What seas, bays and straits does the Indian Ocean form? Indian Ocean - area and location. Fisheries and marine activities

The Indian Ocean is component world ocean. Its maximum depth is 7729 m (Sunda Trench), and its average depth is just over 3700 m, which is second only to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The size of the Indian Ocean is 76.174 million km2. This is 20% of the world's oceans. The volume of water is about 290 million km3 (together with all the seas).

The waters of the Indian Ocean are light blue in color and have good transparency. This is due to the fact that very few freshwater rivers flow into it, which are the main “troublemakers.” By the way, due to this, the water in the Indian Ocean is much saltier compared to the salinity levels of other oceans.

Location of the Indian Ocean

Most of the Indian Ocean is in the Southern Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by Asia, to the south by Antarctica, to the east by Australia and to the west by the African continent. In addition, in the southeast its waters connect with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and in the southwest with the Atlantic Ocean.

Seas and bays of the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean does not have as many seas as other oceans. For example, in comparison with the Atlantic Ocean there are 3 times less of them. Most of the seas are located in its northern part. IN tropical zone are: the Red Sea (the saltiest sea on Earth), the Laccadive Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Arafura Sea, the Timor Sea and the Andaman Sea. The Antarctic zone contains the D'Urville Sea, the Commonwealth Sea, the Davis Sea, the Riiser-Larsen Sea, and the Cosmonaut Sea.

The largest bays of the Indian Ocean are the Persian, Bengal, Oman, Aden, Prydz and Great Australian.

Indian Ocean Islands

The Indian Ocean is not distinguished by an abundance of islands. The largest islands of mainland origin are Madagascar, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Java, Tasmania, Timor. Also, there are volcanic islands such as Mauritius, Regyon, Kerguelen, and coral islands - Chagos, Maldives, Andaman, etc.

The underwater world of the Indian Ocean

Since more than half of the Indian Ocean is located in the tropical and subtropical zones, its underwater world is very rich and diverse in species. The coastal zone in the tropics is replete with numerous colonies of crabs and unique fish - mudskippers. Corals live in shallow waters, and in temperate waters a variety of algae grow - calcareous, brown, red.

The Indian Ocean is home to dozens of species of crustaceans, mollusks and jellyfish. A fairly large number of sea snakes also live in ocean waters, among which there are poisonous species.

The special pride of the Indian Ocean is sharks. Its waters are plied by many species of these predators, namely tiger, mako, gray, blue, great white shark, etc.

Mammals are represented by killer whales and dolphins. The southern part of the ocean is home to several species of pinnipeds (seals, dugongs, seals) and whales.

Despite all the richness of the underwater world, seafood fishing in the Indian Ocean is rather poorly developed - only 5% of the world catch. Sardines, tuna, shrimp, lobsters, rays and lobsters are caught in the ocean.

1. The ancient name of the Indian Ocean is Eastern.

2. In the Indian Ocean, ships are regularly found in good condition, but without a crew. Where he disappears is a mystery. Over the past 100 years, there have been 3 such ships - the Tarbon, the Houston Market (tankers) and the Cabin Cruiser.

3. Many species of the underwater world of the Indian Ocean have unique property- they can glow. This is what explains the appearance of luminous circles in the ocean.

If you liked this material, share it with your friends on in social networks. Thank you!

Geographical position

Indian Ocean ranks third in area and volume of water. It occupies 1/5 of the area of ​​the World Ocean and 1/7 of the surface of the planet (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Indian Ocean on the map.

Square Indian Ocean - 76.17 million km 2. Unlike the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, it has a small number of seas, only 5. Temperature The surface layer of water is +17 °C, and the salinity is 36.5 ‰. The saltiest part of the Indian Ocean is the Red Sea, with a salinity of 41‰. Relief The Indian Ocean is unique: on the ocean floor there are 10 main basins, 11 underwater ridges and 1 trench more than 6 thousand meters deep.

Average depth The Indian Ocean is 3711 m, and the maximum is 7729 m. The coastline of the Indian Ocean is very slightly indented. Remember the location of the Indian Ocean objects: the Red Sea (Fig. 3), the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf (Fig. 2), the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, the Greater Sunda Islands archipelago and the Mozambique Strait.

The most characteristic geographical feature The Indian Ocean is that 84% of its area is located in the Southern Hemisphere, and there is no direct connection with the Arctic Ocean.

Rice. 2. Persian Gulf

Rice. 3. Red Sea

According to modern data, the western border of the Indian Ocean is the meridian of 20° east. on the stretch between Antarctica and Cape Agulhas in southern Africa. In the northeast, its border runs along the shores of Asia to the Strait of Malacca along the islands of Sumatra, Java, Timor, and New Guinea. Further east through the Torres Strait along the west coast of Australia and the island of Tasmania. Further along 147° E. to Antarctica. The southern border of the ocean is the coast of Antarctica from 20° east. d. to 147° east. d. Northern border - the southern coast of Eurasia.

