What large countries are washed by the Indian Ocean? Seas and oceans washing India. Surface water circulation

We bring to your attention a brief overview of the countries located in the Indian Ocean that will take part in the Eighth Indian Ocean Olympic Games. The Games will be held in the Seychelles from 5 to 14 August 2011.

Mayotte
Mayotte (French Mayotte) is an overseas community of France, located in the Mozambique Channel, in the western Indian Ocean, between northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar. Consists of the main island, Grande Terre (or Maore), the smaller Petite Terre (or Pamanzi), and several other tiny islets. Geographically it belongs to the Comoros Islands. Area - 374 km², population - 223.8 thousand (estimate as of July 2009). Religions - Muslims 97%, Christians (mostly Catholics) 3%. Mayotte is a separate member of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI), separate from the Comoros Islands. On March 29, 2009, residents of the island of Mayotte voted by a majority in a referendum for the island to become a department of France. 95.2 percent of voters out of 61.2 percent of Mayotte residents who took part in the vote were in favor. Mayotte will finally receive departmental status in 2011 and thus become the 101st department of France.

Economy of Mayotte The main economic activities are in agriculture and fishing. Mayotte does not provide itself with food and imports it, as well as industrial goods, fuel, etc. Exports are very insignificant - mainly flavors (vanilla and ylang-ylang), copra, coconuts. The development of tourism business is difficult due to the remoteness of the island. Mayotte's budget is supported by significant financial subsidies from France. The monetary unit is the euro.

Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is located in the equatorial waters of the Indian Ocean approximately 700 km southwest of Sri Lanka. A chain of 20 atolls consisting of 1192 coral islets. The population is just over 309 thousand people. Religion - Sunni Islam. The total area is about 300 km². The capital Male, the only city and port of the archipelago, is located on the atoll of the same name. On July 26, 1965, Britain granted independence to the Maldives. On November 11, 1968, following a referendum, the Maldives was declared a republic. Since 1978, the Maldives has been ruled by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (6 consecutive five-year terms). In October 2008, Mohamed Nasheed became the first president of the Republic of Maldives to be elected by popular vote.

Economy of the Maldives The main sectors of the economy are tourist services (28% of GDP) and fishing. The industrial sector is the production of clothing, souvenirs and boats. Agriculture is poorly developed. A significant portion of food products is imported. The main crop is the coconut palm; bananas, vegetables, fruits, sweet potatoes, and breadfruit are also grown. Livestock is practically never raised. Export goods - fish and postage stamps. The main means of transport are sailing and motor boats.

Mauritius

Mauritius is an island country in the southwestern Indian Ocean, approximately 900 km east of Madagascar. The republic includes the islands of Mauritius (the largest, 1,865 km²) and Rodrigues (104 km²), which are part of the Mascarene Islands archipelago, as well as the Cargados-Carajos archipelago, the Agalega Islands and many small islets. The total area of ​​the country is 2,045 km². Population - 1.284 million (estimated as of July 2009). The capital of Mauritius is the city of Port Louis, located on the island of Mauritius. On 12 March 1968, Mauritius was declared an independent state within the British Commonwealth. On 12 March 1992, Mauritius became a republic.

Economy of Mauritius based on sugar production (sugar cane is grown on approximately 90% of cultivated farmland), tourism and the textile industry. Recently, offshore and banking business, as well as fish production and processing, have been developing. 9% of workers are employed in agriculture, 30% in industry, and 61% in the service sector. Export goods ($2.4 billion in 2008): sugar, clothing and fabrics, flowers, shellfish, fish. The main buyers are Great Britain 30%, France 15%, USA 8%. Imports ($4.4 billion in 2008): industrial goods, food, petroleum products, chemicals. The main suppliers are India 21%, France 11%, China 9%. Despite its remoteness, Mauritius is very popular among European tourists. In Mauritius, beach holidays are common, but excursions to the ocean and, less often, deep into the island are also popular. Mauritius is one of the three most beautiful and popular tourist resorts along with the Maldives and Seychelles.

Comoros

Union of the Comoros, Comoros, until 2002 The Islamic Federative Republic of Comoros is a state in the Indian Ocean, located in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. Area - 2170 km². Population - about 798,000 people (2005), mainly the Antaloatran people. The capital is the city of Moroni. The official languages ​​are Comorian, French and Arabic. The state religion is Islam. On July 6, 1975, the Chamber of Deputies unilaterally proclaimed the independent Republic of the Comoros (RCO) consisting of the islands of Anjouan, Grande Comore and Mohéli. The Chairman of the Government Council, Ahmed Abdallah, became President. This council was abolished, a parliament was formed, a constitution was adopted and the Arabic names of the islands were restored. In November 1975, Comoros was admitted to the UN as part of four islands as a single state. France, having recognized the independence of the RKO, assigned Fr. Mayotte status as its "territorial unit". After a referendum was held in April 2002, a new constitution was approved, which provided the islands with broader autonomous rights. The country became known as the Union of Comoros (UCO).

Economy Comoros is one of the poorest countries in Africa. Main income items: export of ylang-ylang (the world's largest exporter), vanilla (the world's second largest exporter after Madagascar); tourism, fishing.

Reunion

Reunion is an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, an overseas region of France. Area - 2.5 thousand km². Population - 793 thousand people (2007 estimate). More than half of the population of Reunion are Creoles (of mixed origin, mainly French-African-Malagasy), “white” French make up about a quarter of the population, Indians - about 20%, the rest are Chinese and others. About 90% of the population is Catholic, there are Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and also Rastafarians. Creole (based on French) is still widely spoken, although school instruction is only in official French. The administrative center is Saint-Denis (95 thousand people in 2004). Since 1946, Reunion has become an overseas department of France, and since 1974 - an administrative region. Reunion is governed by a prefect appointed by the President of France.

