Where is the red sea. Red sea on the earth map Tourist countries on the red sea map

Before you understand where the Red Sea is located on the map, it will be interesting to know about the factors under the influence of which factors it was formed. It should be noted that now it is the main "transport artery" in Israel, along which hundreds of ships move. But it might not have come to this, if not for the constantly developing engineering.

How it all began?

Red sea

The Red Sea is considered a very young sea because its history is only 30-40 million years old. The emergence of this body of water is directly related to the displacement of continental plates, namely African and Arabian. After that, a free space appeared, which over time began to fill with oceanic waters.

The story goes that in ancient times the Red Sea was also used by the Phoenicians. Then they were known as skillful navigators and traders, and this site provided them with access to the Indian Ocean. They traveled along it to the shores of India, which was one of the main trade partners. Over time, when it became known about the existence of a cape located in southern Africa, the path from Europe to India shifted slightly. At the same time, a large body of water began to be used to a greater extent for internal transport links between different parts of its coast.

After, in order to optimize relations between France and Egypt, it was decided to build the Suez Canal, but on the contrary, it quarreled the countries belonging to Europe and the Red Sea basin. Even the Arab-Israeli war broke out, which lasted from 1967 to 1973. The full functioning of the canal began only in 1975.

Interesting! This sea on the map looks like a tunnel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean. Considering that it is the main channel for transporting goods between countries such as Africa, Asia and Europe, ships are not uncommon on it.

More detailed and scientific information

Despite the worldwide fame of one of the saltiest in Israel, not everyone knows exactly where the Red Sea is. And it is located between the continent of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. More precisely, this is a deep and narrow space, framed by steep and sheer slopes. Evaluating the Red Sea on a world map, it is noticeable that its length is several times greater than its width, namely 7 times.

WITH south side the oceanic section, due to the presence of the Bab el-Mandeb Gulf, connects with the Aden Bay, and also opens access to the Indian Ocean. In the northern part it borders on Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal. The shores of the Red Sea are characterized by flat and sandy shores, rocky surfaces are very rare. Vegetation on them is scarce. Where the Red Sea is located on the map, many small islands are noticeable. The largest land areas are predominantly located in the southern part. For example, in the middle of the Bab-el-Mandebsky Strait, an island with the name Perim rises, it is he who divides it into 2 parts.


Interesting! The shelf is clearly visible in the relief of the Red Sea, its width increases from north to south, ranging from 10 to 100 km. When the 100-meter depth is reached, a pronounced ledge of the continental slope begins.

Speaking about where and in which country the Red Sea is located, it is worth highlighting the following autonomous states:

  • the Republic of Djibouti, located in East Africa;
  • the state of Egypt, located in North Africa;
  • Israel - located in the South-Western part of Asia;
  • the Republic of Yemen - the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula;
  • kingdom Saudi Arabia- located on the Arabian Peninsula;
  • East African states of Sudan and Eritrea.

The location of the depression in the continental-tropical climate zone explains the high temperature indicators and significant seasonal variability. All this is a reflection of the thermal influence of the continents.

Flora, fauna and water

Colorful coral reefs of the red sea

Sea waters are characterized by a high salt concentration, which is explained by the scanty amount of precipitation and intense evaporation under such conditions. The salinity of the Red Sea is 41%. If you want to quickly find where the Red Sea is located on the world map, focus on the tropical belt.

It is no exaggeration to say that the described part of the ocean is just a paradise for people such as:

  • divers;
  • anglers;
  • underwater hunters.

A fascinating world opens up at the very shore, as soon as you put on a mask and dive under the water. First of all, it affects a huge number of corals of different colors, sea urchins, sponges and fish. At first glance, it may seem that in the brightness of color and unusual forms, local inhabitants compete with each other. Due to the ideal conditions created by nature itself, hundreds of species of flora and fauna are able to live and reproduce in the Red Sea. Even endemics can be found here (especially rare species, genera and families of plants / fish).

Attention! To date, scientists have managed, exploring the seabed, to describe one and a half thousand invertebrates, no less species of fish, as well as about 300 varieties of corals that form huge and beautiful reefs.