History of ocean exploration

The shores of the Indian Ocean are one of the areas of ancient civilizations. The exploration of the ocean began from the north by Indian, Egyptian and Phoenician sailors, who 3 thousand years BC. e. sailed in the Arabian and Red Seas and the Persian Gulf. The first descriptions of the routes of voyages in the Indian Ocean were made by the Arabs. For European geographical science information about the ocean began to accumulate since the voyages Vasco da Gama(1497–1499) (Fig. 4), who, having rounded Africa, reached India.

In 1642–1643 Abel Tasman(Fig. 5) first passed from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific along the southern coast of Australia.

At the end of the 18th century, the first depth measurements were carried out here James Cook(Fig. 6).

Comprehensive and systematic study of the ocean began in late XIX centuries since circumnavigation English expedition on the ship "Challenger" (Fig. 7).

However, by the middle of the 20th century, the Indian Ocean was very poorly studied. In the 50s The Soviet expedition began work on the Ob ship (Fig. 8).

Today, the Indian Ocean is being studied by dozens of expeditions from different countries.

Lithospheric plates

At the bottom of the Indian Ocean there is a border between three lithospheric plates: African, Indo-Australian and Antarctic (Fig. 9). In the depression earth's crust occupied by the waters of the Indian Ocean, all large structural reliefs of the ocean floor are well expressed: shelf (accounting for more than 4% of the total ocean area), continental slope, ocean floor (ocean plains and basins, 56% of the total ocean area), middle -ocean ridges (17%), mountain ranges and underwater plateaus, deep-sea trench.

Rice. 9. Lithospheric plates on the map

Mid-ocean ridges divide the ocean floor into three large parts. The transition from the ocean floors to the continents is smooth, only in the northeastern part does the Sunda Islands arc form, under which the Indo-Australian lithospheric plate subducts. In this place, a deep-sea trench 4 thousand km long is formed. The deep Sunda Trench, like the underwater ridges, is a zone of active underwater volcanism and earthquakes.

Geological history of the ocean

Depression Indian Ocean is very young. It was formed about 150 million years ago as a result of the collapse of Gondwana and the moving apart of Africa, Australia, Antarctica and Hindustan. The Indian Ocean acquired its contours close to modern ones about 25 million years ago. Now the ocean is located within three lithospheric plates: African, Indo-Australian and Antarctic.

Climate

The Indian Ocean is located in the tropical and subequatorial zones Northern Hemisphere, as well as in all climatic zones of the Southern Hemisphere. By temperature surface waters this is the warmest ocean. Temperature The Indian Ocean depends on latitude: the northern part of the ocean is warmer than the southern part. Monsoons also form in the northern Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean washes the shores of the largest continent - Eurasia. Their interaction determines the features of surface currents and atmospheric circulation over the northern part of the ocean and the southern coast of Asia. In winter, an area of ​​high atmospheric pressure forms over South Asia, and an area of ​​low pressure forms over the ocean. Thus, a wind is formed - the northeast monsoon. In summer, on the contrary, the southwest monsoon forms.

Sailors have long known the changing nature of the winds and currents of the northern part of the Indian Ocean and skillfully used it while sailing on sailing ships. In Arabic, “monsoon” means “season”, and “breeze” in French means “light wind”. Small sailing ships in the northern Indian Ocean are still in use today.

Tsunami

Underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean that occurred December 26, 2004, caused a tsunami that was considered the deadliest natural disaster V modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake, according to various sources, ranged 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 led to enormous destruction and a huge number of deaths even in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6 thousand 900 km from the epicenter (Fig. 10).

Rice. 10. After the earthquake, December 2004

According to various estimates, from 225 to 300 thousand people died. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known, as many people were swept out to sea.

Flora and fauna

Flora and fauna The Indian Ocean is quite rich. In the shallow waters of the tropical zone, corals grow, which create islands with red and green algae. Among the coral islands, the most famous are Maldives(Fig. 11). These robust coral structures are home to many species of invertebrates such as crabs, sea ​​urchins, sponges, coral fish. There are huge areas of dense thickets of brown algae here. The open ocean is mostly inhabited by planktonic algae, while the Arabian Sea is characterized by blue-green algae, which constantly cause water blooms.

