Red Sea

The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez—leading to the Suez Canal. It is underlain by the Red Sea Rift, which is part of the Great Rift Valley.

The Red Sea has a surface area of roughly , is about long, and wide at its widest point. It has an average depth of , and in the central Suakin Trough, it reaches its maximum depth of .

Approximately 40% of the Red Sea is quite shallow at less than deep and about 25% is less than deep. The extensive shallow shelves are noted for their marine life and corals. More than 1,000 invertebrate species and 200 types of soft and hard coral live in the sea. The Red Sea is the world's northernmost tropical sea and has been designated a Global 200 ecoregion.

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Red Sea as follows:

Exclusive economic zone

Exclusive economic zones in Red Sea:

Note: Hala'ib Triangle disputed between Sudan and Egypt and calculated for both.

Name

Red Sea has names in many languages of the region:

* ; ;
* ;
* , or
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* .

The English term ''Red Sea'' is a direct translation of the Ancient Greek ''Erythrà Thálassa'' (). The sea itself was once referred to as the Erythraean Sea by Europeans. As well as ''Mare Rubrum'' in Latin (alternatively ''Sinus Arabicus'', literally "Arabian Gulf"), the Romans called it ''Pontus Herculis'' (Sea of Hercules). Other designations include the Arabic (alternatively ); the Coptic ; the Syriac ; the Somali ; and the Tigrinya . The name of the sea may signify the seasonal blooms of the red-coloured '' Trichodesmium erythraeum'' near the water's surface. A theory favored by some modern scholars is that the name ''red'' refers to the direction south, just as the Black Sea's name may refer to the north. The basis of this theory is that some Asiatic languages used color words to refer to the cardinal directions. Herodotus on one occasion uses the Red Sea and Southern Sea interchangeably.

The name '' Yam Suph'' () is of biblical origin.

The name in Coptic ''Phiom Enhah'' ("Sea of Hah") is connected to the Ancient Egyptian root ''ḥ-ḥ'' which refers to water and sea (for example the names of the Ogdoad gods Heh and Hauhet).

Historically, it was also known to western geographers as ''Mare Mecca'' (Sea of Mecca), and ''Sinus Arabicus'' (Gulf of Arabia). Some ancient geographers called the Red Sea the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia.

The association of the Red Sea with the biblical account of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea is ancient. It was made explicit in the Septuagint translation of the Book of Exodus from Hebrew to Koine Greek in approximately the third century BC. In that version, the '' Yam Suph'' () is translated as ''Erythra Thalassa'' (Red Sea).

The Red Sea is one of four seas named in English after common color terms – the others being the Black Sea, the White Sea and the Yellow Sea. The direct rendition of the Greek ''Erythra thalassa'' in Latin as Mare Erythraeum refers to the north-western part of the Indian Ocean, and also to a region on Mars.

History

Ancient era

The earliest known exploration of the Red Sea was conducted by ancient Egyptians, as they attempted to establish commercial routes to Punt. One such expedition took place around 2500 BC, and another around 1500 BC (by Hatshepsut). Both involved long voyages down the Red Sea.

The biblical Book of Exodus tells the account of the Israelites' crossing of the sea, which the Hebrew text calls '' Yam Suph'' (). ''Yam Suph'' was traditionally identified as the Red Sea. Rabbi Saadia Gaon (882‒942), in his Judeo-Arabic translation of the Pentateuch, identifies the crossing place of the Red Sea as ''Baḥar al-Qulzum'', meaning the Gulf of Suez.

In the 6th century BC, Darius the Great, who was a prominent ruler of the Achaemenid Empire in Persia, undertook significant efforts to improve and extend navigation in the Red Sea. He sent reconnaissance missions to explore the Red Sea area and to identify its various navigational hazards, such as rocks and currents. This effort was significant, as it contributed to safer and more efficient navigation routes.

In addition to the maritime explorations, during the reign of Darius the Great, a canal was constructed linking the Nile River to the northern end of the Red Sea at Suez. This canal is sometimes referred to as the ancient Suez Canal. It played a pivotal role in improving trade and communication between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea, and beyond to the Indian Ocean. This canal was a predecessor to the modern Suez Canal, which was constructed in the 19th century and continues to be one of the world's most important waterways.

