The Red Sea is one of the most famous and most visited seas in the world. It is a huge hit with divers and those who like to soak up the calm waves.
Red sea
The Red Sea is one of the inland seas belonging to the basin. Its waters are rightfully considered the saltiest in the world. There are many species of flora and fauna in the Red Sea. It can be called one of the most beautiful seas in the world.
The waters of the Red Sea wash the shores of two continents: and. The water area is 450 tons km2.
The seabed relief has a varied landscape. In the southern part of the water area there is a sandbank, the average depth of which is about 200 meters. There are indigenous and coral islands on it. There is also a depression, which is located in most of the sea. Its average depth is 1000 m. In addition to it, there is a deeper trench, with a maximum depth of 3040 m. However, the average depth of the Red Sea is 437 m.
There are practically no islands in the northern part of the Red Sea. Tiran is considered one of the largest islands. In the southern part of the water area, several groups are formed, consisting of small islands. In the southwestern part there are large groups, for example Dakhlak, and the smaller archipelagos are Suakin, Farasan and Khanish. There are also separate islands in this part of the sea, for example, the island of Kamaran.
In the northern part of the coast there are two large bays, which are connected to the sea through the Tiran Strait. These are the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. A fault runs along the bottom of the Gulf of Aqaba, the depth of which can reach 1,800 meters.
Another feature of the Red Sea is the complete absence of flowing rivers. In connection with this feature, the water in the sea is very transparent, since usually rivers bring sand, clay and silt from the continents, which subsequently affects the transparency of the sea water.
Another feature of this delightful part is the increased salinity of the water. One liter of seawater contains 41 grams of salt, which is significantly higher than that of other seas and oceans. For example, in the Indian Ocean, this figure does not exceed 34 grams per liter of seawater. In terms of salt content in sea water, the Red Sea ranks first in the world.
Precipitation over the sea is rather rare. They fall several times a year, and only during the cooler winter months. In total, there are no more than 100 millimeters per year. Much more evaporates - 2000 millimeters, that is, 20 times more. If you count, then every day more than 0.5 centimeter of water evaporates. The complete absence of water flow from the continents makes up for water exchange with the Gulf of Aden, through which the red merges with. Also in the sea there are currents located in the Bab-el-Mandeb Bay. These currents simultaneously move into and out of the Red Sea.
Tourists from all over the world warm the Red Sea to Sudan, Israel, Egypt, and Eritrea to see the diversity of its underwater world. There are huge coral reefs that stretch along the coast of Egypt and many fish and marine life. For example, bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, angel fish, butterfly fish, sultans, clown fish, moray eels, sharks and a variety of echinoderms such as sea cucumber.
A tropical desert climate prevails over the entire coast of the Red Sea. Only the extreme north of the sea coast is located in the Mediterranean climate zone.
The cold period is from December to January, the warm one is from July to September. In cooler months, the temperature can reach 20-25 degrees. In the summer months, it rises to 35-40, and in the hottest August, it can reach 500 Celsius.
Due to such a high temperature, off the African coast, the temperature on the surface of the water is + 20C in winter, and at least 27 in summer.
Good to you in crystal clear water!
Or the Arabian Gulf - represents the large gulf of the Indian Ocean, separating Arabia from Egypt and Abyssinia. The Red Sea is connected with the Indian Ocean by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and in the North it is adjacent to the Isthmus of Suez. located between paral. 12 ° 40 "and 30 ° N and between meridians 32 ° 20" and 43 ° 25 "E from Grinich. Red sea 449010 sq. km .; almost 2/3 of the sea lies in the tropical zone. Name Red sea occurred, apparently, partly from the color of the bottom bottom near the coast, partly from the color of the water produced by zoophytes and microscopic algae. The shores Red sea mostly low, in the north adjacent to deserts, in the southern part of the western coast adjacent to mountainous Abyssinia; many coral reefs, scattered throughout the coast, especially the Arabian, and in places stretching a great distance from the coast, 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, are the volcanic islands Zhebel-Teir and Zhebel-Zukur. In the northern part of the sea, only two islets protrude closer to the middle of the sea, the Brothers and Dadalus islands.