Economy of Reunion The main agricultural export crop is sugar cane. Corn, potatoes, bananas, and mangoes are also cultivated. Livestock - mainly pigs and goats. The tourism business is widely developed. Industry is mainly the production of sugar and rum from sugar cane. In addition to sugar, rum, vanilla, geranium essence and other flavorings are exported. There is a noticeable difference in the standard of living of the French living on the island and representatives of the Indian, Creole and other communities. The French government subsidizes the island's economy in an attempt to reduce this difference.

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is a state in the western Indian Ocean, on the island of Madagascar and adjacent small islands off the east coast of Africa. The total area of ​​the state is 587,040 km². The length is about 1600 km, the width is over 600 km. The central part of the island is occupied by the high-mountain plateau of Anjafi, which gently descends to the west and abruptly falls to the lowlands of the eastern coast. Population - 18.4 million people. (2005, UN assessment). The capital is Antananarivo. Date of independence: June 26, 1960 (from France). Official languages ​​– Malagasy, French, English.

Economy of Madagascar is generally considered to be developing. The main sectors of Madagascar's economy are agriculture, fishing and the cultivation of herbs and spices for export. The main export products are coffee, vanilla (Madagascar is the world's largest producer), cocoa powder, sugar cane, rice, tapioca, legumes, bananas and peanuts. There is a well-known incident when the Coca-Cola company switched from real vanilla to synthetic vanilla, which served as a significant blow to the economy of the republic. The main sources of economic growth at the moment are tourism, exports of textile and light industry, exports of agricultural products and exports of minerals. Thanks to the unique fauna of the island, bio-tourism attracts an increasing number of people from different parts of the planet. Approximately 80% of the island's flora and fauna are endemic, and 5% of the planet's total species diversity is found in Madagascar. The free trade zones, located near Antananarivo and Antsirabe, are aimed at trade with the United States and Europe. As natural resources, coal, ilmenite and nickel are mainly mined for export. Two large oil fields have been discovered in the south of the republic. Structural reforms in the economic sector began in the 1980s, mainly under pressure from foreign financial institutions, especially the World Bank. A privatization program was carried out (1988-1993), and a free trade zone (Export Processing Zone) was introduced. Madagascar and Mauritania are the last countries in the world not to use decimal currency. Madagascan ariaries are equal to five iraimbilanies.

Seychelles

Economy of Seychelles is based on serving tourists (30% of workers and more than 70% of foreign exchange earnings) and on fishing (canned and frozen fish are the main export product). Agriculture is poorly developed. Coconuts, cinnamon and vanilla (for export), sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), and bananas are grown. Poultry is raised. In 1978, the national airline, Air Seychelles, was founded.

By studying geography, a person becomes better acquainted with the planet on which he lives, gets an idea of ​​the scale of the world and learns to treat nature more carefully, admiring its unique corners. Oceans are one of the most impressive themes possible. Each of these huge bodies of water is worthy of attention. Let's take a closer look at the Indian Ocean today.

Features and history

Before studying which continents are washed by the Indian Ocean, it is worth finding out details about it itself. It is slightly smaller in size than Quiet and Tak, its area is 76 million square kilometers. The ocean extends most widely in the Southern Hemisphere, and in the Northern Hemisphere it rather resembles a sea. The ancients perceived it precisely in this capacity, and only changed their ideas about this territory. The first European to collect information about it was Vasco da Gama, and after him James Cook came here. Today people know much more than before. The average depth of the ocean is almost four kilometers. Its deepest point is the Java Trench. Here the ocean depth is 7729 meters. The Pacific Ocean is known for its blue color, while the waters of its Indian counterpart are clear and famous for their azure hue. This is due to the fact that few fresh rivers flow into it. Therefore, the seas associated with it are distinguished by record salinity - the Red Sea is famous for this throughout the world. However, the Indian Ocean is full of life. Fishing, pearl searching, gas and oil extraction from the bottom, and even precious stones such as emeralds or diamonds have been developed here for a long time.

Washed continents

So, the basic information has been studied. Now you can find out which continents are washed by the Indian Ocean. Despite its rather modest size compared to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, it is located next to four continents. These are Eurasia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. Due to this location, ocean waters change their temperature from +30 degrees at the equator to +1 o C closer to the pole. The maximum length is 10,000 kilometers. Along the entire length of the ocean from west to east there are various climatic zones; in the Indian Ocean all possible options are present. In the north is the warmest region. Hot currents pass here, separating the region from the cold masses. A hot spot has a maximum temperature not only for a particular ocean, but for the entire planet as a whole. With every ten kilometers towards the pole, the degree decreases. Salinity also changes, but in the opposite order. In the region off the coast of Eurasia, the waters are strongly influenced by monsoons, changing the directions of currents. Now you can easily list the continents that are washed by the Indian Ocean, and you can even explain what its features are in different parts of the planet.

Coastal states

Having studied which continents are washed by the Indian Ocean, you can move on to more specific information. There are quite a lot of countries located on the coast of this huge water basin. These are both mainland and island states; the latter are worth considering separately. So, which countries are washed by the Indian Ocean? These countries include India, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Madagascar, Somalia, Oman, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, Comoros, Maldives, Sri -Lanka, Mozambique, Mauritius and South Africa. Many of them become popular tourist destinations precisely because of their favorable location, and in some, a large part of the production is associated with it.

