Gulf of Aden and Red Sea

• 22 Jan 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

India’s Defence Minister hinted at a possibility of an increase in threats like maritime piracy, terrorism, and regional conflicts in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and the sea areas adjacent to East African countries.  

• In addition, 2024 was commemorated as the ‘Year of Naval Civilians’ that constitute a third of the Navy’s workforce. 

Note: Naval Civilians include soldiers without uniforms that play a pivotal role behind the scenes like technical assistance, administrative management and logistics support to provide significant strength to the troops.  

What are Key Facts About the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea? 

• Gulf of Aden: 
  • About: It is an extension of the Indian Ocean, situated between the Arabian Peninsula to the north and the African continent to the south.  
  • Location: It is bounded by Somalia and the Socotra Islands to the south, Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, and Djibouti to the west. 
    • It connects to the Somali Sea via the Guardafui Channel and to the Red Sea through the Strait of Bab el Mandeb. 
  • Economic Importance: Around 10% of global seaborne petroleum and over USD 110 billion in India’s trade pass through the Gulf of Aden. 

 

• Red Sea:  
  • About: It is the world's northernmost tropical sea and is underlain by the Red Sea Rift, making it part of the Great Rift Valley. 
    • The name Red Sea may originate from the seasonal blooms of a red-colored cyanobacteria (Trichodesmium erythraeum). 
    • The Red Sea Rift, a divergent boundary between the African and Arabian Plates, is part of the Great Rift Valley system stretching from East Africa to the Middle East. 
  • Location: The Red Sea lies between Africa and Asia and is a semi-enclosed extension of the Indian Ocean. 
    • It connects to the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea via the Bab el Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden in the south. 
    • In the north, it bifurcates into the Gulf of Aqaba and Gulf of Suez at the Sinai Peninsula, connecting to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. 

• Bordering Countries: The Red Sea borders six countries i.e., Yemen and Saudi Arabia to the east, and Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti to the west. 
  • The Gulf of Aqaba is bordered by Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. 
• Islands: Prominent islands include Tiran near the Gulf of Aqaba, Shadwan at the Gulf of Suez, and Yemen-controlled Kamaran, Perim, Hanish, and Socotra.  
  • The largest group of islands are the Farasan Islands in the east and the Dahlak Archipelago in the west. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)  

Prelims  

Q. Consider the following pairs: (2019)

Sea Bordering	Country
1. Adriatic Sea	Albania
2. Black Sea	Croatia
3. Caspian Sea	Kazakhstan
4. Mediterranean Sea	Morocco
5. Red Sea	Syria

  

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? 

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only  

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only 

(c) 2 and 5 only  

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 

Ans: (b) 

 Q. Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia does not open out to the Mediterranean Sea? (2015)

(a) Syria  

(b) Jordan 

(c) Lebanon  

(d) Israel 

Ans: (b)