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This article is about the body of water. For other meanings see Red Sea (disambiguation).
Location of the Red Sea
Location of the Red Sea

The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water often leading to an enclosed body of water such as a sound, bay, The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden. The Bab-el-Mandeb (variously Transliterated Mandab or Mandib, and with article "el-" given also as "al-" with or without connecting The Gulf of Aden (خليج عدن transliterated: Khalyj 'Adan Somali: Khaleejka Cadan) is located in the Arabian Sea between In the north are the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal). The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء The Gulf of Aqaba ( Arabic: خليج العقبة transliterated: Khalyj al-'Aqabah in Israel known as the Gulf of Eilat ( Hebrew The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation The Red Sea is a Global 200 ecoregion. The Global 200 is the list of Ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF as priorities for conservation

Occupying a part of the Great Rift Valley, the Red Sea has a surface area of about 438,000 km² (169,100 square miles ). The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by English explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trough approximately in length that runs It is roughly 2250 km (1398 mi) long and, at its widest point at 355 km (220. 6 miles) wide. It has a maximum depth of 2211 m (7254 ft) in the central median trench and an average depth of 490 m (1,608 feet ), but there are also extensive shallow shelves, noted for their marine life and corals. Corals are Marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small Sea anemone –like Polyps typically in colonies of many The sea is the habitat of over 1,000 invertebrate species and 200 soft and hard corals and is the world's most northern tropical sea. An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate This is a list of various different northernmost things on earth

Contents

Name

Eilat and the Red Sea with Jordan on the other side
Eilat and the Red Sea with Jordan on the other side

Red Sea is a direct translation of the Greek Erythra Thalassa (Ερυθρά Θάλασσα), Latin Mare Rubrum, Arabic Al-Baḥr Al-Aḥmar (البحر الأحمر), and Tigrinya Qeyyiḥ bāḥrī (ቀይሕ ባሕሪ). Eilat (Hebrew אילת should not be confused with the nearby kibbutz of Eilot (Hebrew אילות Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Tigrinya ( Ge'ez: ትግርኛ tigriññā) also spelled Tigrigna, Tigrina, less commonly Tigrinian, Tigrinyan, is

The name of the sea may signify the seasonal blooms of the red-coloured cyanobacteria Trichodesmium erythraeum near the water's surface. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, blue-green bacteria or Cyanophyta, is a phylum of Bacteria that obtain their energy Sea sawdust directs here hence bold for that --> Trichodesmium, also called sea sawdust, is a genus of filamentous Cyanobacteria [1] Some suggest that it refers to the mineral-rich red mountains nearby which are called Harei Edom (הרי אדום). A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak Edom, meaning "ruddy complexion", is also an alternative Hebrew name for the red-faced biblical character Esau (brother of Jacob), and the nation descended from him, the Edomites, which in turn provides yet another possible origin for Red Sea. Esau (ˈisɔ ( Hebrew, Standard Hebrew Esav, Tiberian Hebrew ʿĒśāw) is the brother of Jacob (whom God renamed Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard   Yaʿaqov Tiberian   Yaʿăqōḇ;

Another hypothesis is that the name comes from the Himyarite, a local group whose own name means red. The Himyarite Kingdom or Himyar (in Arabic مملكة حِمْيَر) anciently called Homerite Kingdom by the Greeks and the Romans

Yet another theory favored by some modern scholars is that the name red is referring to the direction south, the same way the Black Sea's name may refer to north. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The basis of this theory is that some Asiatic languages used color words to refer to the cardinal directions. Herodotus on one occasion uses Red Sea and Southern Sea interchangeably. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash [2]

A final theory suggests that it was named so because it borders the Egyptian Desert which the ancient Egyptians called the Dashret or "red land"; therefore it would have been the sea of the red land. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now

The association of the Red Sea with the Biblical account of the Exodus, in particular in the Passage of the Red Sea, goes back to the Septuagint translation of the book of Exodus from Hebrew into Koine, in which Hebrew Yam suph (ים סוף), meaning Reed Sea, is translated as Erythra Thalassa (Red Sea). Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Exodus ( is the term used for the escape departure and emancipation of the enslaved Israelites freed from Ancient Egypt as described in the Hebrew The Passage of the Red Sea is the account of the march of Moses, leading the Hebrews ( Israelites) on their escape out of Egypt and the alleged crossing The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the Exodus ( Greek: έξοδος eksodos = "departure" is the second book of the Jewish Torah and of the Christian Old Testament. Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in The Reed Sea (or Sea of Seaweed, Sea of Reeds) is a proposed translation of the biblical phrase Yam Suph ( a phrase traditionally understood to refer Yam Suph is also the name for the Red Sea in modern Hebrew.