Island states

Having figured out which countries are washed by the Indian Ocean, it is worth dwelling on some of them in more detail. The island states here are few in number, but each has unique natural conditions and is popular with tourists. The most famous, perhaps, is Madagascar, which was once a French colony. No less popular is Sri Lanka - a beautiful resort, a place of tea plantations and legendary elephants. There are also volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean (Prince Edward, Mascarene, Crozet). The largest islands washed by the Indian Ocean, in addition to Madagascar, are included in groups such as the Maldives, Andaman or Cocos.

Seas

An educated person can easily answer not only the question of which continents are washed by the Indian Ocean. It is also necessary to know the seas that belong to its basin. The Indian Ocean lags behind others in their number, as well as in size. The largest is the Red Sea located in the north. The Arabian and Andaman seas are also large. In the eastern part there are the Timorese, Laccadive and Due to their physical and geographical characteristics, two bays can also be included - the Bengal and the Persian. In the south there are territories that are sometimes referred to as the unofficial South Sea basin (Cosmonauts, Davis, Commonwealth, D'Urville and Riiser-Larsen, which differ from those listed above by significantly lower water temperatures due to their location near Antarctica).

Currents

It is worth paying attention to this component of the pool. The type of water that the Indian Ocean washes directly affects the temperature of the currents entering it. Warm ones, laying their routes in the north or west, are called the South Trade Wind, Madagascar and Agulhas. There are two cold currents in the Indian Ocean. This is the Western Winds Current, which carries its waters in the southernmost part, and the Western Australian Current, which has its “registration” in the east of the basin. A distinctive feature of most of the listed currents is a strongly pronounced seasonal fluctuation in the directions of surface waters. In the northeast ocean, this is directly related to the presence of a large number of regular tropical monsoons in this region.

Introduction

1.History of the formation and exploration of the Indian Ocean

In ancient times (3000-1000 BC), sailors from India, Egypt and Phenicia traveled through the northern part of the Indian Ocean. The first navigation maps were compiled by the ancient Arabs. At the end of the 15th century, the first European, the famous Portuguese Vasco da Gama, circumnavigated Africa from the south and entered the waters of the Indian Ocean. By the 16th-17th centuries, Europeans (the Portuguese, and later the Dutch, French and English) increasingly appeared in the Indian Ocean basin, and by the middle of the 19th century, most of its shores and islands were already the property of Great Britain.

History of discoverycan be divided into 3 periods: from ancient voyages to 1772; from 1772 to 1873 and from 1873 to the present. The first period is characterized by the study of the distribution of ocean and land waters in this part of the globe. It began with the first voyages of Indian, Egyptian and Phoenician sailors, who 3000-1000 BC. traveled through the northern part of the Indian Ocean, and ended with the voyage of J. Cook, who in 1772-75 penetrated the South to 71° S. w.

The second period was marked by the beginning of deep-sea exploration, first carried out by Cook in 1772 and continued by Russian and foreign expeditions. The main Russian expeditions were O. Kotzebue on the Rurik (1818) and Pallena on the Cyclone (1858-59).

The third period is characterized by complex oceanographic research. Until 1960 they were carried out on separate ships. The largest works were carried out by expeditions on the ships "Challenger" (English) in 1873-74, "Vityaz" (Russian) in 1886, "Valdivia" (German) in 1898-99 and "Gauss" (German) in 1901-03, Discovery II (English) in 1930-51, the Soviet expedition to the Ob in 1956-58, etc. In 1960-65, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Expedition under UNESCO carried out an international Indian Ocean expedition, which collected new valuable data on hydrology, hydrochemistry, meteorology , geology, geophysics and biology of the Indian Ocean.

. General information

Indian Ocean- the third largest ocean on Earth (after the Pacific and Atlantic), covering about 20% of its water surface. Almost all of it is located in the southern hemisphere. Its area is 74917 thousand km ² ; average volume of water - 291945 thousand km ³. It is bounded in the north by Asia, in the west by the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, in the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands and Australia, and in the south by the Southern Ocean. The border between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans runs along the 20° meridian of eastern longitude (Meridian of Cape Agulhas), between the Indian and Pacific Oceans runs along the 147° meridian of east longitude (meridian of the southern cape of Tasmania). The northernmost point of the Indian Ocean is located at approximately 30°N latitude in the Persian Gulf. The Indian Ocean is approximately 10,000 km wide between the southern points of Australia and Africa.

The greatest depth of the Indian Ocean is the Sunda or Java Trench (7729 m), the average depth is 3700 m.

The Indian Ocean washes three continents at once: Africa from the east, Asia from the south, Australia from the north and northwest.

The Indian Ocean has the least number of seas compared to other oceans. In the northern part there are the largest seas: the Mediterranean - the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, the semi-enclosed Andaman Sea and the marginal Arabian Sea; in the eastern part - the Arafura and Timor Seas.

In the Indian Ocean are the island states of Madagascar (the fourth largest island in the world), Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Comoros, and Seychelles. The ocean washes the following states in the east: Australia, Indonesia; in the northeast: Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar; in the north: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan; in the west: Oman, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa. In the south it borders with Antarctica. There are relatively few islands. In the open part of the ocean there are volcanic islands - Mascarene, Crozet, Prince Edward, etc. In tropical latitudes, coral islands rise on volcanic cones - the Maldives, Laccadives, Chagos, Cocos, most Andaman, etc.