The saltiest and warmest in the world. The average salinity reaches 3.98%, at great depths the salinity even exceeds 4%. In the Suez Canal, especially as far as it goes. approaching the bitter lake, salinity over 5%. The water temperature on the surface in March-April in the southern part of the sea is up to 30 ° C, and in the north 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 about 21 ° C. The reasons for the high salinity and temperature are climatic conditions.
Surrounded by the warmest countries in the world; not a single constant river flows into it, there is little precipitation, high evaporation - 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 more than the salinity of the waters of the Indian Ocean, at depths the water rushes from Red sea into the ocean, and therefore the ocean warms up, and this is the likely reason for the highest temperature of the depths of the Indian Ocean in its northwestern part. During the dominance of the monsoon, that is, in summer, the surface current has a southerly direction, which is then noticed almost throughout Red sea, but it reaches special strength in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The ebb and flow of the Red Sea has been little explored. Climate Red sea one of the hottest in the world, especially from May to September.
Swimming along the shores Red sea it is extremely difficult by reefs, but the middle of the sea is quite convenient for the sailing of steam ships with a sufficient supply of coal, while sailing ships always have to fight against opposing winds that breed quite large waves. There are few ports; besides Suez, they are most often visited by the ships of Jumbo, Jeddah, Godeida, Logia and Mokka on the Arabian coast and Massova, Suakim and Kosseir on the African coast. Suakim is the main port of Sudan, Jeddah is the landing site for the pilgrims heading to Mecca. Before entering , in the Gulf of Aden, the colonies are located: French Obock and English Aden. The latter is visited by almost all ships sailing from Europe through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean; here they stock up on coal and provisions. 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, etc.
With the opening of the Cape of Good Hope has lost its worldwide significance; through it only communications were conducted between Arabiego, on the one hand, and Abyssinea and Egypt, on the other; it was mainly visited by pilgrims. From 1840 a connection was established between Egypt and Jeddah, on the steamers Peninsular et Oriental Steam Navigation Company. The genius of Lesseps returned Red sea its global significance. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 became the main transit route from Europe to the ports of Asia. Thanks to the canal, freight and passenger traffic has been established between European ports and the most remote outskirts of East Asia. And for Russia is of great importance, presenting a convenient route for the relatively speedy transportation of goods, passengers, troops, etc., by steamers, 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 was formed. The African continental plate separated from the Arabian, and between them a gap formed in the earth's crust, which gradually over the millennia was filled with sea water. The plates are constantly moving, so the banks are relatively flat Red sea diverge in different directions at a rate of 10 mm per year, or 1 m per century.
It gets dirty.
The source of plastic waste is not so much beach vacationers. There is plenty of evidence of rubbish being dumped openly from boats and ferries. It is difficult for the 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 to this day fish in the reserves and catch shellfish. In places of intensive diving, corrals are damaged by novice divers.
Flora and fauna
For the quality and variety of corals, marine life and flora Red sea unmatched in the Northern Hemisphere. The tourist 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, the popularization of scuba diving.
Coral reefs stretching along the entire Egyptian coast are a kind of life center that attracts many fish. The variety of forms of corals is striking, which can be round, flat, branched, as well as have other fantastic shapes and colors - from pale yellow and pink to brown and blue. But only living corals retain color, after death they lose their soft integumentary tissues and only a white calcium skeleton remains. According to Egyptian law, coral colonies cannot be destroyed.
V Red sea bottlenose dolphins, various species of striped dolphins and killer whales are widespread. It is quite possible to meet under water and with a green turtle. Amazing elongated echinoderms - sea cucumbers - live on the seabed, sharks are found, they have chosen the coast of Sudan. Some ichthyologists and divers claim that sharks have a rather peaceful disposition, and they are extremely timid. Seeing people, they strive to retreat as soon as possible.
