El Indian Ocean It is a large expanse of water of such a special color that it even has its own kind of blue, located between the African and Asian continents, with its own landscapes and exuberance that characterize it as a beautiful place and we invite you to know more .
Indian Ocean
It is a large area of ocean that is approximately 68.55 million square kilometers, which is the equivalent of 19.8 of the ocean surface and 14.4% of the absolute surface of the planet. It has a coastline of 66,526 kilometers and has an average depth of 3,741 meters. Its salinity concentration is between 32% and 37%.
At the cardinal point corresponding to the West, the Indian Ocean It is limited by the eastern coast of Africa, to the north it is limited by the Asian continent, and in its coastal areas are the Arabian Peninsula, the countries of the Persian Gulf, India, Iran and Pakistan up to Myanmar and Thailand. To the east, it is bounded by Indonesia and Australia.
Likewise, the Indian Ocean joins the Atlantic Ocean through an imaginary line that runs from the southernmost area of Africa, which is called Cape Agujas, to the south, where the Antarctic Ocean begins. It also connects with the Pacific Ocean, through an imaginary line that runs from the southernmost point of the island of Tasmania and continues south. At the end, it also joins the Antarctic Ocean, at the beginning of this ocean, towards the 60ºS parallel.
Inside of Indian Ocean we can find known and relevant seas and areas, such as the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Bay of Bengal and the Mozambique Channel. But, being limited in the north by a large land mass that is part of the Asian continent, this Indian Ocean it is the only one of the three great ones that does not manage to extend from one pole to the other, as it happens with the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Temperature
El Indian Ocean It is the ocean that has the highest temperature of all the oceans and, additionally, the one that is warming the fastest of all the oceans, due to the increase in temperature of the Earth. While the average is 0.7ºC, this Indian Ocean has exhibited a warming of 1.2ºC.
Also, a section of this ocean makes up what has been called the Hot Tropical Reserve. It is a body of water formed partly by the waters of the Indian Ocean and partly by the waters of the Pacific, which always shows the highest ocean temperature on Earth and which has a regulating effect on global temperature.
However, this section has constantly increased its temperature due to the greenhouse effect, to the point that it has almost doubled its area from 22 to 40 million square kilometers, which has caused effects on climate regulation, Temperature and Humidity the planet.
History
El Indian Ocean It was the birthplace of the first great civilizations of humanity, including Mesopotamia, in the year 3000 BC, along with the Egyptian, the civilizations that had their cradle in India, in the Indus Valley, of course the civilization Persian and the splendor of the golden age of Arab culture.
As it may have immense extensions of coastal areas, it is a sea that is usually calm and reaches a significant number of relevant cities, so this ocean has also been of vital importance for trade between the different neighboring countries. through history.
Currently, it continues to retain unparalleled commercial relevance, since up to 80% of the oil that is shipped by sea is transported by the waters of this ocean, crossing the Strait of Hormúz. In addition, it is estimated that 40% of the world's maritime oil production, that is, that which is produced on platforms in the sea, is taken from the Indian Ocean.
The Suez Canal
The great importance of trade through the Indian Ocean and its countries with Europe, made a great effort to open a passage and thus avoid the enormous return that previously had to be done around the African continent to carry goods by sea from the India or China to Europe and vice versa, but mainly because of the cost and danger involved in taking the oil from the Arabian Peninsula to Europe.
It is a water channel that was built in 1869 to join the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its construction took place over 10 years and had a great cost, both financial and human. The canal itself is located in Egypt, but it was built by the British and French, who were in possession of it until 1956 when it was nationalized by the Egyptians.
Flora and Fauna of the Indian Ocean
The winds that give rise to the monsoons are a predominant factor for a large concentration of phytoplankton to occur in the summer months, which is the origin of life in the ecosystem of the Seas and oceans, because it is the lowest rung in the food chain.
The Indian Ocean is also the habitat and fishing ground for various commercial marine species such as tuna or shrimp. But, thanks to pollution and global warming, phytoplankton production patterns are changing and overfishing has reduced the number of species.
A large number of marine mammals, whether endemic to this ocean or visiting it temporarily on their pilgrimages, are currently in danger of extinction or threatened. Some classes of whales, dolphins, and nearly all species of sea turtles have exhibited lower population trends with little chance of recovery.
The corals of the Indian Ocean, which are absolutely important for the preservation of marine life, fill an area of about 200 thousand square kilometers and the mangroves of this ocean constitute approximately 50% of the mangroves on the planet. Of the latter, more than half are in Indonesia.
Thanks to these mangroves and extensive seagrass beds, almost 20 tons of fish are produced per square kilometer. The bad news is that both types of systems are located in coastal areas, which are currently more likely to be destroyed by the construction of large urban developments or by pollution from coastal populations.
The fact is that both marine and coastal species of the Indian Ocean are at risk, which today is equivalent to around 25% of biodiversity being in danger. Another important aspect to consider is that due to its size and the lack of exploration of this ocean, from time to time we have witnessed the discovery of a new species, and this continues to happen today.
Important Islands
Of the most important and appreciated islands of the Indian Ocean we can mention the Andaman Islands, which are located in the territory of India; Phuket, the well-known tourist destination in Thailand, the country of Sri Lanka, the French Kerguelen Islands, the Comoros Islands, the important island of Madagascar in Africa, the paradisiacal Maldives, Mauritius, the Seychelles and the enigmatic island of Zanzibar in Tanzania.
Main Ports
There are countless ports in an ocean as huge and with such an extensive coastline as the Indian Ocean, but we can mention some of the most important and well-known, such as Chennai, Kolkata and Munbai in India, Colombo the capital of Sri Lanka, Durban in South Africa , Jakarta in Indonesia, Richards Bay in South Africa and Melbourne in Australia.
Conservation
As in all oceans, it has been affected by global warming in an alarming way. It is really difficult to try to know which ocean has been the most damaged by climate change, but in this case, the Indian Ocean, which is a typically warm ocean, has warmed even more.
Another aspect to consider is the little control that can possibly be exercised over such an enormous area of water and that so many populations have access to it, has caused an overexploitation of marine species, creating a real problem. It is said that the tuna catch has been reduced by up to 90% compared to what was recorded in the 70s.
Likewise, the pollution that comes from industrialized countries that have little control over emissions to rivers such as the Ganges or oil-producing countries, constitutes an added damage to this beautiful ocean.