. Bottom relief

The ocean floor is a system of mid-ocean ridges and basins. In the area of ​​​​Rodriguez Island (Mascarene archipelago) there is a so-called triple junction, where the Central Indian and West Indian ridges, as well as the Australian-Antarctic Rise, converge. The ridges consist of steep mountain ranges, cut by faults perpendicular or oblique to the axes of the chains and divide the basalt ocean floor into 3 segments, and their peaks are, as a rule, extinct volcanoes. The floor of the Indian Ocean is covered with sediments of the Cretaceous and later periods, the thickness of which varies from several hundred meters to 2-3 km. The deepest of the ocean's many trenches is the Java Trench (4,500 km long and 29 km wide). Rivers flowing into the Indian Ocean carry with them huge quantities of sediment, especially from India, creating high sediment thresholds.

The Indian Ocean coast is replete with cliffs, deltas, atolls, coastal coral reefs and salt marshes covered with mangroves. Some islands - for example, Madagascar, Socotra, the Maldives - are fragments of ancient continents. Numerous islands and archipelagos of volcanic origin are scattered in the open part of the Indian Ocean. In the northern part of the ocean, many of them are topped with coral structures. Andaman, Nicobar or Christmas Island - are of volcanic origin. The Kerguelen Plateau, located in the southern part of the ocean, is also of volcanic origin.

An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 caused a tsunami that was considered the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. This is the second or third strongest earthquake on record.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Indian Ocean, north of the island of Simeulue, located off the northwestern coast of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia). The tsunami reached the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand and other countries. The height of the waves exceeded 15 meters. The tsunami caused enormous destruction and a huge number of deaths, even in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6900 km from the epicenter. According to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people died. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known, as many people were swept out to sea.

As for the properties of the bottom soil, then, like in other oceans, sediments on the bottom of the Indian Ocean can be divided into three classes: coastal sediments, organic silt (globigerine, radiolar or diatom) and special clay of great depths, the so-called red clay. Coastal sediments are sand, located mostly on coastal shallows to a depth of 200 meters, green or blue silt near rocky shores, with a brown color in volcanic areas, but lighter and sometimes pinkish or yellowish near coral coasts due to the predominant lime. Globigerine mud, composed of microscopic foraminifera, covers the deeper parts of the ocean floor to a depth of almost 4500 m; south of the parallel 50° S. w. calcareous foraminiferal deposits disappear and are replaced by microscopic siliceous, from the group of algae, diatoms. In terms of the accumulation of diatom remains on the bottom, the southern Indian Ocean is particularly different from other oceans, where diatoms are found only locally. Red clay occurs at depths greater than 4500 m; it is red, or brown, or chocolate in color.

4. Water characteristics

Surface water circulationin the northern part of the Indian Ocean it has a monsoon character: in summer - northeastern and eastern currents, in winter - southwestern and western currents. In the winter months between 3° and 8° S. w. The inter-trade wind (equatorial) countercurrent develops. In the southern part of the Indian Ocean, water circulation forms an anticyclonic circulation, which is formed from warm currents - the Southern Trade Wind in the North, Madagascar and Agulhas in the West and cold currents - the Western Winds in the South and Western Australian in the East South of 55° S. w. Several weak cyclonic water circulations develop, closing off the coast of Antarctica with an eastern current.

Indian Ocean water beltbetween 10 ° With. w. and 10 ° Yu. w. called the thermal equator, where the surface water temperature is 28-29°C. To the south of this zone the temperature drops, reaching about 1°C off the coast of Antarctica. In January and February, the ice along the coast of this continent melts, huge blocks of ice break off from the Antarctic ice sheet and drift towards the open ocean. To the north, the temperature characteristics of the waters are determined by the monsoon air circulation. In summer, temperature anomalies are observed here, when the Somali Current cools the surface waters to a temperature of 21-23°C. In the eastern part of the ocean at the same latitude, the water temperature is 28°C, and the highest temperature mark - about 30°C - was recorded in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. The average salinity of ocean waters is 34.8‰ The most saline waters are the Persian Gulf, Red and Arabian Seas: this is explained by intense evaporation with a small amount of fresh water brought into the seas by rivers.

Tides in the Indian Ocean, as a rule, are small (off the coast of the open ocean and on the islands from 0.5 to 1.6 m), only at the tops of some bays they reach 5-7 m; in the Gulf of Cambay 11.9 m. The tides are predominantly semidiurnal.

Ice forms in high latitudes and is carried by winds and currents along with icebergs in a northerly direction (up to 55° S in August and up to 65-68 S in February).

. Bottom sediments of the Indian Ocean and its structure

Bottom sedimentsIndian Ocean have the greatest thickness (up to 3-4 km) at the foot of the continental slopes; in the middle of the ocean - small (about 100 m) thickness and in places where dissected relief is distributed - intermittent distribution. The most widely represented are foraminifera (on continental slopes, ridges and on the bottom of most basins at depths of up to 4700 m), diatoms (south of 50° S), radiolarians (near the equator) and coral sediments. Polygenic sediments - red deep-sea clays - are common south of the equator at a depth of 4.5-6 km or more. Terrigenous sediments - off the coast of continents. Chemogenic sediments are represented mainly by ferromanganese nodules, and riftogenic sediments are represented by products of destruction of deep rocks. Outcrops of bedrock are most often found on continental slopes (sedimentary and metamorphic rocks), mountains (basalts) and mid-ocean ridges, where, in addition to basalts, serpentinites and peridotites, representing the slightly altered material of the Earth's upper mantle, were found.

