Where does the name Indian Ocean come from?  Indian Ocean description, interesting facts

Our planet is luxurious in every way: a huge variety of vegetation, an incredible wealth of animal life and an endless abundance of aquatic life. All this and much more is contained on our beautiful Earth.

Surely everyone knows that there are four vast oceans on our planet. They are all magnificent in their own way. The Quiet, for example, is the largest, the Atlantic is salty, the Arctic is cold, and Indian is the warmest. It is precisely the latter that we will devote our article to.

Did you know that the Indian Ocean is considered the third largest? Its area is no less than 76.17 million km, which is 20% of the entire globe. So what secrets does our mysterious hero keep? Let's figure it out below.

General information about the location

In the north, the ocean washes mysterious Asia, in the east - adventurous Australia, in the west - sunny Africa, and in the south - frosty Antarctica. The highest point of the Indian Ocean is located along the 30th meridian of northern latitude. It is located in the Persian Gulf. The border with the Atlantic Ocean runs along the 20th meridian of eastern longitude, and the Pacific Ocean - along 146°55 of the same longitude. The length of the Indian Ocean is 100,000 km.

A few words about history

Some areas of ancient civilizations were located precisely on the shores of our hero. Researchers claim that one of the very first voyages took place in the waters of the Indian Ocean, approximately 6 thousand years ago. Arab sailors described the ocean route in detail. The first geographical information appeared in the 90s of the 15th century, during the lifetime of Vasco de Gama himself, who was the first in history to overcome the path from Europe to India. It was he who spoke about the countless water beauties that the Indian Ocean provided.

The depth of the ocean was first measured by the world-famous navigator James Cook, famous for his expeditions around the world and numerous discoveries in the field of geography. Members of one of the famous English expeditions, which plowed the endless expanses on the famous Challenger ship, began to study the ocean in all respects back in the 19th century.

Which countries are washed by the Indian Ocean?

This giant washes a huge number of states, both mainland and island.

Mainland Indian Ocean countries:

Australia;

Thailand;

Saudi Arabia;

Indonesia;

Pakistan;

Malaysia;

Mozambique;

Bangladesh;

Island countries of the Indian Ocean:

Mauritius;

Maldives;

Sri Lanka;

Madagascar;

Seychelles.

This is the vast Indian Ocean.

Ocean depth

The Indian Ocean has five seas. They are the ones who form the depth and area of ​​our hero. For example, the Arabian Sea is one of the deepest in the Indian Ocean. The significant point is located on the mid-ocean ridge, in its center, where the rift valley is located. The depth above it is neither more nor less, but 3600 m. The deepest point of the Indian Ocean is located near the island of Java, in the Java Trench, and is 7455 m. Unlike the Pacific Ocean, this is not enough, because its maximum depth is 11022 m. ( Mariana Trench).

Indian Ocean climate

Most of the ocean lies in the tropical, equatorial and subequatorial zones, only its southern region is located in high latitudes.

The climate is represented by monsoons and seasonal winds in the northern part of the ocean. There are two seasons in this area: a warm, calm winter and a hot, rainy, cloudy, stormy summer. Closer to the south, the southeast trade wind rules. In temperate latitudes, a strong westerly wind constantly prevails. The maximum amount of precipitation is observed in (about 3000 mm per year). The minimum is off the coast of the Red Sea, Arabia, and in the Persian Gulf.

Salinity

The maximum salinity of surface waters of the Indian Ocean is in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf (41%). Also, a fairly high salinity coefficient is observed in the eastern part of the southern tropics. As you move towards the Bay of Bengal, the figures decrease significantly - to 34%.

The increase in salinity coefficient largely depends on precipitation and evaporation.

Minimum indicators are typical for the territory of Antarctic waters. Typically, this coefficient in this area is affected by the melting of glaciers.

Temperature

The temperature of the Indian Ocean on the surface of the water is +29 o C. This is the highest indicator. Less observed off the African coast, where the Somali Current lies - +22-23 o C. At the equator, the temperature of surface waters averages +26-28 o C. If you move further south, it reaches -1 o C (off the coast of Antarctica).

