Indian Ocean
The up to 8047 meters deep Indian Ocean (short, but rarely used the Indian Ocean, from Latin oceanus indicus, analogous to the Atlantic, Pacific ), with 74.9 million km ² (about 14.7 % of the Earth ) is the third largest ocean in the world. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean, the African, Asian and the Australian continent and has a volume of about 291.9 million km ³. In contrast to the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, extending to relatively equal proportions on both the northern and the southern hemisphere of the earth, the vast majority of the Indian Ocean lies in the Southern Hemisphere.
- 2.4.1 Asia
- 2.4.2 Australia
- 2.4.3 Africa
Seabed
Within the Indian Ocean and on the sea floor there is a high and rather elongated mid oceanic ridge many lower thresholds, deep-sea basins, deep-sea trenches and various marine lows.
At mid-ocean ridges is one of the central Indian ridge that runs roughly in the middle from north to south by the ocean. Among the deep-sea trenches belongs to the 7455 m deep Sunda Trench to the saltwater lows the Diamantinatief, which is the deepest part of the Indian Ocean with 8047 m below sea level.
Geography
The Indian Ocean is very much divided. You count to him the following:
Besides seas
To the margin and marginal seas of the Indian Ocean are:
There are also around the Indian Ocean and its adjacent seas numerous
Sea States
Asia
Israel and Jordan (both across the Gulf of Aqaba), Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Australia
The whole continent itself is already bordering state.
Africa
From south to north they are:
South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt.
( The latter three are indirectly connected with him through the Red Sea as a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean. )
Island states
Within the Indian Ocean are the politically independent island states, Indonesia, Madagascar and Sri Lanka. Independent groups of islands are the Comoros ( the French overseas department of Mayotte ), the Seychelles and the Maldives. The archipelago of the Mascarene Islands consist of the independent Mauritius together with the island of Rodrigues and the French overseas department of Réunion.
Other islands and island groups
The archipelago of Socotra belongs to the Republic of Yemen. The Zanzibar archipelago is one of Tanzania. The Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the same groups of islands Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island groups of Lakshadweep and amine divas and the Minicoy island together form the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
The Chagos Archipelago with the main island of Diego Garcia is the last British Indian Ocean Territory. The island of Ko Phuket is one of Thailand.
To Australia include Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Ashmore and Cartier Islands.
Other belonging to the Indian Ocean islands are counted to the French Southern and Antarctic Territories Kerguelen.
Port cities of the Indian Ocean
In the Indian Ocean are sometimes very important port cities. These are in
Asia
- Aden ( Yemen)
- Bandar Abbas (Iran)
- Chennai (India)
- Colombo ( Sri Lanka)
- Jakarta ( Indonesia)
- Calcutta (India)
- Karachi ( Pakistan)
- Mangalore ( India)
- Mumbai (India)
- Salalah (Oman )
Australia
Africa
- Assab (Eritrea)
- Beira ( Mozambique)
- Port Sudan (Sudan)
- Dar es Salaam ( Tanzania)
- Djibouti ( city) (Djibouti)
- Boosaaso (Somalia)
- Durban (South Africa)
- East London (South Africa)
- Hurghada ( Egypt)
- Kismayo (Somalia)
- Maputo ( Mozambique)
- Massawa (Eritrea)
- Merka (Somalia)
- Mogadishu (Somalia)
- Mombasa ( Kenya)
- Obock (Djibouti)
- Pemba (Mozambique )
- Port Elizabeth ( South Africa)
- Richards Bay ( South Africa)
- Safaga (Egypt)
- Zanzibar City ( Tanzania)
- Suez (Egypt)
- Tadjoura (Djibouti)
- Tanga ( Tanzania)
Earthquake in the Indian Ocean 2004
Devastating effects had an earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which occurred on 26 December 2004. It had the strength of 9.2 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in the sea, near the northwest tip of Sumatra. The triggered by the quake caused huge tsunami, more than 300,000 deaths. Mainly affected countries were Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. However, the waves reached even the 5200 km distant Somalia.