The Indian Ocean is characterized by the predominance of stable tectonic structures both on the bed (thalassocratons) and along the periphery (continental platforms); active developing structures - modern geosynclines (Sunda arc) and georiftogenals (mid-ocean ridge) - occupy smaller areas and are continued in the corresponding structures of Indochina and the rifts of East Africa. These main macrostructures, which differ sharply in morphology, crustal structure, seismic activity, volcanism, are subdivided into smaller structures: plates, usually corresponding to the bottom of oceanic basins, block ridges, volcanic ridges, in places topped with coral islands and banks (Chagos, Maldives, etc. .), fault trenches (Chagos, Obi, etc.), often confined to the foot of blocky ridges (East Indian, Western Australian, Maldives, etc.), fault zones, tectonic ledges. Among the structures of the Indian Ocean bed, a special place (in terms of the presence of continental rocks - granites of the Seychelles Islands and the continental type of the earth's crust) is occupied by the northern part of the Mascarene Ridge - a structure that is, apparently, part of the ancient continent of Gondwana.

. Minerals

The most important mineral resources of the Indian Ocean are oil and natural gas. Their deposits are located on the shelves of the Persian and Suez Gulfs, in the Bass Strait, and on the shelf of the Hindustan Peninsula. The Indian Ocean ranks first in the world in terms of reserves and production of these minerals. Ilmenite, monazite, rutile, titanite and zirconium are exploited on the coasts of Mozambique, Madagascar and Ceylon. There are deposits of barite and phosphorite off the coast of India and Australia, and deposits of cassiterite and ilmenite are exploited on an industrial scale in the offshore zones of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. On the shelves - oil and gas (especially the Persian Gulf), monazite sands (coastal region of South-West India), etc.; in reef zones - ores of chromium, iron, manganese, copper, etc.; on the bed there are huge accumulations of ferromanganese nodules.

. ClimateIndian Ocean

shows vast territories and a large number of interesting islands for researchers and tourists. If you don't yet know where it is located Indian Ocean map will tell you.

Indian Ocean Current Map

The underwater world of the Indian Ocean

Rich and varied underwater world of the Indian Ocean. In it you can find both very small aquatic inhabitants and large and dangerous representatives of the aquatic world.

Since ancient times, man has been trying to subjugate the ocean and its inhabitants. In all centuries, hunting has been organized for the inhabitants of the underwater world of the Indian Ocean.

There are even those that can cause trouble for a person. For example, these are sea anemones that live in almost all the seas and oceans of our planet. Sea anemones can be found not only in the depths, but also in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean. They almost always feel hungry, so they sit hidden with their tentacles widely spaced. Predatory representatives of this species are poisonous. Their shot can hit small organisms and also cause burns in people. Sea urchins, seals, and the most exotic species of fish live in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The flora is diverse, which makes diving truly exciting.

Fishes in the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean fauna not fully studied. In warm waters you can find a variety of marine animals. Fishing is carried out off the coast of the Indian Ocean. The fishery is mainly of local importance, however, a large amount of fish is also supplied to world markets. In addition, the Indian Ocean is rich in various natural resources.

Inhabitants of the Indian Ocean may not always be eaten. For example, the Bay of Bengal is very rich in fish stocks, but the technical backwardness of fishing and the low degree of knowledge of the waters of the bay prevent fishermen and large companies from catching fish. Fishing occurs during the winter monsoon, which is characterized by light winds and sunny weather. Some types of fish are dangerous to humans or cause trouble, as well as Indian Ocean jellyfish.

Indian Ocean water temperature

The water surface temperature is 29 0 off the coast of Australia. This is the highest figure for this ocean. In the subtropics, its waters are colder, with an average temperature of 20 degrees. Icebergs, which in some cases float quite high to southern latitudes, have a slight influence on the water temperature and its salinity.

Indian Ocean Depth

Like other oceans of the world, the Indian Ocean contains seas. There are five of them in total. They form the area and depth of the Indian Ocean. Thus, the Arabian Sea occupies more than 3.5 thousand square kilometers, the greatest depth of which is almost 6 km. While the greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean is the Mariana Trench, which is 11 km deep. 22 m then Indian Ocean depth much more modest. The deepest place is considered to be the Java Trench, located off the island of Java, the depth of which is almost 7.5 km.

Which countries are washed by the Indian Ocean?

The waters of the Indian Ocean wash a huge number of mainland and island countries. Island countries located on the coast of the Indian Ocean:

• Comoros Islands,
• Mauritius.

Among mainland countries it is worth noting

• Malaysia,
• Myanmar,
• Bangladesh,
• Iraq,
• Somalia,
• Oman,

And of course, in this ocean there are the Seychelles, beautiful, mysterious and alluring.

It is not for nothing that this pearl of the Indian Ocean - Seychelles, ranks among the top ten destinations for tourism and recreation in many countries of the world.

Indian Ocean area

The third largest on the globe, the Indian Ocean covers about 20% of the planet's water surface. Indian Ocean area is 76.17 million square kilometers and consists of the area of ​​its seas, bays, straits, islands and archipelagos. From space, Indian looks like a huge blue blanket on the body of the earth. Let's watch a short video about Aurora over the Indian Ocean filmed from space on board the ISS

Remember how the classic?

Towards the morning Aurora

Be the Star of the North...

Maybe Alexander Sergeevich, also somewhere in his soul, had in mind what we are talking about now?))))))

