Or Arabian Gulf - represents a large bay Indian Ocean, separating Arabia from Egypt and Abyssinia. The Red Sea is connected to the Indian Ocean by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and in the North it adjoins the Isthmus of Suez. located between parallel 12°40" and 30°N latitude and between the meridians 32°20" and 43°25"E from Grinich. Surface red sea 449010 sq. km.; almost 2/3 of the sea lies in the tropical zone. Name red sea apparently occurred partly from the color of the bottom soil near the coast, partly from the color of the water produced by zoophytes and microscopic algae. Shores red sea mostly low, in the north adjacent to deserts, in the southern part the western coast adjoins mountainous Abyssinia; many coral reefs scattered throughout the coastal area, especially Arabian, and in some places stretching for a long distance from the shore, constitute a distinctive feature of the coast red sea. The southern part of the sea is replete with islands: Dagalyak and Arabia-Farizan; south of the latter, almost in the middle of the sea, volcanic islands Jebel Teir and Jebel Zukur. In the northern part of the sea, only two islands protrude closer to the middle of the sea, the islands of Brothers and Daedalus.
The saltiest and warmest on the globe. The average salinity reaches 3.98%, at great depths the salinity even exceeds 4%. In the Suez Canal, especially as far as possible. approaching bitter lake, salinity is over 5%. Surface water temperature in March-April in the southern part of the sea up to 30° C., and in the northern part up to 22° C.; at a depth of 1240 m it is 21.4°C. at a surface temperature of 25.3° C. It is believed that the temperature at great depths is almost constant to the very bottom and is about 21° C. The reasons for the high salinity and temperature lie in climatic conditions.
Surrounded by the most warm countries globe; not a single permanent river flows into it, there is little precipitation, evaporation is high - all this favors high salinity, then the average winter temperature is 21.4 ° C. Due to the fact that the salinity of the waters red sea greater than the salinity of the waters of the Indian Ocean, at depths the water tends to red sea into the ocean, and therefore the ocean warms up, and in this lies probable cause the highest temperature of the depths of the Indian Ocean in its northwestern part. During the dominance of the monsoon, i.e. in summer, the surface current has a southerly direction, which is then noticeable almost everywhere. Red Sea, but it reaches particular strength in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The tides in the Red Sea have been little studied. Climate red sea one of the hottest on the globe, especially from May to September.
Sailing along the shores red sea it is extremely difficult due to reefs, but the middle of the sea is quite convenient for sailing steam ships with a sufficient supply of coal, while sailing ships always have to fight against contrary winds that create quite large waves. There are few ports; besides Suez, the most frequently visited by ships are Jumbo, Jeddah, Godeida, Logia and Mokka on the Arabian coast and Massowa, Suakim and Kosseir on the African coast. Suakim - main port Sudan, Jeddah - landing place for pilgrims heading to Mecca. Before entering , in the Gulf of Aden, there are colonies: French Obock and English Aden. The latter is visited by almost all ships traveling from Europe through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean; They stock up on coal and provisions here. In ancient times played a big role. It served the Phoenicians as the main route for trade with India. In the Middle Ages it served as a trade route for Venice, Pisa, Marseille and others.
With the opening of the cape Good Hope has lost its global significance; through him only relations were conducted between Arabia, on the one hand, and Abyssinia and Egypt on the other; It was mainly visited by pilgrims. Since 1840, communication has been established between Egypt and Jeddah, on the ships of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. Lesseps' genius returned Red Sea its global significance. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 has become the main transit route from Europe to Asian ports. Thanks to the canal, cargo and passenger traffic between European ports and the most remote outskirts eastern Asia. And for Russia is of great importance, representing a convenient route for the relatively quick transportation of goods, passengers, troops, etc. by steamship of the voluntary fleet to our eastern outskirts and, finally, for our tea trade with China.