History

The earliest known exploration expeditions of the Red Sea were conducted by Ancient Egyptians seeking to establish commercial routes to Punt. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now See also Puntland The Land of Punt, also called "Pwenet" by the Ancient Egyptians at times synonymous with Ta netjer, the 'land of One such expedition took place around 2500 BC and another around 1500 BC. Both involved long voyages down the Red Sea. [3]

The Biblical book of Exodus tells the story of the Israelites' miraculous crossing of a body of water which the Hebrew text calls Yam Suph, traditionally identified as the Red Sea. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Exodus ( Greek: έξοδος eksodos = "departure" is the second book of the Jewish Torah and of the Christian Old Testament. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. The Passage of the Red Sea is the account of the march of Moses, leading the Hebrews ( Israelites) on their escape out of Egypt and the alleged crossing The account is part of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt, and is told in Exodus 13:17--15:21. (For another possible translation of Yam Suph, see Sea of Reeds.)

In the 6th century BC Darius I of Persia sent reconnaissance missions to the Red Sea, improving and extending navigation by locating many hazardous rocks and currents. The Exodus ( is the term used for the escape departure and emancipation of the enslaved Israelites freed from Ancient Egypt as described in the Hebrew The Passage of the Red Sea is the account of the march of Moses, leading the Hebrews ( Israelites) on their escape out of Egypt and the alleged crossing The Reed Sea (or Sea of Seaweed, Sea of Reeds) is a proposed translation of the biblical phrase Yam Suph ( a phrase traditionally understood to refer Darius I the Great (c 549 BC&ndash486 BC 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavahuš: "Possessing goodness" Having ascended to power amidst controversy and bloodshed The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia A canal was built between the Nile and the northern end of the Red Sea at Suez. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River Suez (السويس) is a Seaport town (population ca 497000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern In the late 4th century BC Alexander the Great sent Greek naval expeditions down the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Greek navigators continued to explore and compile data on the Red Sea. Agatharchides collected information about the sea in the 2nd century BC. Agatharchides (Ἀγαθαρχίδης or Agatharchus Ἀγάθαρχος of Cnidus, was a Greek Historian and Geographer (flourished The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, written sometime around the 1st century AD, contain a detailed description of the Red Sea's ports and sea routes. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea ( Periplus Maris Erythraei) is a Greek Periplus, describing navigation and trading opportunities [4] The Periplus also describes how Hippalus first discovered the direct route from the Red Sea to India. Hippalus was a Greek navigator and merchant who probably lived in the 1st century BCE.

The Red Sea was favored for Roman trade with India starting with the reign of Augustus, when the Roman Empire gained control over the Mediterranean, Egypt, and the northern Red Sea. Roman trade with India through the overland caravan routes via Anatolia and Persia though at a relative trickle comparative to later times antedated the southern trade route via the Red Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The route had been used by previous states but grew in the volume of traffic under the Romans. From Indian ports goods from China were introduced to the Roman world. Contact between Rome and China depended on the Red Sea, but the route was broken by the Aksumite Empire around the 3rd century AD. The Aksumite Empire or Axumite Empire (sometimes called the Kingdom of Aksum or Axum ( Ge'ez: አክሱም was an important trading [5]

During medieval times the Red Sea was an important part of the Spice trade route. Spice trade is a commercial activity of ancient origin which involves the merchandising of Spices and Herbs.

In 1798, France charged General Bonaparte with invading Egypt and capturing the Red Sea. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Bonaparte is a French family name of Italian origin Originally Buonaparte, this family claims numerous influential descendents including Corsican Although he failed in his mission, the engineer J. B. Lepere, who took part in it, revitalised the plan for a canal which had been envisaged during the reign of the Pharaohs. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods Several canals were built in ancient times, but none lasted for long. The Suez Canal was opened in November 1869. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation At the time, the British, French, and Italians shared the trading posts. The posts were gradually dismantled following the First World War. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All After the Second World War, the Americans and Soviets exerted their influence whilst the volume of oil tanker traffic intensified. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including However, the Six Day War culminated in the closure of the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1975. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt Today, in spite of patrols by the major maritime fleets in the waters of the Red Sea, the Suez Canal has never recovered its supremacy over the Cape route, which is believed to be less vulnerable.