Icebergs also contribute to temperature changes, and in rare cases they float into the southern latitudes.

As you can see, the average temperature of the Indian Ocean as a whole is high, which is why our hero was awarded the title of “the warmest ocean in the world.”

Bays

The Indian Ocean has 19 bays (3 of them belong to the Red Sea):

Gulfs of the Indian Ocean Red Sea

1. Aqaba. In recent years it has acquired resort significance. Length - 175 km, width - 29 km. The West Bank belongs to Egypt, the East to Saudi Arabia, and the North to Jordan and Israel.
2. Makadi. Attracts tourists with its amazing coral beaches. It is a bay stretching for 30 km along the coast of the Red Sea.
3. Separates the Asian Sinai Peninsula from Africa. Length - 290 km, width - 55 km.

Relief

The relief of the Indian Ocean is characterized by the presence of a ridge at its depth called the Indian Central Ridge. It stretches along the western shores of Hindustan. The average depth above it is 3.5 km. In some places it decreases and is already about 2.4 km. After this, the ridge branches. The first branch goes towards the east and reaches the Pacific Ocean, almost touching Antarctica, and ends at the Australasian-Antarctic Rise, the depth above which is 3.5 km.

The other branch goes south to Antarctica and ends with a ridge called the Karguelen-Gausberg, the minimum depth above which is 0.5 km, the maximum is 2.3 km.

The Central Indian Ridge divides the ocean into two parts of different sizes: western and eastern. In the eastern territory there are the Indian-Australian and South Australian basins, the depths above which vary from 500 to 7455 m. In the northeastern part of the Indian-Australian basin there is the deepest depression in the Indian Ocean. The depth of the ocean, more precisely, its maximum point, is located nearby (7455 m).

The bottom of the Indian Ocean in the western relief part is significantly different from the eastern part; it is more complex in its structure. This is explained by the fact that in the latter quite often there is a significant rise in the bottom (due to this, in most cases small-sized islands are formed) and an uneven arrangement of basins.

To the north of the island of Madagascar there is a basin called Somalia, the depth above which is 5.2 km. To the south of the island there is a plateau called Crozet, surrounded on all sides by basins. The depth above it is 2.5 km. If you move to the northeast, the Central Indian Basin appears. The depth above it is 5.5 km. Between Madagascar and Crozet, a little to the north, there is a basin called Madagascar with a depth of 5.78 km. To the south is a basin belonging to Cape Agulhas, the depth above which is 5.5 km. The relief of the Indian Ocean towards Antarctica is characterized by the presence of bottom subsidence. The depth above this area reaches 5.8 km.

Flora and fauna

The nature of the Indian Ocean is diverse and very interesting. Animals and plants that live here are accustomed to regular droughts and floods.

Many tropical shores of the Indian Ocean are represented by mangroves, or rhizophores. Among the animals in this area, numerous species of crabs live. A fish called the mudskipper inhabits almost the entire mangrove region of the Indian Ocean.

In shallow areas of tropical waters, corals with fish and numerous invertebrates living on them have taken root.

In temperate zones, brown, blue-green plants grow and most of them are kelp, microcystis and fucus. Among phytoplankton, diatoms predominate, and in tropical zones - peridinea.

The most famous crayfish, which largely predominate in the Indian Ocean, are copepods. Now there are more than 20 thousand species. In second place among the animals living in this ocean are jellyfish and squid. Among the fish known are tuna, sailfish, coryphens and light anchovies.

They have chosen the territory of the ocean and dangerous species of animals. Sharks, crocodiles and poisonous snakes regularly terrorize local residents.

The dominant mammals in the Indian Ocean are dolphins, whales, dugongs and fur seals. Birds - penguins, albatrosses and frigate birds.

Pool

The Indian Ocean basin is quite diverse. It includes the African rivers - Zambezi and Limpopo; largest Asian rivers - Irrawaddy, Salween; The Euphrates and Tigris, which merge just above their confluence with the Persian Gulf; The Indus flows into the Arabian Sea.