Rice. 11. Maldives

Also rich and animal world ocean. For example, among the animal waters of the Indian Ocean, the most common crustaceans are copepods, and siphonophores And jellyfish. The ocean is inhabited by squid, some species of flying fish, white shark, sailfish, poisonous sea snake, whales, turtles, and seals (Fig. 12). The most common birds are frigates and albatrosses.

Rice. 12. The underwater world of the Indian Ocean

The flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean is very diverse and interesting, as animals and plants live in a place favorable for development. This is a flower garden for nature lovers, environmentalists and tourists. Oil is produced on the Indian Ocean shelf and natural gas. The most famous place in the world for oil production is the Persian Gulf. The Indian Ocean is considered to be the most polluted by oil compared to other oceans. There are also many shipping routes in the Indian Ocean; there are large port cities and various places of recreation and tourism: Karachi, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, Mumbai, etc.

Bibliography

1. Geography. Land and people. 7th grade: Textbook for general education. uch. / A.P. Kuznetsov, L.E. Savelyeva, V.P. Dronov, “Spheres” series. – M.: Education, 2011.

2. Geography. Land and people. 7th grade: atlas, “Spheres” series.

1. Internet portal "Complete Encyclopedia" ()

2. Internet portal "Geography" ()

3. Internet portal "All about sharks" ()

Many seas wash the shores of one or more countries. Some of these seas are huge, others are very small... Only inland seas are not part of the ocean.

After the Earth formed from a clump of gas and dust 4.5 billion years ago, the temperature on the planet dropped and the vapor contained in the atmosphere condensed (turned into liquid when cooled), settling on the surface in the form of rain. From this water the world ocean was formed, which was subsequently divided by continents into four oceans. These oceans include numerous coastal seas, often connected to each other.

Largest seas of the Pacific Ocean

Philippine Sea
Area: 5.7 million km2, located between Taiwan in the north, the Mariana Islands in the east, the Caroline Islands in the southeast and the Philippines in the west.

coral sea
Area: 4 million km2, limited to the west by Australia, Papua New Guinea to the north, Vanuatu to the east and New Caledonia

South China Sea
Area: 3.5 million km2, located between the Philippines in the east, Malaysia in the south, Vietnam in the west and China in the north

Tasman Sea
Area: 3.3 million km 2, washes Australia in the west and New Zealand in the east and separates the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Bering Sea
Area: 2.3 million km 2, located between Chukotka (Russia) in the west and Alaska (USA) in the east.

Japanese Sea
Area: 970,000 km 2, located between the Russian Far East in the northwest, Korea in the west and Japan in the east.

Largest seas of the Atlantic Ocean

Sargasso Sea
Area: 4 million km 2, located between Florida (USA) in the west and the Northern Antilles in the south.

Composition of sea water

Sea water consists of approximately 96% water and 4% salt. Apart from the Dead Sea, the saltiest sea in the world is the Red Sea: it contains 44 grams of salt per liter of water (versus 35 grams on average for most seas). This high salt content is explained by the fact that water evaporates faster in this hot region.

Gulf of Guinea
Area: 1.5 million km 2, located at the latitude of the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Mediterranean Sea
Area: 2.5 million km 2, surrounded by Europe in the north, Western Asia in the east and North Africa in the south.

Antilles Sea
Area: 2.5 million km 2, located between the Antilles in the east, the coast of South America in the South and Central America in the West.

Gulf of Mexico
Area: 1.5 million km 2, it is adjacent to the southern coast of the United States from the north and Mexico from the west.

Baltic Sea
Area: 372,730 km 2, borders Russia and Finland in the north, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the east, Poland and Germany in the south and Denmark and Sweden in the west.

North Sea
Area: 570,000 km 2, it is adjacent to Scandinavia in the east, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in the south and Great Britain in the west.

Largest seas of the Indian Ocean

Arabian Sea
Area: 3.5 million km 2, washes the Arabian Peninsula in the west, Pakistan in the north and India in the east.

Bay of Bengal
Area: 2.1 million km 2, located between the coasts of India in the west, Bangladesh in the north, Myanmar (Burma) in the northeast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the southeast and Sri Lanka in the southwest.

Great Australian Bight (Australian Bight)
Area: 1.3 million km 2, stretches along the southern coast of Australia.

Arafura Sea
Area: 1 million km 2, located between Papua New Guinea in the northwest, Indonesia in the west and Australia in the south.

Mozambique Channel
Area: 1.4 million km 2, located near Africa, between the coasts of Mozambique in the west and Madagascar in the east.

The largest seas of the Arctic Ocean

Barencevo sea
Area: 1.4 million km 2, washes the shores of Norway in the west and Russia in the east.

Greenland Sea
Area: 1.2 million km 2, limited by Greenland in the west and the island of Spitsbergen (Norway) in the east.