Many people simply dream of seeing amazing landscapes with their own eyes, appreciating the beauty of underwater life. It should be noted that modern ichthyologists believe that today only about 60% of the inhabitants of the Red Sea are open. It is difficult to explore the sea 100%, because in some places the depth reaches 3 km. Moreover, new questions constantly appear, to which scientists have not yet received answers. For example, why certain types of fish (30%) living in one part of the sea cannot survive in another part.

Do not forget that in addition to its beauty, the sea space is fraught with many dangers. The most important are corals, sponges and jellyfish, which are strictly prohibited to touch. Injections from sea urchins and poisonous snake bites also leave burns. All this is fraught not only with allergic reactions and large blood loss, but also with death.

It was through the ancient Red Sea that the prophet Moses led his people out of Egyptian slavery. Its waters plied the ships of the kings of Greece, Rome and Egypt. It remembers Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and King Solomon.

The sea stretches from north to south for two thousand kilometers. Its width at its widest point is about 330 kilometers. The Red Sea is located between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. In the north, it is divided into two gulfs of Suez and Eilat after the name of the Israeli international resort of Eilat. Jordanians call this Gulf of Aqaba, after the city of Aqaba. Eilat and Aqaba are two small cities located on opposite sides of the bay in the northern part of it.

The Gulf of Eilat is very deep. It is located in a geological fault zone. The continuation of this fault in a northern direction is the Arava Valley, the lowest point on the planet - the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, Lake Kinneret.

In the north of the Gulf of Suez is the Suez Canal, which connects the Red and Mediterranean Seas. Sea cargo ships sailing between Asia and Europe save a lot of time and fuel when passing through the Suez Canal. For Egypt, this channel is of great importance and brings considerable income to the treasury. Attempts to build a canal have been made yet. Egyptian pharaohs and later by Napoleon, but the project was carried out only in the middle of the last century.

Such an important strategic facility has more than once become the reason for the international aggravation of the situation and wars.

Today this sea washes the shores of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.

Egypt's decision to build another canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean was recently announced. The project involves costs of $ 4 billion, which is comparable to the annual income to the treasury from the existing channel. Due to the turbulent situation in Egypt, tourism profits have plummeted and the desire to connect Europe and Asia with another channel is understandable. After all, 10% of all sea traffic passes through the Suez Canal. About 50 ships pass it a day. The ships cover one hundred and ninety kilometers along the canal in approximately 14 hours.

Interestingly, under the Suez Canal there is an automobile tunnel connecting Africa with Sinai Peninsula.

Nowadays, most experienced tourists associate the Red Sea with the names of the resort towns of Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada, Eilat.

This is one of the warmest and saltiest seas. It offers ideal breeding conditions for corals. The Red Sea has crystal clear water, due to the fact that not a single river flows into it, which means that silt and sand do not get into the sea.

A variety of corals, fish of unusual colors attract tourists and diving enthusiasts from all over the world to the shores of the Red Sea. Corals grow very slowly, on average 1 cm per year. Therefore, the formation of reefs takes more than one century. Dead corals are a skeleton, a base, devoid of polyps. Sea urchins hide among the corals during the day and emerge from their shelters at sunset.

Water

Most of the Red Sea is located in the tropical zone. High solar activity and lack of precipitation contribute to intensive evaporation of water. The exchange of water in the sea occurs only in the Bab el - Mandeb Strait. The Suez Canal, which is only 350 meters wide at the surface of the water and 50 meters at the bottom, should not be taken into account. Therefore, the salinity of the sea is twice as high as, for example, in the Black Sea. In the Black Sea - 18%, in the Azov - 11%, in the Mediterranean - 38%, and the salinity of the water in the Red Sea - 41%.

With the exchange of water in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, during the year, more water flows in 1000 cubic kilometers than it goes out into the Indian Ocean.

Name

There are several versions of the origin of the name of the sea. Among them, historical and poetic ones prevail, mentioning the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the peculiarities of the Hebrew language. However, if you look at Coast at sunset, the color of the mountains and their reflection in the water have an obvious red tint. Most likely, this circumstance determined the name of the sea.

The coral reef of the Red Sea stretches from Eilat and Aqaba along the shores of Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia for a distance of about 2000 kilometers. Egyptian resorts are widely known for their abundance of corals, warm climate and clean water. In the very south of the Sinai Peninsula there is a famous resort Egyptian city Sharm El Sheikh.