Very young. Its formation began about 40 million years ago, when a crack appeared in the earth's crust and the East African Rift formed. The African continental plate separated from the Arabian, and between them a gap formed in the earth's crust, which gradually filled with sea water over thousands of years. Plates are constantly moving, so relatively smooth shores red sea diverge in different directions at a speed of 10 mm per year, or 1 m per century.
It gets dirty.
The source of plastic waste is not so much beachgoers. There are many reports of garbage being thrown openly from boats and ferries. It is difficult for a Bedouin to understand that the plastic they throw away is harmful to their environment. For generations they dealt only with organics, and this behavior is still considered the norm. Bedouins still fish in the reserves and catch shellfish to this day. In areas of intense diving, corrals have been damaged by novice divers.
Flora and fauna
By quality and diversity of corals, marine flora and fauna Red Sea has no equal in the Northern Hemisphere. The tourism boom that has swept the Egyptian Red Sea coast in recent years is largely associated with the unique and incredibly rich underwater world of this tropical sea and the popularization of scuba diving.
The coral reefs stretching along the entire Egyptian coast are a kind of life center that attracts many fish. The variety of coral shapes is amazing, which can be round, flat, branched, and also have other fantastic shapes and colors - from soft yellow and pink to brown and blue. But only living corals retain color; after death, they lose their soft covering tissue and only a white calcium skeleton remains. According to Egyptian law, coral colonies cannot be destroyed.
IN Red Sea bottlenose dolphins are widespread different kinds striped dolphin and killer whale. It is quite possible to meet a green turtle underwater. Amazing elongated echinoderms - sea cucumbers - live on the seabed, there are sharks, they have chosen the coast of Sudan. Some ichthyologists and divers claim that sharks have a rather peaceful disposition and are extremely timid. When they see people, they try to retreat as quickly as possible.
Moray eels, adapted to life on reefs, can reach 3 meters in length and have a rather terrifying appearance. But, basically, if they are not teased, they are not dangerous to humans.
Here you can also find Napoleon fish, which got its name because of the characteristic protrusion on its head, which resembles the headdress of the French emperor. These fish are especially numerous at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
They are distinguished by their bright colors: angel fish and butterfly fish, clown fish and plumes.
Amazingly colorful and diverse underwater world red sea will delight scuba diving enthusiasts and all vacationers at Red Sea resorts.
red sea, map
The Red Sea is the pearl of the World Ocean. It is believed that in the Northern Hemisphere it has no equal in the diversity and richness of the underwater world.
An interesting detail concerns the increased salinity of the water (41 grams per 1 liter). Thanks to this, the waves themselves practically push a person to the surface, and it is very easy and pleasant to swim in them. Another feature of the sea is the amazing purity of its waters - there are no rivers flowing into them that could bring silt or sand with them.
You can come to the countries around the Red Sea on holiday at any time of the year, but better in spring and in the fall, up to . This is when the air and water temperatures are most comfortable.
Where is the Red Sea located, and in which country is it better to relax on its shores? In fact, it is a gulf of the Indian Ocean between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and belongs to the territory of not one, but several states.
Countries with access to the Red Sea
After all of the above, what remains is main question: which countries are washed by the Red Sea and where is the best place to go on vacation? Winning geographical location boasts 8 countries: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Yemen.
Egypt
Perhaps Egypt is the most famous country on the shores of the Red Sea, where until recently thousands of tourists from Russia and the CIS countries came to vacation. Unfortunately, since the plane crash in the skies over Sinai, the local resorts have: Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, El Gouna, Safaga and others remain closed to Russians.
For two years now, the tourism industry has been eagerly awaiting permission to organize trips, but so far the parties have agreed only on the resumption of air traffic between Moscow and Cairo (the remaining airports have been recognized as unsafe, information as of December 2017).
Israel
It’s good that there are countries on the Red Sea for holidays, besides Egypt, and first of all, this is Israel. True, it does not offer a staggering number of resorts, but the main one is Eilat– makes a truly indelible impression on tourists.
Despite the proximity of Somalia, which is on the international “red” list of dangerous countries for tourism, and the border conflict with Eritrea, there is no official ban on organizing tours in Djibouti.