The construction of the canal during Darius's reign is evidenced by ancient records, including inscriptions. Darius commemorated the completion of the canal by creating stelae (stone monuments) with inscriptions in several languages, describing the construction and its benefits. The canal not only facilitated trade but also solidified Darius's control over Egypt and enhanced the Achaemenid Empire's economic and political power in the region.

In the late 4th century BC, Alexander the Great sent Greek naval expeditions down the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Greek navigators continued to explore and compile data on the Red Sea. Agatharchides collected information about the sea in the 2nd century BC. The ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' (" Periplus of the Red Sea"), a Greek periplus written by an unknown author around the 1st century, contains a detailed description of the Red Sea's ports and sea routes. The Periplus also describes how Hippalus first discovered the direct route from the Red Sea to India.

The Red Sea was favored for Roman trade with India starting with the reign of Augustus, when the Roman Empire gained control over the Mediterranean, Egypt, and the northern Red Sea. The route had been used by previous states but grew in the volume of traffic under the Romans. From Indian ports goods from China were introduced to the Roman world. Contact between Rome and China depended on the Red Sea, but the route was broken by the Aksumite Empire around the 3rd century AD.
From antiquity until the 20th century, the Red Sea was also a trade route for the Red Sea slave trade from Africa to the Middle East.

Middle Ages and modern era

During the Middle Ages, the Red Sea was an important part of the spice trade route. In 1183, Raynald of Châtillon launched a raid down the Red Sea to attack the Muslim pilgrim convoys to Mecca. The possibility that Raynald's fleet might sack the holy cities of Mecca and Medina caused fury throughout the Muslim world. However, it appears that Raynald's target was the lightly armed Muslim pilgrim convoys, rather than the well-guarded cities of Mecca and Medina, and the belief in the Muslim world that Raynald was seeking to sack the holy cities, due to the proximity of those cities to the areas that Raynald raided.

In 1513, trying to secure that channel to Portugal, Afonso de Albuquerque laid siege to Aden but was forced to retreat. They cruised the Red Sea inside the Bab al-Mandab, as the first fleet from Europe in modern times to have sailed these waters. Later in 1524, the city was delivered to Governor Heitor da Silveira as an agreement for protection from the Ottomans.
In 1798, France ordered General Napoleon to invade Egypt and take control of the Red Sea. Although he failed in his mission, the engineer Jean-Baptiste Lepère, who took part in it, revitalised the plan for a canal which had been envisaged during the reign of the Pharaohs. Several canals were built in ancient times from the Nile to the Red Sea along or near the line of the present Sweet Water Canal, but none lasted for long. The Suez Canal was opened in November 1869. During the first half of the 20th century, the Red Sea slave trade attracted substantial international condemnation.

After the Second World War, the Americans and Soviets exerted their influence whilst the volume of oil tanker traffic intensified. However, the Six-Day War culminated in the closure of the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1975. Today, despite the patrols by the major maritime fleets in the waters of the Red Sea, the Suez Canal has never recovered its supremacy over the Cape route, which is believed to be less vulnerable to piracy.

Red Sea crisis

Iranian-backed Yemini Houthis have attacked Western ships, including warships, next to the Bab al-Mandeb during the Gaza war. One ship was hijacked and taken back to Yemen.

Oceanography

The Red Sea is between arid land, desert and semi-desert. Reef systems are better developed along the Red Sea mainly because of its greater depths and efficient water circulation pattern. The Red Sea water mass-exchanges its water with the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden. These physical factors reduce the effect of high salinity caused by evaporation in the north and relatively hot water in the south.

The climate of the Red Sea is the result of two monsoon seasons: a northeasterly monsoon and a southwesterly monsoon. Monsoon winds occur because of differential heating between the land and the sea. Very high surface temperatures and high salinity make this one of the warmest and saltiest bodies of seawater in the world. The average surface water temperature of the Red Sea during the summer is about in the north and in the south, with only about variation during the winter months. The overall average water temperature is . Temperature and visibility remain good to around . The sea is known for its strong winds and unpredictable local currents.