Fisheries and marine activities

The coastal population has been engaged in economic activities for quite a long time. To this day, fishing and seafood is of great importance for the economy of many countries washed by the Indian Ocean. The depth of the ocean provides rich gifts to people, for example, in Sri Lanka, northwestern Australia and the Bahrain Islands there is intensive mining of mother-of-pearl and pearls.

Near Antarctica, people are actively engaged in whale fishing, and tuna fishing takes place near the equator.

The Persian Gulf contains rich sources of oil, both onshore and underwater.

Environmental problems of the Indian Ocean

Human activity has led to horrific consequences. The ocean waters have become significantly polluted, which is gradually leading to the extinction of some species of marine life. For example, several species of cetaceans were in danger of becoming extinct at the end of the 20th century. The number of sei whales and sperm whales has greatly decreased.

In the 80s of the 20th century, the Whale Fishing Commission introduced a complete ban on hunting them. Violation of the moratorium was strictly punishable by law. But in 2010, under the influence of countries such as Japan, Denmark, Iceland, the ban, unfortunately, was lifted.

A great danger for marine life is the pollution of ocean waters with petroleum products, all kinds of waste from the nuclear industry and heavy metals. Oil tankers also pass through the ocean, delivering oil from the Persian Gulf to European countries. If a sudden accident occurs on such a transport, it will lead to mass death of underwater inhabitants.

Studying geography is quite interesting, especially when it comes to sea beauties and inhabitants. The 7th grade of a secondary school studies the Indian Ocean in the most detail. Children enthusiastically listen to everything that the teacher tells about this beautiful and mysterious giant, which is teeming with a variety of vegetation and a wealth of animal life.

The Indian Ocean is the same ocean whose depths keep many mysteries and secrets. Although Indonesia is washed by two oceans - the Pacific and the Indian, only the second belongs to Bali. The Indian Ocean is where the island's surf spots belong. Since “you need to know your heroes by sight,” we have collected as many facts as possible about this ocean, some of them are amazing.

General information

The area of ​​the Indian Ocean is approximately one fifth of the total area of ​​our planet; it washes 4 out of 6 possible parts of the world: Australia, Africa, Asia and even Antarctica. The ocean covers 57 island groups, 16 countries in Africa and 18 in Asia. This 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 transport routes. This was primarily due to the desire of Europeans to gain access to India, where jewelry, rice, cotton, luxurious fabrics and much more were actively purchased. It is the Indian Ocean that connects the largest number of 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, reserves amount to about 2.3 trillion cubic meters).

Indian Ocean and surfing

The most popular destinations are:

Indonesia. Surfing began about 80 years ago, when American photographer Robert Coke decided to found the Kuta Beach hotel. During the events surrounding World War II and Indonesia's struggle for independence, surfing was forgotten. But Australians, insatiable for home spots, revived surfing in the 1960s. Countless islands, led by Bali, have made Indonesia the most popular surfing destination in Asia. Sumatra (pictured above), Sumbawa, Java, Mentwai, Lombok, Nias, Timor - these are just a small part of the places where your vacation will definitely not be “beachy”.

Sri Lanka. Surfers only reached here in 1970. Unfortunately, the happiness did not last long, as 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 killed about 200,000 people. Restoration work is still ongoing, but tourism and surfing are returning and gaining momentum. Of course, there are significantly 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 meditation, surfing has its place. 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 even 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 a honeymoon, but also for surfing. Australians discovered this in the 70s, sailing across 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 this fabulous place, which sparked a real surf boom. Enterprising Australians immediately began organizing trips. From April to October, when the waves will please even an inveterate perfectionist, two days on the road will not stop a true surfing fan.

Mauritius. It was opened at the end of the last century. The real buzz is concentrated in the south of the island. What’s remarkable is that on the same spot at the same time you can meet windsurfers, kite surfers, and us, ordinary surfers. That's why the spots are a little overloaded with such variety. It is also worth noting that Mauritius is included in the segment of luxury resorts, just like the Maldives, so the option of a hippie vacation or a budget surf trip is unlikely.