East-Siberian Sea
Area: 900,000 km 2, washes the shores of Siberia.

The largest seas of Antarctica

Inland seas

Inland, or closed, seas are completely surrounded by land. Black and Caspian Sea- the largest of them.

Black Sea
Area: 461,000 km2. It is surrounded by Romania and Bulgaria in the west, Russia and Ukraine in the north, Georgia in the east and Turkey in the south. It communicates with Mediterranean Sea via Mramornoe.

Bellingshausen Sea
Area: 1.2 million km 2, located near Antarctica.

Caspian Sea
Area: 376,000 km2, located between Azerbaijan in the west, Russia in the northwest, Kazakhstan in the north and east, Turkmenistan in the southeast and Iran in the south.

Ross Sea
Area: 960,000 km 2, located north of Antarctica.

Weddell Sea
Area: 1.9 million km 2, located between the South Orkney Islands (UK) and the South Shetland Islands (UK) in the north and Antarctica in the south.

The Dead Sea is so salty that there are no living organisms in it

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 Globe, its depths hold many mysteries and secrets. Studied in natural history lessons in primary school, further in high school, 5-7 grades, this topic is often found in exam papers and tests.

In contact with

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

Currents are mostly directed towards reverse side from clockwise. 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 physical map world (click to enlarge)

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

Climate and climate zones

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

Heated in summer 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 various types 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 separately standing about you Tasmania, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Socotra are considered. 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 are greatly neglected environmental control. 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, which are the most dangerous substance, 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 wastewater from sushi. 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 produce everything they need here in large quantities. mineral resources and raw materials.

Attractions

Here are just a few Amazing places, which will be interesting to look at:

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.

The area of ​​the Indian Ocean exceeds 76 million square kilometers - it is the third largest water area in the world.

Africa is nestled in the western part of the Indian Ocean, the Sunda Islands and Australia are in the east, Antarctica sparkles in the south and captivating Asia is in the north. The Hindustan Peninsula divides northern part The Indian Ocean is divided into two parts - the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

Borders

The meridian of Cape Agulhas coincides with the border between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and the line that connects the Malaaka Peninsula with the islands of Java, Sumatra and runs along the meridian of the Southeast Cape south of Tasmania is the border between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Geographic location on the map

Indian Ocean Islands

Here are such famous islands as the Maldives, Seychelles, Madagascar, Cocos Islands, Laccadive, Nicobar, the Chagos Archipelago and Christmas Island.

It is impossible not to mention the group of Mascarene Islands, which are located east of Madagascar: Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues. And on the southern side of the island there are Kroe, Prince Edward, Kerguelen s.

Brethren

The Maoacc Strait connects the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea; between the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea, the Sunda Strait and the Lombok Strait act as connective tissue.

From the Gulf of Oman, which is located in the northwest Arabian Sea, you can reach the Persian Gulf by sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The road to the Red Sea is opened by the Gulf of Aden, which is located a little to the south. Madagascar is separated from the African continent by the Mozambique Channel.

Basin and list of flowing rivers

The Indian Ocean basin includes such large rivers of Asia as:

• The Indus, which flows into the Arabian Sea,
• Irrawaddy,
• Salween,
• Ganges and Brahmaputra, going to the Bay of Bengal,
• The Euphrates and Tigris, which merge slightly above their confluence with the Persian Gulf,
• Limpopo and Zambezi, largest rivers Africa also flows into it.

The greatest depth (maximum - almost 8 kilometers) of the Indian Ocean was measured in the Java (or Sunda) deep-sea trench. The average depth of the ocean is almost 4 kilometers.

It is washed by many rivers

Under the influence of seasonal changes in monsoon winds, surface currents in the north of the ocean change.

In winter, the monsoons blow from the northeast, and in summer from the southwest. Currents that are south of 10°S generally move counterclockwise.

In the south of the ocean, currents move east from the west, and the South Trade Wind Current (north of 20° S) moves in the opposite direction. The equatorial countercurrent, which is located immediately south of the equator itself, carries water to the east.

Photo, view from an airplane

Etymology

The Erythraean Sea is what the ancient Greeks called the western part of the Indian Ocean with the Persian and Arabian Gulfs. Over time, this name became identified only with the nearby sea, and the ocean itself was named in honor of India, which was very famous for its wealth among all that are located off the coast of this ocean.

In the fourth century BC, Alexander of Macdonald called the Indian Ocean Indicon pelagos (which means “Indian Sea” in ancient Greek). The Arabs called it Bar el-Hid.

In the 16th century, the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder introduced a name that has stuck to this day: Oceanus Indicus (which in Latin corresponds to the modern name).