The rainfall over the Red Sea and its coasts is extremely low, averaging per year. The rain is mostly short showers, often with thunderstorms and occasionally with dust storms. The scarcity of rainfall and no major source of fresh water to the Red Sea result in excess evaporation as high as per year and high salinity with minimal seasonal variation. A recent underwater expedition to the Red Sea offshore from Sudan and Eritrea found surface water temperatures in winter and up to in the summer, but despite that extreme heat, the coral was healthy with much fish life with very little sign of coral bleaching, with only 9% infected by '' Thalassomonas loyana'', the 'white plague' agent. ''Favia favus'' coral there harbours a virus, BA3, which kills ''T. loyana''.
Scientists are investigating the unique properties of these coral and their commensal algae to see if they can be used to salvage bleached coral elsewhere.

Salinity

The Red Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, owing to high evaporation and low precipitation; no significant rivers or streams drain into the sea, and its southern connection to the Gulf of Aden, an arm of the Indian Ocean, is narrow. Its salinity ranges from between ~36  ‰ in the southern part and 41 ‰ in the northern part around the Gulf of Suez, with an average of 40 ‰. (Average salinity for the world's seawater is ~35 ‰ on the Practical Salinity Scale, or PSU; that translates to 3.5% of actual dissolved salts).

Tidal range

In general, tide ranges between in the north, near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez and in the south near the Gulf of Aden, but it fluctuates between and away from the nodal point. The central Red Sea (Jeddah area) is therefore almost tideless, and as such the annual water level changes are more significant. Because of the small tidal range, the water during high tide inundates the coastal sabkhas as a thin sheet of water up to a few hundred metres rather than flooding the sabkhas through a network of channels. However, south of Jeddah in the Shoiaba area, the water from the lagoon may cover the adjoining sabkhas as far as , whereas north of Jeddah in the Al-Kharrar area the sabkhas are covered by a thin sheet of water as far as . The prevailing north and northeast winds influence the movement of water in the coastal inlets to the adjacent sabkhas, especially during storms. Winter mean sea level is higher than in summer. Tidal velocities passing through constrictions caused by reefs, sand bars and low islands commonly exceed . Coral reefs in the Red Sea are near Egypt, Eritrea, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.

Current

Detailed information regarding current data is lacking, partially because the currents are weak and both spatially and temporally variable. The variation of temporal and spatial currents is as low as and is governed all by the wind. During the summer, northwesterly winds drive surface water south for about four months at a velocity of , whereas in winter the flow is reversed resulting in the inflow of water from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea. The net value of the latter predominates, resulting in an overall drift to the north end of the Red Sea. Generally, the velocity of the tidal current is with a maximum of at the mouth of the al-Kharrar Lagoon. However, the range of the north-northeast current along the Saudi coast is .

Wind regime

The northern part of the Red Sea is dominated by persistent north-west winds, with speeds ranging between and . The rest of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are subjected to regular and seasonally reversible winds. The wind regime is characterized by seasonal and regional variations in speed and direction with average speed generally increasing northward.

The wind is the driving force in the Red Sea to transport material as suspension or as bedload. Wind-induced currents play an important role in the Red Sea in resuspending bottom sediments and transferring materials from sites of dumping to sites of burial in a quiescent environment of deposition. Wind-generated current measurement is therefore important to determine the sediment dispersal pattern and its role in the erosion and accretion of the coastal rock exposure and the submerged coral beds.

Geology

The Red Sea was formed by the Arabian Peninsula being split from the Horn of Africa by the movement of the Red Sea Rift. This split started in the Eocene and accelerated during the Oligocene. The sea is still widening (in 2005, following a three weeks of tectonic activity it had grown by ), and it is considered that it will become an ocean in time (as proposed in the model of John Tuzo Wilson). In 1949, a deep water survey reported anomalously hot brines in the central portion of the Red Sea. Later work in the 1960s confirmed the presence of hot, , saline brines and associated metalliferous muds. The hot solutions were emanating from an active subseafloor rift. Lake Asal in Djibouti is eligible as an experimental site to study the evolution of the deep hot brines of the Red Sea. By observing the strontium isotope composition of the Red Sea brines, it is possible to deduce how these salt waters found at the bottom of the Red Sea could have evolved in a similar way to Lake Asal, which ideally represents their compositional extreme. The high salinity of the waters was not hospitable to living organisms.