Eritrea
You can see where the Red Sea is on the map above. The sea is located between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa in a tectonic basin. Through the Suez Canal in the north the sea connects with the Mediterranean, in the south the sea exits into the Indian Ocean.
The saltiest sea in the world
Of all the seas, the Red Sea is the saltiest, yes, surprisingly, but it is believed that it is saltier than even the Dead Sea. This happens due to the fact that the Dead Sea is closed, and the Red Sea has an influx of salt water through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait where it connects with the Indian Ocean and at the same time, in a hot climate, it has evaporation from the surface of about 2000 mm per year with precipitation of only about 100 millimeters .
A sea into which no river flows
In addition to the hot climate, the Red Sea has one more feature - not a single river flows into the sea, but it is the rivers that carry fresh water into the seas. These are the main factors due to which the Red Sea is considered the saltiest sea in the world; in one year, 1000 cubic kilometers more water is introduced into the Red Sea than flows out of it.
In one liter sea water The Red Sea contains about 41 grams of salt. Although in the depths of the sea there are places where there are more than 260 grams of salt per liter. The maximum depth of the sea, according to various estimates, does not exceed three kilometers, officially 2211 meters.
Location: between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa
Washing the shores of countries: Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, Jordan
Square: 438,000 km²
Greatest depth: 2211 m
Coordinates: 20°44"41.1"N 37°55"27.9"E
The Red Sea, located in a tectonic basin and is inland sea The third largest on our planet, the Indian Ocean, is considered the youngest and most interesting in terms of diversity of flora and fauna.
It is located between the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. The Red Sea connects with Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, through the well-known Suez Canal.
Speaking about the Red Sea, you should pay attention to the fact that it is considered the saltiest of all the seas that are part of the World Ocean, which washes all the continents of our planet.
“Why is this sea the saltiest of all the seas?” a person who does not know the geography and location of the Red Sea may ask. The thing is that the Red Sea is the only sea in the whole world into which not a single freshwater river flows. Naturally, it is significantly inferior in salt content to the Dead Sea, but it should be remembered that practically no living organism can survive in the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea amazes even experienced divers with the abundance of life forms. And this despite the fact that the salinity of the water of the magnificent Red Sea is up to 60 grams of salts per liter of water taken for laboratory analysis.
As a comparison, it is worth citing the salinity of the water, popular among domestic tourists, in the Black Sea - it is only 18 grams of salts per liter of water.
In addition, describing the Red Sea, which is rightfully considered one of seven wonders of the underwater world, it is impossible not to mention that this is also the warmest sea on the planet. It is warmed not only by the rays of the sun, but also by the earth’s mantle, that is, in the Red Sea, unlike other seas, not cold, but warm layers of water rise from the depths. In winter, the water warms up to 21 - 23 degrees Celsius, and in summer up to +30. Because of high temperature water and its constant evaporation, the Red Sea became the saltiest in the world, naturally, after the Dead Sea.
Origin of the name of the Red Sea
The Red Sea, according to the most conservative assumptions of scientists, originated 25 million years ago. Therefore, it is, alas, impossible to find out exactly why the Red Sea was called “Red”. There are only a few versions of the origin of the name of the Red Sea, although it is worth mentioning right away that none of them can be considered reliable.
According to the first version, the name comes from the ancient language of the Himyarites - a people who lived in South Arabia long before these lands were captured by the Arabs. The conquerors tried for a long time to decipher the writing of the Semites and decided to read the three letters “X”, “M” and “P” in their own way - “Akhmar”, which translated means red. This assumption can be considered as a version that does not deserve special attention: it is difficult to imagine that the Arabs decided to add vowels to a foreign language in order to get a word that would be familiar to them, because they were deciphering the language, and not merging it with their own.