Reunion. Small island, 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 “Sea of ​​Milk” has been discovered - blue water with a shining whitish tint. The reason for this is the bacterium Vibrio Harveyi, which strives to get into the most favorable habitat for itself - the intestines of other ocean inhabitants. To achieve the goal, this creature takes on exactly this “milky” color.
• The blue-ringed octopus is perhaps the most dangerous inhabitant of the Indian Ocean. The size of a palm, the tiny octopus is capable of killing up to 10 people at a time with its poison. It should be noted right away that in water it does not pose a danger, but if it is thrown out of its natural habitat, then this creature displays 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 primary habitat of this little killer is, of course, Australia.
• The Indian Ocean is rich not only in surfing spots, but also in unsolvable mysteries. It was in these waters that a merchant vessel or ship was more than once discovered without a single damage, but completely empty. Where the people disappeared remains a mystery to this day.

And finally, here is a wonderful photo from the surf spot Padang Padang, Bali, Indonesia

Ocean area – 76.2 million sq. km;
Maximum depth – Sunda Trench, 7729 m;
Number of seas – 11;
The largest seas are the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea;
The largest bay is the Bay of Bengal;
The largest islands are the island of Madagascar, Sri Lanka;
The strongest currents:
- warm - South Passatnoe, Monsoon;
- cold - Western Winds, Somali.

The Indian Ocean ranks third in size. Most of it is located in the Southern Hemisphere. In the north it washes the shores of Eurasia, in the west – Africa, in the south – Antarctica, and in the east – Australia. The coastline of the Indian Ocean is slightly indented. On the northern side, the Indian Ocean is seemingly shrouded in land, making it the only ocean that is not connected to the Arctic Ocean.
The Indian Ocean was formed as a result of the splitting of the ancient continent of Gondwana into parts. It lies on the boundary of three lithospheric plates - the Indo-Australian, African and Antarctic. The mid-ocean ridges of the Arabian-Indian, West Indian and Australian-Antarctic are the boundaries between these plates. Underwater ridges and elevations divide the ocean floor into separate basins. The ocean shelf zone is very narrow. Most of the ocean lies within the boundaries of the bed and has considerable depth.

From the north, the Indian Ocean is reliably protected by mountains from the penetration of cold air masses. Therefore, the temperature of surface waters in the northern part of the ocean reaches +29 ˚С, and in the summer in the Persian Gulf it rises to +30...+35 ˚С.
An important feature of the Indian Ocean is the monsoon winds and the monsoon current created by them, which changes its direction seasonally. Hurricanes are frequent, especially around the island of Madagascar.
The coldest areas of the ocean are in the south, where the influence of Antarctica is felt. Icebergs are found in this part of the Pacific Ocean.
The salinity of surface waters is higher than in the World Ocean. The salinity record was recorded in the Red Sea – 41%.
The organic world of the Indian Ocean is diverse. Tropical water masses are rich in plankton. The most common fish include: sardinella, mackerel, tuna, mackerel, flounder, flying fish and numerous sharks.
Shelf areas and coral reefs are especially rich in life. The warm waters of the Pacific Ocean are home to giant sea turtles, sea snakes, a lot of squid, cuttlefish, and starfish. Whales and seals are found closer to Antarctica. Pearls are mined in the Persian Gulf near the island of Sri Lanka.
Important shipping routes pass through the Indian Ocean, mostly in its northern part. The Suez Canal, dug at the end of the 19th century, connects the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.
The first information about the Indian Ocean was collected 3 thousand years BC by Indian, Egyptian and Phoenician sailors. The first sailing routes in the Indian Ocean were drawn up by the Arabs.
Vasco da Gama, after the discovery of India in 1499, Europeans began to explore the Indian Ocean. During an expedition, the English navigator James Cook made the first measurements of the depth of the ocean.
A comprehensive study of the nature of the Indian Ocean begins at the end of the nineteenth century.
Nowadays, the warm waters and picturesque coral islands of the Indian Ocean, which attract the attention of tourists from around the world, are carefully studied by numerous scientific expeditions from all over the world.

The Indian Ocean covers an area of ​​more than 76 million square kilometers, making it the third largest in the world.