Sometime during the Tertiary, the Bab el Mandeb closed and the Red Sea evaporated to an empty hot dry salt-floored sink. Effects causing this would have been:
* A "race" between the Red Sea widening and Perim Island erupting filling the Bab el Mandeb with lava.
* The lowering of world sea level during the Ice Ages because of much water being locked up in the ice caps.

Several volcanic islands rise from the center of the sea. Most are dormant. However, in 2007, Jabal al-Tair island in the Bab el Mandeb strait erupted violently. Two new islands were formed in 2011 and 2013 in the Zubair Archipelago, a small chain of islands owned by Yemen. The first island, Sholan Island, emerged in an eruption in December 2011, and the second island, Jadid, emerged in September 2013. Approximately 40% of the Red Sea is quite shallow at less than deep, with about 25% less than deep.

Oil and gas

Undiscovered oil reserves in the region have been estimated at . Undiscovered gas reserves in the region have been estimated at . Undiscovered natural gas reserves have been estimated at . Most of these plays are controlled by the structure of the basin. Normal faults are common as the Red Sea occupies an active diverging margin. These targets are commonly found below the Salt deposits of the Middle Miocene.

Modern development is focused on the following fields. The Durwara 2 Field was discovered in 1963, while the Suakin 1 Field and the Bashayer 1A Field were discovered in 1976, on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea. The Barqan Field was discovered in 1969, and the Midyan Field in 1992, both within the Midyan Basin on the Saudi Arabian side of the Red Sea. The 20-m thick Middle Miocene Maqna Formation is an oil source rock in the basin. Oil seeps occur near the Farasan Islands, the Dahlak Archipelago, along the coast of Eritrea, and in the southeastern Red Sea along the coasts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Mineral resources

In terms of mineral resources the major constituents of the Red Sea sediments are as follows:
* Biogenic constituents:
: Nanofossils, foraminifera, pteropods, siliceous fossils
* Volcanogenic constituents:
: Tuffites, volcanic ash, montmorillonite, cristobalite, zeolites
* Terrigenous constituents:
: Quartz, feldspars, rock fragments, mica, heavy minerals, clay minerals
* Authigenic minerals:
: Sulfide minerals, aragonite, calcite, protodolomite, dolomite, quartz, chalcedony
* Evaporite minerals:
: Magnesite, gypsum, anhydrite, halite, polyhalite
* Brine precipitate:
: Fe-montmorillonite, goethite, hematite, siderite, rhodochrosite, pyrite, sphalerite, anhydrite

Ecosystem

The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. For example, more than 1200 fish species have been recorded in the Red Sea, of which 10% are endemic, found nowhere else.

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in November 1869, over a thousand marine species from the Red Sea—from plankton, seaweeds, invertebrates to fishes—have migrated northward and settled in the Mediterranean Sea. To the point that a number of them now form a significant component of the Mediterranean ecosystem. The resulting change in biodiversity, without precedent in human memory, is currently accelerating, in particular for fishes according to surveys engaged by the Mediterranean Science Commission.

The rich diversity of the Red Sea is in part due to the of coral reef extending along its coastline; these fringing reefs are 5000–7000 years old and are largely formed of stony acropora and porite corals. The reefs form platforms and sometimes lagoons along the coast and occasionally other features such as cylinders (such as the Blue Hole (Red Sea) at Dahab).

The Red Sea also hosts many offshore reefs, including several true atolls. Many of the unusual offshore reef formations defy classic (i.e., Darwinian) coral reef classification schemes, and are generally attributed to the high levels of tectonic activity that characterize the area. Both offshore and coastal reefs are visited by pelagic species of fish, including many of the 44 recorded species of shark, and by many species (over 175) of nudibranch, many of which are endemic to the Red Sea. Other coastal Red Sea habitats include seagrass beds, salt pans, mangroves and salt marshes. Furthermore, the deep Red Sea brine pools have been extensively studied about their microbial life, characterized by their diversity and adaptation to extreme environments.

