 |
The Arabian Sea is part of the Indian Ocean. It borders the countries of India, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Oman, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Somalia. Within the Sea lie the Arabian Peninsula, Cape Guardafui, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Suez Canal, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of Kutch. The major ports along the coast of the sea are Aden, Yemen, Karachi, Pakistan and Bombay. It is about 1491 miles wide and is at its deepest at 8700 feet. The area of the Arabian Sea is approximately 3,862,000 square miles. Many rivers and streams empty into the Arabian Sea, but the largest is the Indus River.
It has always been an important route for sailing vessels set for trade dating all the way back to the 3rd millennium. The Egyptians even built canals to help the ships get through the waters of the sea, one along the site of the present day Suez Canal. But the canals were lost to sand storms because they were not built up to standard. Later in trade history, traders traveled through the desert in order to get cargo to the coast for shipping. They were met by danger. Here is where the legends of Arabian Nights and Sinbad the Sailor originated. |