The volcanic island of Amsterdam is located in the Indian Ocean. This island nation in the Indian Ocean located at equal distances from the coasts of Australia, Africa and Antarctica. 85 kilometers from the island is the island of Saint-Paul, which is uninhabited, unlike its neighbor.

Since Amsterdam is a volcanic island, here you can encounter such a natural phenomenon as a volcanic eruption. The last time this event took place was in 1792. Island city in the Indian Ocean characterized by a mild and even climate. The coldest time of the year falls in July and August. During these months, the air temperature rarely rises above +11C. In February, the island of Amsterdam has the highest temperatures, fluctuating in the range of +16-+18 0 C.

Before capital island in the Indian Ocean was open, only grass and shrubs could be found here. People planted a large number of trees and other types of vegetation. Many settlers arrived. Nowadays the domestic economy is very well developed here and the territory of the island is densely filled with domestic animals and poultry. But not only pets inhabit Amsterdam. Many seabirds, penguins and seals can be found here.

Indian Ocean resorts

In the list of the very best, the Indian Ocean ranks as the warmest. The world's most exotic and popular resorts are located on its shores. As practice shows - Indian Ocean, resorts which are becoming more and more popular every day, is primarily of interest to tourists from the largest country in the region - India. Tourists appreciate it for its diversity, mild climate, and low prices. Resorts such as the UAE, Maldives, and Mauritius are also popular.

Indian Ocean - photo

So beautiful Indian Ocean exists on our planet. Would you like to swim in it?

Have a nice trip!
And go back to.

Africa is the second largest continent on Earth. Together with the islands belonging to it, it occupies an area of ​​30,284 thousand km2, the area of ​​the mainland without islands is 29,200 thousand km2. The continent has a special geographical position: the equator crosses it almost in the middle, i.e. Africa is located almost symmetrically in the northern and southern hemispheres. Most of the continent is located in the eastern hemisphere, and less - in the western.

Extreme points of the mainland:

1. Northern () - Cape Ras – Engela (37° 20′ N)
2. Yuzhnaya () – Cape Agulhas (34° 51′ S)
3. Zapadna () – Cape Almadi (17° 33′ W)
4. Eastern () – Cape Ras – Hafun (51° 24′ E)

The length of the continent from north to south is 8000 km, from west to east – 7500 km.

The continent is washed by the waters of two oceans: from the west - , from the east - . The western and southern coasts of the mainland, washed by the Atlantic Ocean, form the only large bay here - the Gulf of Guinea. In the extreme northeast, this gulf is divided into two independent gulfs - Biafra. Most of the bay has significant depths - up to 4 thousand m. And closer to the coast there are banks (banks are the shallow part of the bottom formed as a result of the death of benthic organisms and developed in the inner parts of the shelves), as well as numerous volcanic islands: Annobon, San Tome and Fernando Po (Bioco). All these islands are of volcanic origin, they are mountainous in relief, and have very fertile soils - Andosols. Together with the large Cameroon volcano on the continent, they form the so-called line. All of these volcanic massifs are associated with the strike of transform faults that cut the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from west to east. All these islands are composed of young alkali-basaltic volcanics. In addition, there are islands of mainland origin in the Gulf of Guinea. These are the Greater and Lesser Elobey, the island of Corisco, Horatio, Tinosa Pequena and Tinosa Grande.

As you move north, the length of the continent increases greatly, and as you move south, it decreases.
Off the northwestern coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean there are also islands of volcanic origin associated with the spread of MOR transform faults here. These are islands such as: Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands. The Cape Verde Islands are divided into two groups:

Leeward (Sotaventu) and Windward (Barlaventu). The Cape Verde Islands are very interesting and amazing. Most of Cape Verde Island is occupied by dry, gravelly highlands, called the “Moon Landscape”. It was here that the Americans filmed a film about how they conquered the moon.

There are a number of small volcanic islands far from the coastal zone. These are: Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan - yes - Cunha, Bouvet.

Cold currents pass in the northern and southern parts of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. In the north there is the Canary Current, which brings water with a temperature of 15–16° to the shores of the mainland. The cold Bengal Current passes off the southwestern coast of Africa. The water temperature there is especially low (6 – 9° at the surface) due to the rise of cold deep waters - this process is called upwelling. Both cold currents have a significant impact on the climatic conditions of the western outskirts of Africa in tropical latitudes. In the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal part of Africa is very unstable - the depths come very close to the coast. A not wide strip of continental shallows is limited by sharp ledges that immediately lead to depths of up to 2000 - 3000 m. Only in the south at 20° S. The underwater Whale Ridge approaches the shores of the mainland.

The eastern and southern coasts of Africa are washed by the Indian Ocean. Here, not far from the coast, there are islands of coral origin - Mafia, Zanzibar and Pemba. Mainland ones include -, Seychelles and Socotra. The Comoros Islands are considered volcanic. South of the equator, warm currents pass off the coast of Africa. Mozabique in the north and Cape Agulhas in the south. These two currents are formed from the South Trade Wind Current and cause winter temperatures off the coast of southeast Africa to rise to 20°C or more. The Somali monsoon current penetrates to the north from the equator, bringing relatively cold waters from the southern hemisphere in the summer of the northern hemisphere, and in winter changing its direction to the south and carrying relatively warm waters from the north.

The structure of the continent's surface is quite uniform. Plains and plateaus with heights from 200 to 1000 m predominate; there are few lowlands. The most extensive plateaus are East African and South African. Elevated areas alternate with basins, the most extensive of which are the Kalahara basin, etc. The highest point is (5895 m), the lowest is Lake Asal (-150 m). The average height is 600 m above sea level.