Africa is nestled in the western part of the Indian Ocean, the Sunda Islands and Australia are in the east, Antarctica sparkles in the south and captivating Asia is in the north. The Hindustan Peninsula divides the northern part of the Indian Ocean into two parts - the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

Borders

The meridian of Cape Agulhas coincides with the border between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and the line that connects the Malaaka Peninsula with the islands of Java, Sumatra and runs along the meridian of the Southeast Cape south of Tasmania is the border between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Indian Ocean Islands

Here are such famous islands as the Maldives, Seychelles, Madagascar, Cocos Islands, Laccadive, Nicobar, the Chagos Archipelago and Christmas Island.

It is impossible not to mention the group of Mascarene Islands, which are located east of Madagascar: Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues. And on the southern side of the island there are Kroe, Prince Edward, Kerguelen with beautiful beaches.

Brethren

The Maoacc Strait connects the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea; between the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea, the Sunda Strait and the Lombok Strait act as connective tissue.

From the Gulf of Oman, which is located in the northwest Arabian Sea, you can reach the Persian Gulf by sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The road to the Red Sea is opened by the Gulf of Aden, which is located a little to the south. Madagascar is separated from the African continent by the Mozambique Channel.

Basin and list of flowing rivers

The Indian Ocean basin includes such large rivers of Asia as:

• The Indus, which flows into the Arabian Sea,
• Irrawaddy,
• Salween,
• Ganges and Brahmaputra, going to the Bay of Bengal,
• The Euphrates and Tigris, which merge slightly above their confluence with the Persian Gulf,
• The Limpopo and Zambezi, Africa's largest rivers, also flow into it.

The greatest depth (maximum - almost 8 kilometers) of the Indian Ocean was measured in the Java (or Sunda) deep-sea trench. The average depth of the ocean is almost 4 kilometers.

Under the influence of seasonal changes in monsoon winds, surface currents in the north of the ocean change.

In winter, the monsoons blow from the northeast, and in summer from the southwest. Currents that are south of 10°S generally move counterclockwise.

In the south of the ocean, currents move east from the west, and the South Trade Wind Current (north of 20° S) moves in the opposite direction. The equatorial countercurrent, which is located immediately south of the equator itself, carries water to the east.

Etymology

The Erythraean Sea is what the ancient Greeks called the western part of the Indian Ocean with the Persian and Arabian Gulfs. Over time, this name began to be identified only with the nearest sea, and the ocean itself was named in honor of India, which was very famous for its wealth among all the countries that are located off the coast of this ocean.

In the fourth century BC, Alexander of Macdonald called the Indian Ocean Indicon pelagos (which means “Indian Sea” in ancient Greek). The Arabs called it Bar el-Hid.

In the 16th century, the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder introduced a name that has stuck to this day: Oceanus Indicus (which in Latin corresponds to the modern name).

You might be interested in:

Indian Ocean- the warmest ocean on our planet. Occupying a fifth of the Earth's surface, the Indian Ocean is not the largest ocean, but it has rich flora and fauna, as well as a lot of other advantages.

Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean occupies 20% of the entire globe. This ocean is characterized by rich and diverse natural life.
shows vast territories and a large number of interesting islands for researchers and tourists. If you don't yet know where it is located Indian Ocean map will tell you.

Indian Ocean Current Map

The underwater world of the Indian Ocean

Rich and varied underwater world of the Indian Ocean. In it you can find both very small aquatic inhabitants and large and dangerous representatives of the aquatic world.

Since ancient times, man has been trying to subjugate the ocean and its inhabitants. In all centuries, hunting has been organized for the inhabitants of the underwater world of the Indian Ocean.

—

—

There are even those that can cause trouble for a person. For example, these are sea anemones that live in almost all the seas and oceans of our planet. Sea anemones can be found not only in the depths, but also in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean. They almost always feel hungry, so they sit hidden with their tentacles widely spaced. Predatory representatives of this species are poisonous. Their shot can hit small organisms and also cause burns in people. Sea urchins, seals, and the most exotic species of fish live in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The flora is diverse, which makes diving truly exciting.

Fishes in the Indian Ocean