viewed afar, and transparent when held in hand. It may signify the seasonal blooms of the red-coloured
cyanobacteria Trichodesmium erythraeum near the water surface. Some suggest that it refers to the
mineral-rich red
mountains nearby, which are indeed called "הרי אדום" ("Mounts of the Edomites" or "the Rubi mountains") in
Hebrew language. There is also speculation that the name Red Sea came from a mistranslation of what should have been the Reed Sea.
Physical Properties
Surface water temperatures remain relatively constant at 21-25
°C and temperature and visibility remain good to around 200 m, but the sea is known for its strong winds and tricky local currents. The sea was created by the division of Africa from the Arabian peninsula, a movement which began around 30 million years ago. The sea is still widening and there are small
volcanic features in the deeper parts, it is considered that the sea will become an ocean in time (as proposed in the model of Tuzo Wilson).
Tourism
The Red Sea in Sudan.
The sea is known for its spectacular
dive sites such as Ras Mohammed, Elphinstone, The Brothers and Rocky Island in Egypt, and less known sites in Sudan such as Sanganeb, Abington, Angarosh and Shaab Rumi (see photo above).
The Red Sea was "discovered" as a diving destination by
Hans Hass in the 1950s, and by
Jacques-Yves Cousteau later.
Bordering Countries
Bordering countries are:
Towns and Cities
Towns and cities on the Red Sea coast include:
Assab,
Massawa,
Hala'ib,
Port Sudan,
Port Safaga,
Hurghada, El Suweis,
Sharm el Sheikh,
Eilat,
Aqaba,
Dahab, Jedda,
Al Hudaydah.
See also
Category:Geography of Egypt
Category:Geography of Israel
Category:Great Rift Valley
Category:Indian Ocean
Category:Seas
Category:African geography
bg:Червено море
ca:Mar Roja
da:Røde Hav
de:Rotes Meer
et:Punane meri
es:Mar Rojo
eo:Ruĝa Maro
fr:Mer Rouge
he:ים סוף
nl:Rode Zee
ja:紅海
no:Rødehavet
pl:Morze Czerwone
pt:Mar Vermelho (mar)
ru:Красное море
sv:Röda havet
zh:红海