Moray eels, adapted to life on reefs, can reach 3 meters in length and have a rather frightening appearance. But, in general, if not teased, they are not dangerous to humans.
Here you can also find the Napoleon fish, which got its name from the characteristic protrusion on the head, which resembles the headdress of the French emperor. These fish are especially abundant at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
They are distinguished by their bright colors of angel fish and butterfly fish, clown fish and sultan fish.
Amazingly colorful and varied underwater world Red sea will delight lovers of scuba diving and all vacationers at the Red Sea resorts.
red sea map
Location: between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa
Washes the shores of countries: Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, Jordan
Square: 438,000 km²
Maximum depth: 2211 m
Coordinates: 20 ° 44 "41.1" N 37 ° 55 "27.9" E
The Red Sea, located in a tectonic depression and being the inland sea of the third largest Indian Ocean on our planet, is considered the youngest and most interesting in terms of the diversity of flora and fauna.
It is located between the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. The Red Sea connects with the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean through the well-known Suez Canal.
Speaking about the Red Sea, attention should be paid to the fact that it is considered the saltiest of all the seas that are part of the World Ocean, washing all the continents of our planet.
“Why is this sea the saltiest of all seas?” - a person who does not know too well the geography and location of the Red Sea may ask a question. 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 almost no living organism is able to survive in the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea amazes even experienced divers with an abundance of life forms. And this despite the fact that the salinity of the magnificent Red Sea water is up to 60 grams of salt per liter of water taken for laboratory analysis.
As a comparison, it is worth mentioning the salinity of the water, which is popular among domestic tourists in the Black Sea - it is only 18 grams of salt per liter of water.
In addition, describing the Red Sea, which is rightfully considered one of the 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. Due to the high temperature of the water and its constant evaporation, the Red Sea became the saltiest in the world, naturally, after the Dead Sea.
The origin of the name of the Red Sea
The Red Sea, according to the most modest 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 several 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 - "Ahmar", which in translation 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 engaged in 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. Each of the parts of the world was associated with a certain 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 were deciphered by scientists, the Red Sea was mentioned as early as the 2nd century BC, and in the 16th century, some researchers called this sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean, the Suez Sea.
As mentioned above, the sea was formed even when India began its movement towards Asian mainland, and this event happened long before the appearance of the first man on Earth, therefore, scientists will certainly not be able to find out for certain why the saltiest sea, which is part of the World Ocean, was named "Red".
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 for a short moment, the level of the World Ocean has constantly fluctuated, which, by the way, is happening now. Glaciers melted, new ones formed; the waters of the oceans rose and fell 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 connects the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait with the ocean. The deepest point of the strait is 184 meters. One has only to imagine what will happen if a new ice age begins and the level of the World Ocean falls 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 has been happening for hundreds of thousands of years, so the amazing beauty of the sea that washes the shores of Sudan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and, of course, Egypt will delight everyone who wishes 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, even now, on the shores of the Red Sea, alas, you will not find lush vegetation, and you will not be able to quench your thirst from a spring that gushes. The underground water tastes salty too. Surprisingly, even the rains in the Red Sea region 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 at all, in the northernmost part of the Red Sea there is a forest consisting of mangroves. This forest is part of the reserve called Nabq. Only mangroves are able to grow in salt water and do not need constant access to the oxygen 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 rather 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, and bird watchers and zoologists monitor their lives in the reserve.
Flora and fauna of the Red Sea
If you say that The Red Sea is a real paradise for divers, fishermen and people who are fond of spearfishing., this will not be an exaggeration. One has only to put on a mask and take a snorkel, as already at the very coast you can see a fascinating underwater world with many colorful corals, sponges, sea urchins and fish.
Sometimes it seems that each species is competing here with each other in the brightness of color and unusual shapes. The warm and crystal clear waters of the Red Sea allow many species of underwater flora and fauna to exist here, most of which are endemic. Life under water is in full swing here and does not stop even in the middle of the night.