Oceanography

Bathymetric map of the Red Sea
Bathymetric map of the Red Sea

The Red Sea lies between arid land, desert and semi-desert. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The main reasons for the better development of reef systems along the Red Sea is because of its greater depths and an efficient water circulation pattern, The Red Sea water mass exchanges its water with the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden. The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Gulf of Aden (خليج عدن transliterated: Khalyj 'Adan Somali: Khaleejka Cadan) is located in the Arabian Sea between These physical factors reduce the effect of high salinity caused by evaporation and cold water in the north and relatively hot water in the south.

Climate: The climate of the Red Sea is the result of two distinct monsoon seasons; a northeasterly monsoon and a southwesterly monsoon. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Monsoon winds occur because of the differential heating between the land surface and sea. Very high surface temperatures coupled with high salinities makes this one of the hottest and saltiest bodies of seawater in the world. The average surface water temperature of the Red Sea during the summer is about 26 °C (79 °F) in the north and 30 °C (86 °F) in the south, with only about 2 °C (3. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 6 °F) variation during the winter months. The overall average water temperature is 22 °C (72 °F). The rainfall over the Red Sea and its coasts is extremely low averaging 0. Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to 06 m (2. 36 in) per year; the rain is mostly in the form of showers of short spells often associated with thunderstorms and occasionally with dust storms. A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface and strongly implying Severe weather. The scarcity of rainfall and no major source of fresh water to the Red Sea result in the excess evaporation as high as 205 cm (81 in) per year and high salinity with minimal seasonal variation.

Salinity: The Red Sea is one of the most saline water bodies in the world, due to the effects of the water circulation pattern, resulting from evaporation and wind stress. Salinity ranges between 3. 6 and 3. 8%.

Tidal range: In general tide ranges between 0. 6 m (2. 0 ft) in the north, near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez and 0. 9 m (3. 0 ft) in the south near the Gulf of Aden but it fluctuates between 0. 20 m (0. 66 ft) and 0. 30 m (0. 98 ft) away from the nodal point. The central Red Sea (Jeddah area) is therefore almost tideless, and as such the annual water level changes are more significant. Because of the small tidal range the water during high tide inundates the coastal sabkhas as a thin sheet of water up to a few hundred meters rather than inundating the sabkhas through a network of channels. However, south of Jeddah in the Shoiaba area the water from the lagoon may cover the adjoining sabkhas as far as 3 km (2 mi) whereas, north of Jeddah in the Al-kharrar area the sabkhas are covered by a thin sheet of water as far as 2 km (1. 2 mi). The prevailing north and northeastern winds influence the movement of water in the coastal inlets to the adjacent sabkhas, especially during storms. Winter mean sea level is 0. 5 m (1. 6 ft) higher than in summer. Tidal velocities passing through constrictions caused by reefs, sand bars and low islands commonly exceed 1-2 m/s (3–6. 5 ft/s).

Current: In the Red Sea detailed current data is lacking, partially because they are weak and variable both spatially and temporally. Temporal and spatial currents variation is as low as 0. 5 m (1. 6 ft) and are governed mostly by wind. In summer NW winds drive surface water south for about four months at a velocity of 15-20 cm/s (6–8 in/s). , whereas in winter the flow is reversed resulting in the inflow of water from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea. The net value of the latter predominates, resulting in an overall drift to the northern end of the Red Sea. Generally the velocity of the tidal current is between 50-60 cm/s (20–23. 6 in/s) with a maximum of 1 m/s (3. 3 ft). at the mouth of the al-Kharrar Lagoon. However, the range of north-northeast current along the Saudi coast is 8-29 cm/s (3–11. 4 in/s).