Hurghada is located on the opposite shore at the base of the Suez Bay.

Fishes

A quarter of all marine life on planet Earth can be found in the depths of the Red Sea.

Moray eels, warts, tuna, caranx, unicorn fish, triggerfish, white-tip gray shark, hammerhead shark, butterfly fish, snappers, barracudas, turtles, dolphins, parrot fish, lionfish, eels, manta rays inhabit this sea.

Red Sea in Egypt

The most popular activity among divers is "safari" - going out to sea on a small boat or boat for one or several days to famous underwater attractions. And there are many of them.

The most famous and infamous of these is the Blue Hole. A popular and extreme destination for many inexperienced and arrogant divers, it has become the final dive site.

The Blue Hole in Dahab is a vertical sinkhole surrounded by coral, 130 meters deep. At a depth of 50 meters, it communicates with the sea.

Video

However, Blue Hole is far from the only thing that attracts underwater sports enthusiasts in Egypt.

There is a wide choice: Reef Jackson off Thira Island, Reef Yolanda and Reef Shark on Cape Muhammad, Reef Kerles, Reef Elfinston, Reef Dedelus (Abu el-Kizan), Reef Abu Nohas, Reef Woodhouse, Reef Thomas, Reef Gordon, Reef Lagoon, Cape Katie, Cape Um Sid, Cape Nazran, Turtle Bay, Naama Bay, Tower, Near Garden, Middle Garden, Fan Garden, White Knight, Brothers Islands (El - Akawain).

Depending on your preparation, you can choose a dive site, the difficulty of which will match the experience. For example, diving at Jackson Reef is not considered difficult or hazardous. For the more experienced - Woodhouse Reef, Thomas Reef with strong underwater currents.

Of course, the ships "Thistlegorm", "Dunraven", the dry cargo ship "GhiannisD" and the sailboat "Carnetic", sunk in the Red Sea, also do not go unnoticed by fans of diving.

The British naval dry cargo ship Thistlegorm was sunk by German bombers in the fall of 1941. Near him, at a depth of about 30 meters, lies a steam locomotive, carriages, motorcycles ... For the first time, the ship was discovered by Jacques Yves Cousteau.

Legendary diving pioneer Cousteau has been exploring the Red Sea for over a decade. For the first time, the world learned about the indescribable beauty of the Red Sea thanks to the books and underwater photography of Jacques Cousteau. His film In a World of Silence won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.

The underwater world is no less bright and fantastic in the Gulf of Eilat, where the depth reaches 1200 meters and the water is always calm.

Eilat

In Eilat, a coral reef comes close to the western shore of the bay.

On the beach of the Princess Hotel, near the Egyptian Taba, you can admire corals and fish from the bridges, as they say, without getting your feet wet. The water is so clear that the bottom can be clearly seen at a depth of several meters. Moray eels, rays, sharks, dolphins, crabs, starfish inhabit the waters of the Red Sea.

Corals in the Red Sea on western beaches Eilat begins almost at the very coast. Therefore, you can only enter the water in specially designated places.

A mask and snorkel are enough to swim among the corals and their inhabitants. Often, among the heap of reef corals, you can find a threatening moray eel. It is absolutely safe to be in the water if you do not touch anything. Sharks prefer to live in the more southerly waters of the Red Sea, off the coast of Sudan. Coming to rest in Eilat, be sure to visit the Underwater Observatory and see for yourself the riot of colors and the endless variety of shapes and colors. underwater world Of the Red Sea.

Red sea- the inland sea of ​​the Indian Ocean, located between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa in a tectonic depression. One of the warmest and saltiest seas.

It washes the shores of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Jordan.

Resorts: Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Safaga, El Gouna (Egypt), Eilat (Israel)

In the north, the Red Sea is connected by the Suez Canal with the Mediterranean Sea, in the south - by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait with the Arabian Sea.

The peculiarity of the Red Sea is that not a single river flows into it, and rivers usually carry silt and sand with them, significantly reducing the transparency of sea water. Therefore, the water in the Red Sea is crystal clear.