To date alone, scientists who conduct research into the depths of the Red Sea have discovered and described almost 1,500 invertebrates, and almost the same number of fish species. Almost 300 species of coral live in the waters of the Red Sea, the reproduction of which is a fantastic picture.
Huge sea turtles and frolicking dolphins complement the amazing landscape and tell the tourist that he has come to a place where the underwater life reveals itself to a person 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 deepest of this unique sea of its kind is over 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 to scientists. It is still unknown why about 30% of the inhabitants of the northern part of the sea cannot live in another part of it.
One gets the impression that an invisible border prevents them from moving from north to south. Although the chemical composition of water and the temperature regime 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 many dangers... It is strictly forbidden to touch the beautiful corals, sponges or fancy jellyfish in the sea. This is written about in almost every tourist brochure. A prick from a sea urchin or a bite of a poisonous underwater snake or a toothed moray eel can lead to burns, an allergic reaction, large blood loss, and sometimes even death of the victim.
As you dive into the depths of the Red Sea, remember that it is home to 44 shark species. 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 the most dangerous species for humans, for example, the tiger shark, which often attacks humans for no apparent reason. Its mouth is dotted with huge sharp teeth that can easily tear off a limb. Alas, in recent years, attacks of tiger sharks on vacationers have become more and more frequent, which, for the most part, most often ended fatally. There is evidence that a great white shark was seen in the Red Sea, which, even according to scientists, is a killing machine.
The views of tourists and holidaymakers looking at the Red Sea and its map will find many of the best vacation spots on its shores.
In this part of the planet, there are several countries, whose resorts are ready to meet travelers for almost a whole year, since the climate, weather, air and water temperatures are conducive to this. What does the Red Sea map have to offer? First of all, these are the resorts of Egypt, located along its two shores: on the mainland and on the Sinai (Arabian) Peninsula.
Red sea beach holiday map: mainland Egypt
The famous resorts of Egypt are located on the mainland (Africa). Hurghada is suitable primarily for families and families with children. Elguna (El Gouna) resort is very popular with romantics, couples in love, artists, musicians, ideal for wedding tours, and it is also called the "Venice" of Egypt. It is also quite quiet, but luxurious and expensive resort.
Many people associate the Red Sea with a great opportunity to relax in the best, but inexpensive resorts with luxurious beaches, a large selection of hotels for every taste and an abundance of unforgettable entertainment.
Red Sea on the atlas of the world in Russian
Red sea has a number of features. Thanks to them, it is largely 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 connects with the Arabian Sea, which is also part of the Indian Ocean.
History
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 appeared in the earth's crust. Over millions of years, the gap has been filled with ocean water, forming its own flora and fauna. Even today, the plates continue to move, so the banks are constantly diverging, and its depth increases.
There are several versions why the sea got this name:
- In ancient times, the south associated with red;
- Blooming corals change its shade in water;
- Rocks of red color at sunset give the sea a special touch.
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 is in this sea Moses' pursuers drowned when the waves came together again behind the backs of the Jews.
Which countries does it wash?
First of all, the countries that are associated with the mention of the Red Sea coast - and. In addition, the sea is surrounded by six more countries - Jordan, where it forms the Gulf of Aqaba, as well as the coasts of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Yemen.
Description
Once the Red Sea was only small basin on the African-Asian continent, but over time, the plates were divided more and more, and the size of the reservoir increased.
Specifications
Today, the depth in the central part of the sea reaches a very impressive size - 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. The volume of water is 450 thousand square meters. km.
There are several features associated with the Red Sea:
- Into the pond no river flows, therefore, the water is much clearer here;
- Heatwave increases the rate of evaporation by increasing the salt concentration;
- There are islands in the southern part of the sea, the largest archipelago is Dahlag;
- 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 diving centers offering many dive sites. Also in Aqaba, you can go to see the historical.
Coastal zones of other countries
Red Sea resorts located in other countries are less known, but most of them are steadily developing. Already available for Massawa's holiday Eritrea.
Due to its location on the world map, the Red Sea has all the conditions to ensure that your vacation remains intense and unforgettable.