Wind Regime: With the exception of the northern part of the Red Sea, which is dominated by persistent north-west winds, with speeds ranging between 7 km/h (4. 3 mph) and 12 km/h (7. 5 mph). , the rest of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are subjected to the influence of regular and seasonally reversible winds. The Gulf of Aden (خليج عدن transliterated: Khalyj 'Adan Somali: Khaleejka Cadan) is located in the Arabian Sea between The wind regime is characterized by both seasonal and regional variations in speed and direction with average speed generally increasing northward. The word regime (occasionally spelled " régime " particularly in older texts refers to a set of conditions most often of a Political nature Speed is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change in position often expressed as Distance d traveled per unit of Direction is the information contained in the relative position of one point with respect to another point without the Distance information

Wind is the driving force in the Red Sea for transporting the material either as suspension or as bedload. Wind induced currents play an important role in the Red Sea in initiating the process of resuspension of bottom sediments and transfer of materials from sites of dumping to sites of burial in quiescent environment of deposition. Wind generated current measurement is therefore important in order to determine the sediment dispersal pattern and its role in the erosion and accretion of the coastal rock exposure and the submerged coral beds. Measurement is the process of estimating the magnitude of some attribute of an object such as its length or weight relative to some standard ( unit of measurement) such as

Geology

Dust storm over the Red Sea
Dust storm over the Red Sea

The Red Sea formed by Arabia splitting from Africa due to plate tectonics. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere This split started in the Eocene and accelerated during the Oligocene. The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene period and extends from about 33 The sea is still widening and it is considered that the sea will become an ocean in time (as proposed in the model of John Tuzo Wilson). John Tuzo Wilson PhD, CC, OBE, DSc, FRS, FRSC, FRSE ( October 24, 1908 &ndash

Sometime during the Tertiary period the Bab el Mandeb closed and the Red Sea evaporated to an empty hot dry salt-floored sink. The chuprichondira geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non- avian Dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately The Bab-el-Mandeb (variously Transliterated Mandab or Mandib, and with article "el-" given also as "al-" with or without connecting Effects causing this would be:-

Today surface water temperatures remain relatively constant at 21–25 °C (70–77 °F) and temperature and visibility remain good to around 200 m (656 ft), but the sea is known for its strong winds and unpredictable local currents. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724

In terms of salinity, the Red Sea is greater than the world average, approximately 4 percent. This is due to several factors: 1) high rate of evaporation and very little precipitation, 2) a lack of significant rivers or streams draining into the sea, and 3) limited connection with the Indian Ocean (and its lower water salinity).

A number of volcanic islands rise from the center of the sea. Most are dormant, but in 2007, Jabal al-Tair island erupted violently. Jabal al-Tair Island ( Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Tair Island, Al-Tair Island, Jazirat at-Tair; جزيرة جبل الطير Jazīrat

Living resources

Red Sea coral and marine fish
Red Sea coral and marine fish

The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( More than 1100 species of fish[6] have been recorded in the Red Sea, and around 10% of these are found nowhere else. Deepwater species See the List of deep water fish of the Red Sea Demersal species Ambassidae [7] This also includes around 75 species of deepwater fish. Bathydemersal species Acropoma japonicum, Glowbelly, Acropomatidae Ariosoma mauritianum [6] The rich diversity is in part due to the 2,000 km (1,240 mi) of coral reef extending along its coastline; these fringing reefs are 5000-7000 years old and are largely formed of stony acropora and porites corals. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. A Fringing reef is a kind of Coral reef, that is located in the Tropics generally immediately near the shoreline Acropora is a genus of Coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Anatomy and Distribution Depending on the species and location Porites is a genus of scleractinian Coral which is characterised by a finger-like morphology. The reefs form platforms and sometimes lagoons along the coast and occasional other features such as cylinders (such as the blue hole at Dahab). A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral A blue hole is a submarine Cave or Sinkhole. They are also called vertical caves Dahab ( دهب) is a small town situated on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. These coastal reefs are also visited by pelagic species of red sea fish, including some of the 44 species of shark. Any water in the sea that is not close to the bottom is in the pelagic zone. There are 44 species of shark found in the Red Sea. This list is not exhaustive

The special biodiversity of the area is recognised by the Egyptian government, who set up the Ras Mohammed National Park in 1983. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The rules and regulations governing this area protect local wildlife, which has become a major draw for tourists, in particular for diving enthusiasts. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set.

