Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km² (27,240,000 sq mi) or 19.8% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by the Southern Ocean or Antarctica.

Geography

The Indian Ocean is known as Ratnākara, "the mine of gems" in ancient Sanskrit literature, and as Hind Mahāsāgar, in Hindi.

Borders

The borders of the Indian Ocean, as per the International Hydrographic Organization's (IHO) definition, are as follows:

• On the West: The eastern limit of the Gulf of Aden Gulf of Aden.
• On the North: The Southern limits of the Persian Gulf Persian Gulf and the Red Sea Red Sea.
• On the East: The Western limit of the Great Australian Bight and the Southern limit of the Tasman Sea Tasman Sea.
• On the South: The Northern limit of the Southern Ocean.

Climate

The climate of the Indian Ocean varies greatly, from the monsoon regime in the north to the Mediterranean climate in the south. The ocean's climate is also influenced by El Niño events.

Marine life

The Indian Ocean is home to a rich variety of marine life. Many species of fish, including tuna and sardines, are found in the Indian Ocean. The ocean is also home to a variety of marine mammals, including whales and dolphins.

Human activity

The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia.

See also

• Atlantic Ocean
• Pacific Ocean
• Southern Ocean
• Arctic Ocean

References

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External links

• Official website of the International Hydrographic Organization

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