The relief features are associated with the history of the development of the continent. At the heart of the continent lies the ancient African Arabian Plate - part of the fractured Gandwana. The platform was formed by archaea and praterazoa and over 2-3 billion years acquired greater stability. Only the Atlas Mountains in the north and the Cape in the south were created by later movements of the earth's crust. The huge African hills experienced uplift and subsidence, while the northern part of the continent sank more often than it rose, and was flooded with seas. The crystalline foundation of the platform is covered by sedimentary rocks and only comes to the surface in the center of the Sahara and on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The relief of Eastern and Southern Africa was formed differently - the uplift of the earth's crust predominated, and giant faults, horsts and grabens were formed. Volcanic activity was actively developing. There are many lava plains here, grabens are occupied by lakes. Volcanic eruptions still occur today. The rift belt is home to volcanoes, including Mount Kilimanjaro.

Africa's mineral resources are rich. The location of deposits is closely related to geological history and tectonic structure. Eastern and Southern (“high”) Africa, where the surface is dominated by igneous crystalline and metamorphic rocks, is known for ores of ferrous and non-ferrous, noble and rare metals. Diamond deposits are confined to kimberlite volcanic pipes in the depths of the platform. In the strata of sedimentary rocks of North and West Africa, reserves of phosphorites, oil and natural gas (region of the Sahara Plate), table salt, and coal (Nigeria) have accumulated. Oil and gas are produced not only on land, but also on the Atlantic shelf. South Africa has significant reserves of coal, copper and uranium ores.

Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. In most of its part, the average temperature of any month is above +20 ° C, which is explained by the location of most of the continent between the tropics, where the sun stands high above the horizon throughout the year, and twice a year it is at its zenith. The seasons of the year differ more from each other in terms of the conditions of the holiday. Features are determined by circulation, on which the amount of precipitation and its pattern largely depend. A low pressure belt is formed over the equatorial part of the continent, and high pressure belts are formed in tropical latitudes. These belts move following the zenital position of the sun and determine the movement of equatorial, tropical and temperate air masses over the continent. Almost the entire continent is under the influence of constant winds - trade winds. The northeast trade winds that come from land bring almost no moisture, while the southeast trade winds carry it from the Indian Ocean. In subtropical latitudes during the winter months, precipitation falls from moderate air masses dominated by westerly air transport from the Atlantic Ocean. Relief also influences the distribution of precipitation. The steep and high shores of the continent make it difficult for humid winds to penetrate from the ocean into the interior of the continent. More precipitation falls on the windward slopes of the mountains. On the slopes of Mount Cameroon, their number reaches 10,000 mm per year. The driest areas are located not only inside the mainland, but also in its Pryakian parts. Thus, the western coast of the mainland in tropical latitudes is washed by cold currents. The air above them becomes colder than in the upper layers, and its flow is difficult. Apart from dew and fog, there is almost no precipitation here. On the mainland there are equatorial, two subequatorial, two tropical and two subtropical. Within some of them there are differences that are determined by the amount of precipitation and its regime.

Although the Indian Ocean occupies a relatively small area on the world map, it has a rich, vibrant, unique flora and fauna.

This is the third largest body of water on the globe; its depths hold many mysteries and secrets. Studied in natural history lessons in elementary school, then in high school, grades 5-7, this topic is often found in exam papers and tests.

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Characteristics of the Indian Ocean

The ocean washing the shores of Indochina is smaller in size than the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and ranks third in size on Earth.

Its area is 76.17 million km², which is about 20% of the total water surface.

The average depth of the ocean is about 3.7 thousand meters, the maximum depth reaches 7.7 thousand meters in the east, in the area where the Java Trench is located.

The average temperature at the surface of the water can reach 20-27°C and reach 7°C in depth in areas of the equator, salinity is approximately 35%.

History of the study

It is believed that it was this ocean that people first began to cross; in the beginning, ordinary wooden rafts were used for this.

Significant knowledge and information about the ocean has appeared for the first time since the exploration of Vasco da Gama, carrying out his own plan to reach distant lands.

Geographical position

The salty waters of the ocean wash Asia from the north, touch the coast of Africa from the west, and eastern currents wash towards Australia, and border on Antarctica in the south.

It also has intersections with the territories of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, one of which runs along the meridian of Cape Agulhas, and the other along Cape Horn. Located south of the Tropic of Cancer.

In the northern hemisphere, the Indian Ocean could easily be confused with a large sea, which misled sailors and fishermen.

Currents

The currents are mostly directed in the opposite direction from the clockwise direction. In the north they change with the onset of the season, which is associated with changing winds. Currents south of the equator are the same throughout the year.

In winter, the Northeast monsoon current, which originates in the Bay of Bengal, has a strong influence. It washes East Africa, splits, enters the Red Sea and generates the Equatorial Countercurrent.

Seas

There are many seas in the Indian Ocean:

• Red sea;
• Mawson Sea;
• Commonwealth Sea;
• Arabian Sea.

Indian Ocean on the physical map of the world (click to enlarge)

They are of great importance not only for tourism, but are also important for transportation and cargo transportation. They are distinguished by many unique natural features.

Climate and climate zones

Due to the influence of the temperature regime of Asia, a monsoon climate is established in the north, rich in cyclones moving towards the coasts.

In summer, heated sea waters begin to release moisture into the air, making it humid. It moves to the mainland and pours over the surface of the earth in the form of heavy rains. Thunderstorms, storms or cold typhoons are common occurrences in this area.