Divers and snorkellers should be aware that although most Red Sea species are innocuous, a few are hazardous to humans. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Snorkeling ( British spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of Swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a Diving mask, a Although most species in the Red Sea pose no threat to humans there are a few notable exceptions [8]

Other marine habitats include sea grass beds, salt pans, mangroves and salt marshes. Seagrasses (or sea-grasses in British English) are Flowering plants from one of four plant families ( Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e

Mineral resources

In terms of mineral resources the major constituents of the Red Sea sediments are as follows:

Nannofossils, foraminifera, pteropods, siliceous fossils
Tuffites, volcanic ash, montmorillonite, cristobalite, zeolites
Quartz, feldspars, rock fragments, mica, heavy minerals, clay minerals
Sulfide minerals, aragonite, Mg-calcite, protodolomite, dolomite, quartz, chalcedony. The Foraminifera, ("Hole Bearers" or forams for short are a large group of Amoeboid Protists with reticulating Pseudopods fine Sea butterflies, also known as Thecosomata or flapping Snails, are a Taxonomic suborder of Pelagic swimming sea snails Tuff (from the Italian "tufo" is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption Volcanic ash consists of small Tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions less than in diameter Montmorillonite is a very soft phyllosilicate mineral that typically forms in microscopic Crystals forming a clay. The mineral cristobalite is a high-temperature polymorph of Quartz and Tridymite. Zeolites (Greek zein, "to boil" lithos, "a stone" are hydrated Aluminosilicate Minerals and have a micro-porous structure Quartz (from German) is the most abundant Mineral in the Earth 's Continental crust (although Feldspar is more common in Feldspar is the name of a group of rock-forming Minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth 's crust. The word "mica" is thought to be derived from the Latin word la micare, "glitteren" in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral (especially Clay minerals are hydrous Aluminium phyllosilicates, sometimes with variable amounts of Iron, Magnesium, Alkali metals Alkaline A sulfide mineral is a Mineral containing Sulfide (S2- as the major Anion. Aragonite is a Carbonate mineral, one of the two common naturally occurring polymorphs of Calcium carbonate, Ca[[carbon C]] O 3 Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of Calcium carbonate ( Ca[[carbon C]] O 3 Dolomite (ˈdɒləmaɪt is the name of a Sedimentary Carbonate rock and a Mineral, both composed Chalcedony is a Cryptocrystalline form of Silica, composed of very fine intergrowths of the minerals Quartz and Moganite.
Magnesite, gypsum, anhydrite, halite, polyhalite
Fe-montmorillonite, goethite, hematite, siderite, rhodochrosite, pyrite, sphalerite, anhydrite. Magnesite is not to be confused with Magnetite or Magnemite. Magnesite is Magnesium carbonate, Mg[[carbon Gypsum is a very soft Mineral composed of Calcium sulfate dihydrate with the Chemical formula Ca[[sulfur S]] O 4·2 Anhydrite is a mineral - anhydrous Calcium Sulfate, CaSO4 It is in the Orthorhombic crystal system with three directions of perfect cleavage Halite is the Mineral form of Sodium chloride, Na[[chlorine Cl]] commonly known as rock salt. Polyhalite is an Evaporite mineral a hydrated Sulfate of Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium with formula K2Ca2Mg(SO44·2(H2O Goethite, named after the German Polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is an iron bearing oxide mineral found in soil and other low temperature environments Hematite, also spelt hæmatite, is the Mineral form of Iron(III oxide (Fe2O3 one of several Iron oxides Siderite is also the name of a type of Iron Meteorite. ---- Siderite is a Mineral composed of Iron Carbonate Fe[[carbon Rhodochrosite is a Manganese Carbonate Mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. Sphalerite (( Zn, Fe) S) is a Mineral that is the chief Ore of Zinc.

Desalination plants

There is extensive demand of desalinated water to meet the requirement of the population and the industries along the Red Sea.

There are at least 18 desalination plants along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia which discharge warm brine and treatment chemicals (chlorine and anti-scalants) that may cause bleaching and mortality of corals and diseases to the fish stocks. Although this is only a localized phenomenon, it may intensify with time and have a profound impact on the fishing industry.

The water from the Red Sea is also utilized by oil refineries and cement factories for cooling purposes. Used water drained back into the coastal zones may cause harm to the nearshore environment of the Red Sea.