The second version, according to historians, is more plausible, although it is associated with the myths of many peoples who inhabited the territory near the Red Sea. They associated each part of the world with a specific color. The color red was associated with the south, where the sea was located, hence its name. According to documents that have survived to this day and have been deciphered by scientists, the Red Sea was mentioned back in the 2nd century BC, and in the 16th century some researchers called this sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean, Suez.
As mentioned above, the sea was formed even when India began its movement towards to the Asian mainland, and this event happened long before the first person appeared on Earth, so scientists will probably not be able to find out for sure why the saltiest sea that is part of the World Ocean was called “Red”.
The Long History of the Youngest Sea
Over the entire period of its existence, the Red Sea, despite its young age (naturally, according to geological standards), has experienced a number of changes and cataclysms. For 25 million years, which for our planet can be considered only a short moment, the level of the World Ocean has constantly fluctuated, which, by the way, is still happening. Glaciers melted and new ones formed; the waters of the oceans rose and fell by tens, or even hundreds of meters. As soon as the level of the World Ocean dropped significantly, the Red Sea turned into a huge salt Lake, where the salt content was several times higher than the amount of salt per liter of water in the Dead Sea.
By the way, at the moment the sea is connected to the ocean by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The deepest point of the strait is 184 meters. One can only imagine what will happen if a new ice age begins and the level of the World Ocean drops by 190 meters. The Red Sea will cease to communicate with the waters of the Indian Ocean and will once again become dead. However, this does not threaten our contemporaries and descendants. Such a decrease in the level of the World Ocean occurs over hundreds of thousands of years, so the amazingly beautiful sea that washes the shores of Sudan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and, of course, Egypt will delight everyone who wants to see all the wealth of the underwater world that can only be found in the Red Sea or on the Barrier Reefs.
Scientists have found that the Red Sea quite often lost its “connection” with the World Ocean, and its coast dried up and was covered with salt. As a result of this, even now, alas, you will not find lush vegetation on the shores of the Red Sea, and you will not be able to quench your thirst from the spring that flows. The water underground also tastes salty. Surprisingly, even rains in the Red Sea area will not give life-giving moisture to the soil; they, like the sea and the springs near it, are salty.
Forest by the Red Sea
Yes, dear reader, you heard right, in the northernmost part of the Red Sea there is a forest consisting of mangroves. This forest is part of a nature reserve called Nabq. Only mangroves are able to grow in salt water and do not require constant access to oxygen to the root system.
This amazing plant is able to remove excess salt through its leaves, and life-giving fresh moisture nourishes the wood. Mangroves usually grow together in such a way that it is quite difficult for a person to get through them, and once in a certain area, you can easily find yourself in a trap from which it is impossible to get out without outside help. The mangroves of the Red Sea are home to a huge number of animals and birds, whose lives are monitored by ornithologists and zoologists in the reserve.
Flora and fauna of the Red Sea
If we say that The Red Sea is real paradise for divers, fishermen and people interested in spearfishing, this will not be an exaggeration. You just have to put on a mask and pick up a snorkel, and right off the coast you can see the enchanting underwater world with many colorful corals, sponges, sea urchins and fish.
Sometimes it seems that each species competes with each other here in terms of brightness of color and unusual shape. The warm and crystal clear waters of the Red Sea support many species of underwater flora and fauna, most of which are endemic. Life underwater here is in full swing and does not stop even in the dead of night.
Today alone, scientists who conduct research in the depths of the Red Sea have discovered and described almost 1,500 invertebrates, and almost the same number of fish species. The waters of the Red Sea are home to almost 300 species of corals, the reproduction of which is a fantastic picture.
Huge sea turtles and frolicking dolphins complement the amazing landscape and tell the tourist that he is in a place where underwater life is revealed to man in all its glory.
It is surprising that, according to ichthyologists, no more than 60% of the underwater inhabitants of the Red Sea have been discovered in our time. The greatest depth of this unique sea is more than 3 kilometers, which means that most deep-sea fish are not yet known to science. So far, only forty-three species of fish living at great depths have been discovered. Also, the Red Sea constantly poses more and more mysteries for scientists. It is still unknown why about 30% of the inhabitants of the northern part of the sea cannot live in its other part.