Flora and fauna

It is the colorful diversity of flora and fauna that makes the Indian Ocean so special.

At the bottom you can see all the variety of species of multi-colored sponges, starfish, corals, and crustaceans.

All the delicacies that are served on the table live here: lobsters, shrimp, mussels, lobsters.

In these climatic zones there are characteristic representatives of various species of fish, not only suitable for catching and eating, but also distinguished by their unusual color, the beauty of which is difficult to compare with anything else.

Islands and peninsulas

The largest and most famous island, of course, is Madagascar, with an area of ​​590,000 km.

Madagascar Island

Christmas Island originated from a volcano, where the Maldives, Seychelles, and Andaman Islands are also located.

Sri Lanka

The largest free-standing islands are Tasmania, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, and Socotra. It is noteworthy that some islands used to be part of the mainland, and later separated and became islands.

Bottom relief

Just as the fauna in the Indian Ocean is diverse and unique, the structure of the oceanic bottom relief is also amazing.

A special feature is the angle of the bottom in the Bay of Bengal, which is a unique phenomenon. The bottom is very diverse, in some parts reefs and characteristic faults predominate.

Deepest trench of the Indian Ocean

The Java Trench, also called the Sunda Trench, is considered the deepest point of the ocean. The depth in it reaches about 7.7 thousand meters; there is practically no relief at the bottom.

In the area of ​​the Java Trench, a huge earthquake occurred not long ago; scientists fear that this will soon cause a shift in tectonic plates.

Bays

There are 22 bays in total, the most significant of which can be called the Persian (due to its huge oil reserves).

Persian Gulf

The Bay of Bengal is home to many currents that influence water and air temperatures.

Features of nature

Strong winds and monsoons have a particular influence on the currents and temperature of coastal areas.

Also, these places have the richest diversity of marine life, algae species and corals.

Coastline

The coastline is strongly indented only on the north side, where most of the large seas are located.

On the Persian Gulf side, the ocean is protected from strong winds by mountains. The rest of the territory is almost flat.

Minerals

The Indian Ocean contains numerous and rich sources of oil and natural gas.

Near the coastlines and on the shelves, a variety of semi-precious stones and metals are mined, which are of significant importance for global industry.

Environmental problems of the Indian Ocean

Environmental problems arose in connection with anthropogenic influences, which led to such a deplorable state of natural ecosystems.

Pollution of Indian Ocean waters is influenced by many factors:

1. Starting with military operations and preparation for them, which are a serious source of the release of harmful and toxic substances. Warships greatly neglect environmental controls. A large number of sunken ships have accumulated at the bottom of the seas since ancient wars. Exposure to metals also causes significant environmental damage.
2. Industrial and agricultural emissions predominate.
3. Pesticides, being the most dangerous substances, cause irreparable damage to the environment.
4. The amount of garbage in the waters is growing rapidly, it gets there from the sides of ships or is thrown out by sewage from land. Plus, radioactive and toxic waste is buried at the bottom.

Types of economic activities

Fishing is not very developed, since the animal world is incredibly beautiful and serves more for the aesthetic pleasure of tourists. Whale fishing used to be widespread in Antarctic waters, which was later banned.

Tuna fishing is popular around the equator.

Such valuable parts of expensive jewelry as mother-of-pearl and natural pearls are mined off the coast of Australia.

As mentioned above, the Persian Gulf is home to one of the largest sources of oil production. The countries of the Indian Ocean extract all the necessary mineral resources and raw materials here in large quantities.

Attractions

Here are just some amazing places that will be interesting to see:

As a conclusion, here are some interesting facts:

1. The volume of water in the ocean is the third largest in the world after the Pacific and Atlantic.
2. In ancient times, the ocean was called “Eastern”, later European discoverers and explorers renamed it.
3. The first swims were made before the advent of our era.
4. Significant contributions to the study of the sea region were made by Covilha, Vasco da Gama and Cook.
5. In the depths of the ocean there are almost 2 billion tons of black gold and 2.3 trillion tons of gas.
6. It happens that glowing circles appear on the surface of the ocean. It is believed that this is plankton in large quantities.
7. It is in the Indian Ocean that the sea with the highest salt content on Earth is located - the Red Sea contains 42%.
8. The ocean contains a huge variety of coral reefs over a large extent.

What continents, countries and islands are washed by the Indian Ocean, you will learn from this article.

The Indian Ocean is located in the eastern hemisphere. In the northeast and north it is limited by Eurasia, Africa in the west, the Antarctic convergence zone in the southeast, in the south by the eastern coast of Africa, in the east by the western coast of Oceania and Australia. This ocean is the third largest after the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its area is 76.2 million km2, and its water volume is 282.6 million km3.

Continents and largest islands washed by the Indian Ocean

Let's figure out which continents are washed by the Indian Ocean. So, its waters wash 4 large continents, namely:

• northern shores of Eurasia
• western coast of Africa
• eastern shores of Australia
• Southern part of Antarctica

Also, the Indian Ocean with its waters washes such large and few islands - states as Madagascar, Sri Lanka, the volcanic islands of Mascarene, Crozet, Prince Edward. The largest groups of islands washed by the Indian Ocean are the Andaman (Cocos) and Maldives Islands.

Which countries are washed by the Indian Ocean?

The Indian Ocean washes countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Iran, India, Indonesia, Egypt, Kenya, Comoros, Malaysia, Myanmar, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Mauritius, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Seychelles , Thailand, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and South Africa.