Facts and figures at a glance

  • Length: ~2,250 km (1,398. 1 mi) - 79% of the eastern Red Sea with numerous coastal inlets
  • Maximum Width: ~ 306–355 km (190–220 mi)– Massawa (Eritrea)
  • Minimum Width: ~ 26–29 km (16–18 mi)- Bab el Mandeb Strait (Yemen)
  • Average Width: ~ 280 km (174. The Bab-el-Mandeb (variously Transliterated Mandab or Mandib, and with article "el-" given also as "al-" with or without connecting 0 mi)
  • Average Depth: ~ 490 m (1,607. 6 ft)
  • Maximum Depth: ~2,211 m (7,253. 9 ft)
  • Surface Area: 438-450 x 10² km² (16,900–17,400 sq mi)
  • Volume: 215–251 x 10³ km³ (51,600–60,200 cu mi)
  • Approximately 40% of the Red Sea is quite shallow (under 100 m/330 ft), and about 25% is under 50 m (164 ft) deep.
  • About 15% of the Red Sea is over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) depth that forms the deep axial trough.
  • Shelf breaks are marked by coral reefs
  • Continental slope has an irregular profile (series of steps down to ~500 m/1,640 ft)
  • Centre of Red Sea has a narrow trough (~ 1,000 m/3,281 ft; some deeps may exceed 2,500 m/8,202 ft)

Some of the research cruises in the Red Sea

Numerous research cruises have been conducted:

  • Arabia Felix (1761-1767)
  • Vitiaz (1886-1889)
  • Valdivia (1898-1894)
  • Pola (1897-98) Southern Red Sea and (1895/96 – Northern Red Sea
  • Ammiraglio Magnaghi (1923/24)
  • Snellius (1929 –1930)
  • Mabahiss (1933-1934 and 1934-1935)
  • Albatross (1948)
  • Manihine (1849 and 1952)
  • Calypso (1955)
  • Atlantis and Vema (1958)
  • Xarifa (1961)
  • Meteor (1961)
  • Glomar Challenger (1971)
  • Sonne (1997)
  • Meteor (1999)

Tourism

The sea is known for its spectacular dive sites such as Ras Mohammed, SS Thistlegorm (shipwreck), Elphinstone, The Brothers, Dolphin Reef and Rocky Island in Egypt and less known sites in Sudan such as Sanganeb, Abington, Angarosh and Shaab Rumi (see photo above). Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Recreational diving or sport diving is a type of diving that uses SCUBA equipment for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment Construction The vessel was privately owned and therefore not classified as a Naval vessel. Dolphin Reef is a horseshoe-shaped Reef found in the Red Sea. Rocky Island may refer to Rocky Island an alternate name of Brooks Island in Richmond California, United States of America in the This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa.

The Red Sea became known a sought-after diving destination after the expeditions of Hans Hass in the 1950s, and later by Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Hans Hass (born January 23, 1919 in Vienna, Austria) is a diving pioneer and mainly known for his documentaries about Sharks Jacques-Yves Cousteau ( 11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer explorer, Ecologist, Popular tourist resorts include El Gouna, Hurghada, Safaga, Marsa Alam, on the western shore of the Red Sea, and Sharm-El-Sheikh, Dahab, and Taba on the Egyptian side of Sinaï, as well as Eilat, in Israel in an area known as the Red Sea Riviera. El Gouna (Arabic الجونة the lagoon) is a tourist resort developed and owned by Orascom Hotels and Development dating from about 1990 It is located on the Hurghada ( ar: Al Ghardaqah, الغردقة is an Egyptian City and a tourist center on the Red Sea. Port Safaga, also known as Bur Safaga and Safaga (سفاجا is a town in Egypt, on the coast of the Red Sea, located 53 Km Until very recently Marsa Alam (مرسى علم was a small fishing village in Egypt, on the west coast of the Red Sea. Sharm el Sheikh (شرم الشيخ Sharm al-Shaykh) often known simply as "Sharm" is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Dahab ( دهب) is a small town situated on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء Eilat (Hebrew אילת should not be confused with the nearby kibbutz of Eilot (Hebrew אילות For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Red Sea Riviera consists of the resort cities lying on the western shore of the Gulf of Aqaba and along the eastern shore of mainland Egypt

Tourism in the South of Red Sea is presently considered risky because of the presence of pirates originating from uncontrolled zones of Eritrea and Somalia. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known Large vessels such as cargoes are sometimes attacked by high-speed boats heavily armed. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, The situation is even worse in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen. The Gulf of Aden (خليج عدن transliterated: Khalyj 'Adan Somali: Khaleejka Cadan) is located in the Arabian Sea between Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya The cruise ship Ponan was attacked on 4th April 2008 near the Somalian waters.