It seems as if an invisible border prevents them from moving from north to south. Although the chemical composition of water and temperature conditions in these areas are almost identical. Maybe the reason lies in the word “almost”?...
Despite the extraterrestrial beauty of the underwater world, the Red Sea is fraught with a lot of dangers. Touching the most beautiful corals, sponges or fancy jellyfish in the sea is strictly prohibited. This is written about in almost every tourist brochure. Injection sea urchin or the bite of a poisonous underwater snake, toothed moray eel can lead to burns, an allergic reaction, severe blood loss, and sometimes death of the victim.
When diving into the depths of the Red Sea, you must remember that it is home to 44 species of sharks. Some of them are quite harmless creatures that live only at great depths and feed on plankton or small fish. However, among them there are also species that are most dangerous to humans, for example, the tiger shark, which often attacks a person for no apparent reason. Its mouth is lined with huge, sharp teeth that can easily tear off a limb. Alas, in recent years, attacks by tiger sharks on vacationers have become more and more frequent, which, for the most part, often end fatally. There is evidence that a great white shark was seen in the Red Sea, which, even according to scientists, is a killing machine.
Many people associate the Red Sea with a great opportunity to relax on the best, but inexpensive resorts with luxurious beaches, a large selection of hotels to suit every taste and an abundance of unforgettable entertainment.
The Red Sea on the World Atlas in Russian
Red sea has a number of features. Thanks to them, it is significantly different from other bodies of water.
What country is it in?
The Red Sea on the world map can be found where the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula diverge.
This body of water is part of the Indian Ocean and is located in a deep tectonic depression.
On north this water area has peculiar borders with, thanks to the Suez Canal, and on south through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait it is connected to the Arabian Sea, which is also part of the Indian Ocean.
Story
Geologically, the reservoir was formed at the junction of the African and Arabian lithospheric plates and it arose relatively recently - about 40 million years ago, when a deep crack arose in the earth's crust. Over millions of years, the hole was filled with ocean water, forming its own plant and animal world. Even today, the plates continue to move, so the shores constantly diverge, and its depth increases.
There are several versions of why the sea got its name:
- In ancient times the south associated with the color red;
- Blooming corals in water they change its shade;
- Red rocks at sunset they give the sea a special hue.
More romantic legends tell that the sea began to be called red when a young man in love decorated the surface of the water for his beloved rose petals. And according to another version, it was in this sea Moses' pursuers drowned, when the waves converged again behind the Jews.
Which countries does it wash?
First of all, the countries that are associated when mentioning the Red Sea coast are and. In addition, the sea is surrounded by six other countries - Jordan, where it forms the Gulf of Aqaba, as well as the coasts of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Yemen.
Description
Once upon a time the Red Sea was only small basin on the Afro-Asian continent, but over time the plates separated more and more, and the size of the reservoir increased.
Characteristics
Today, the depth in the central part of the sea reaches very impressive dimensions - 3000 meters, the depression from the fault - 1000 meters, and the coastal zone - up to 200 meters.
The length of the reservoir from north to south is 2350 km, and its width is 350 km. Water volume – 450 thousand square meters. km.
There are several features associated with the Red Sea:
- Into the pond no river flows, so the water here is much clearer;
- Heatwave increases the rate of evaporation, increasing the concentration of salt;
- In the southern part of the sea there are islands, the largest archipelago is Dahlagh;
- Due to the constantly high temperature, this body of water is considered.
The coast of the resort is very extensive, well-groomed and has good developed infrastructure. It is home to several dive centers offering a variety of dive sites. You can also go to Aqaba to explore the historical ones.
Coastal areas of other countries
Red Sea resorts located in other countries are less known, but most of them are developing steadily. Already available for Massawa holidays in Eritrea.
Due to its location on the world map, the Red Sea has all the conditions to ensure that your vacation remains eventful and unforgettable.