The climate on the Red Sea coast is dry and warm, the air temperature in the coldest period (December-January) during the day is 20-25 degrees, and in the hottest month - August, does not exceed 35-40 degrees. Due to the hot climate off the coast of Egypt, the water temperature even in winter does not drop below +20 degrees, and in summer it reaches +27.

Strong fumes warm water turned the Red Sea into one of the saltiest on the globe: 38-42 grams of salt per liter.

The length of the Red Sea today is 2350 km, width 350 km (in its widest part), maximum depth reaches 3000 meters in its central part. The area of ​​the Red Sea is 450 thousand square kilometers.

The Red Sea is 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 filled in over the millennia sea ​​water... Plates move constantly, so the relatively flat shores of the Red Sea diverge in different directions at a rate of 10 mm per year, or 1 m per century.

In the north of the sea there are two bays: Suez and Aqaba, or Eilat. It is along the Aqaba (Eilat) Gulf that the fault runs. Therefore, the depth of this bay reaches great values ​​(up to 1600 meters). The two bays are separated from each other by the Sinai Peninsula, in the south of which there is famous resort Sharm El Sheikh.

There are few islands in the northern part of the sea, and only south of 17 ° N. they form numerous groups, the largest of which is Dakhlak in the southwestern part of the sea.

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

Content:

The Red Sea, located in a tectonic depression and is the third largest inland sea on our planet Indian Ocean, 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 is connected to 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 fact 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 practically 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 has become the saltiest in the world, naturally, after the Dead Sea.

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 took place 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".

The longest 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 oceans 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 most deep place strait - 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 included in 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, anglers and spearfishers., 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 the enchanting 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 forms. Warm and crystal clear waters The Red Sea allows 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 deep at 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 sea, unique of its kind, is more than 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 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. An injection sea ​​urchin or the bite of a poisonous underwater snake, 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 Red Sea is the pearl of the World Ocean. It is believed that in the Northern Hemisphere it has no equal in the diversity and richness of the underwater world.

An interesting detail concerns the increased salinity of water (41 grams per 1 liter). Thanks to this, the waves themselves practically push a person to the surface, it is very easy and pleasant to swim in them. Another feature of the sea is the amazing purity of its waters - no rivers flow into them, which could bring silt or sand with them.

You can come to the countries around the Red Sea on vacation at any time of the year, but better in spring and autumn, up to. It is then that the air and water temperatures are most comfortable.

Where is the Red Sea, and in which country is it better to relax on its shores? In fact, it represents the gulf of the Indian Ocean between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and belongs to the territory of not one, but several states at once.

Countries with access to the Red Sea

After all of the above, the main question remains: which countries are washed by the Red Sea and where is it better to go on vacation? Winning geographic location boasts 8 countries: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Yemen.

Egypt

Perhaps Egypt is the most famous country on the shores of the Red Sea, where, until recently, thousands of tourists from Russia and the CIS countries came to rest. Unfortunately, since the plane crash in the skies over Sinai, the local resorts: Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, El Gouna, Safaga and others remain closed to Russians.

For two years now tourism industry is eagerly awaiting permission to organize travel, but so far the parties have agreed only on the resumption of flights between Moscow and Cairo (other airports have been declared unsafe, information as of December 2017).

Israel

It is good that there are countries on the Red Sea for recreation, besides Egypt, and first of all, this is Israel. True, it does not offer a staggering number of resorts, but the main one is Eilat- makes a truly lasting impression on tourists.

Despite the proximity of Somalia, which is included in the international "red" list of countries dangerous for tourism, and the border conflict with Eritrea, there is no official ban on organizing tours in Djibouti.

Eritrea

There are no direct tours to Eritrea, which also has access to the Red Sea, from Russia. The only way to get to this country on vacation is to choose a transit flight through another state, for example, Egypt. In general, the situation in the country is calmer than it was several years ago, but it is difficult to classify Eritrea as a safe country to visit.

From the warnings, it should be noted the low degree of organization or lack of tourism infrastructure, the risk of infectious and gastrointestinal diseases and the lack of clean drinking water.

Now you know what the Red Sea is attractive for tourists, where it is located, in which country there are resorts for have a great rest on the coast. May your vacation be perfect!