Bordering countries

Bordering countries are:

Towns and cities

Towns and cities on the Red Sea coast include:

  • Flag of Egypt Taba (طابا)
  • Flag of Egypt Al-Qusair (القصير)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Yanbu (ينبع)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Dhuba (ضبا)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Umluj (أملج)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Alwajh (الوجه)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Alqunfutha (القنفذة)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Alleeth (الليث)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Arrayes (الرايس)
  • Flag of Saudi Arabia Rabigh (رابغ)

See also

References

  1. ^ Red Sea. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya Djibouti ( جيبوتي Jībūtī, Somali: Jabuuti) officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in For the town in the West Bank see Aqabah West Bank. Aqaba (العقبة Al-ʻAqabah) is a coastal town in the far south of Arkiko (alternately Archigo, Arqiqo, Ercoco, Hirgigo, Hargigo, or Harkiko) is a town on the Red Sea and part Assab (or Aseb, anciently Avalites) is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. Dahab ( دهب) is a small town situated on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Eilat (Hebrew אילת should not be confused with the nearby kibbutz of Eilot (Hebrew אילות El Gouna (Arabic الجونة the lagoon) is a tourist resort developed and owned by Orascom Hotels and Development dating from about 1990 It is located on the Hala'ib (حلايب is a disputed sovereignty port on the Red Sea 's African coast with a population of approximately 1000 Al Hudaydah (also written as Hodeidah) (الحديدة is the fourth largest city in Yemen with a population 400000 people and the centre of Al Hudaydah Governorate Hurghada ( ar: Al Ghardaqah, الغردقة is an Egyptian City and a tourist center on the Red Sea. Jeddah (also spelled Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda; جدّة Ǧiddah) is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Until very recently Marsa Alam (مرسى علم was a small fishing village in Egypt, on the west coast of the Red Sea. Massawa, formerly known as Mitsiwa ( Ge'ez ምጽዋ miṣṣiwa, Arabic مصوع maṣṣawaʿ Nuweiba (نويبع is a coastal town in the eastern part of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. Port Safaga, also known as Bur Safaga and Safaga (سفاجا is a town in Egypt, on the coast of the Red Sea, located 53 Km Port Sudan (بورتسودان is the capital of Red Sea State, Sudan and has 489725 residents (2007 Sharm el Sheikh (شرم الشيخ Sharm al-Shaykh) often known simply as "Sharm" is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Soma Bay is a coastal resort on the Red Sea in Egypt, 45 km south of Hurghada International Airport. Suakin is a port in north eastern Sudan, on the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port on the Red Sea but is now a secondary port to Port Sudan Suez (السويس) is a Seaport town (population ca 497000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern Al-Qusair (Arabic القصير, sometimes romanized as Al Qusayr, El Quseir, Quseir, Quesir, Qusseir, Qosseir Yanbu' al Bahr ( Arabic: ينبع "spring by the sea" also known simply as Yanbu, Yambo or Yenbo, is a major Red Sea Rabigh (Arabicرابغ is an ancient town on the western coast of Saudi Arabia ( Red Sea) Benjamin Kahn is an Israeli marine biologist. He has been fighting for the survival of the Red Sea Reef, which began dying when giant fish The Passage of the Red Sea is the account of the march of Moses, leading the Hebrews ( Israelites) on their escape out of Egypt and the alleged crossing The so-called Red Sea dam is a speculative Macro-engineering proposal put forward in 2007 by a group of scientists and engineers The Red Sea Riviera consists of the resort cities lying on the western shore of the Gulf of Aqaba and along the eastern shore of mainland Egypt Robert Moresby was a distinguished captain of the British Royal Navy Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-01-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes.
  2. ^ Schmitt 1996
  3. ^ Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe (2006). Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration. W. W. Norton & Company, p. 24. ISBN 0-393-06259-7.  
  4. ^ Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe (2006). Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 32-33. ISBN 0-393-06259-7.  
  5. ^ East, W. Gordon (1965). The Geography behind History. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 174-175. ISBN 0-393-00419-8.  
  6. ^ a b FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly
  7. ^ Siliotti, A. (2002) fishes of the red sea Verona, Geodia ISBN 88-87177-42-2
  8. ^ Lieske, E. and Myers, R. F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2

External links

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Dictionary

Red Sea

-proper noun

  1. A long, narrow sea between Africa and the Arabian peninsula; links the Suez Canal with the Arabian Sea.
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