The high marine biodiversity of the area is recognized by the Egyptian government, which set up the Ras Mohammed National Park in 1983. The rules and regulations governing this area protect local marine life, which has become a major draw for diving enthusiasts who should be aware that although most Red Sea species are innocuous, a few are hazardous to humans.

Due to the high volume of maritime traffic, carrying 12–15% of global trade, the Red Sea is considered highly vulnerable to marine pollution, particularly oil spills. Academic literature has increasingly focused on both past disasters and predictive modelling. Studies have modelled spill trajectories and their environmental consequences. Others have analysed the ecological impact of spills on coral reefs and marine biodiversity and assessed how chemical dispersants and specific oil compounds affect marine fauna and coastal ecosystems. Public health literature has raised concerns over the spill’s impact on respiratory illness and waterborne contamination in coastal populations.

Desalination plants

There is extensive demand for desalinated water to meet the needs of the population and the industries along the Red Sea.

There are at least 18 desalination plants along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia which discharge warm brine and treatment chemicals (chlorine and anti-scalants) that bleach and kill corals and cause diseases in the fish. This is only localized, but it may intensify with time and profoundly impact the fishing industry.

Trade

The Red Sea serves an important role in the global economy, with cargo vessels traveling between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea every year, thus shortening the path between Asia and Europe almost by half (as compared to traveling around Africa via the Atlantic Ocean). 12% of global trade passes through the Red Sea. This includes 30% of global container traffic.

Tourism

The sea is known for its recreational diving sites, such as Ras Mohammed, SS Thistlegorm (shipwreck), Elphinstone Reef, The Brothers, Daedalus Reef, St. John's Reef, Rocky Island in Egypt and less known sites in Sudan such as Sanganeb, Abington, Angarosh and Shaab Rumi.

The Red Sea became a popular destination for diving after the expeditions of Hans Hass in the 1950s, and later by Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Popular tourist resorts include El Gouna, Hurghada, Safaga and Marsa Alam, on the west shore of the Red Sea, and Sharm-el-Sheikh, Dahab, and Taba on the Egyptian side of Sinaï, as well as Aqaba in Jordan and Eilat in Israel in an area known as the Red Sea Riviera.

The popular tourist beach of Sharm el-Sheikh was closed to all swimming in December 2010 due to several serious shark attacks, including a fatality. As of December 2010, scientists are investigating the attacks and have identified, but not verified, several possible causes including overfishing which causes large sharks to hunt closer to shore, tourist boat operators who chum offshore for shark-photo opportunities, and reports of ships throwing dead livestock overboard. The sea's narrowness, significant depth, and sharp drop-offs, all combine to form a geography where large deep-water sharks can roam in hundreds of meters of water, yet be within a hundred meters of swimming areas. The Red Sea Project is building the highest quality accommodation and a wide range of facilities on the coastline in Saudi Arabia. This will allow people to visit the coastline of the Red Sea by the end of 2022 but will be fully finished by 2030.

Tourism to the region has been threatened by occasional terrorist attacks, and by incidents related to food safety standards.

Security

The Red Sea is part of the sea roads between Europe, the Persian Gulf and East Asia, and as such has heavy shipping traffic. Government-related bodies responsible for policing the Red Sea area include the Port Said Port Authority, the Suez Canal Authority and the Red Sea Ports Authority of Egypt, the Jordan Maritime Authority, the Israel Port Authority, the Saudi Ports Authority and the Sea Ports Corporation of Sudan.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have increased attacks on shipping vessels since mid-November 2023. The blocking of Israeli-linked ships was in response to Israel's war on Gaza. In January 2024, it was reported that Red Sea shipping volumes had dropped to 30% of normal levels due to Houthi intervention. In response, the US has announced a maritime coalition to defend shipping in the Red Sea for the Operation Prosperity Guardian. In addition to the U.S.-led efforts, the European Union launched Operation Aspides in February 2024 to provide naval escorts and protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea. In January 2025, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2768, calling for an end to Houthi attacks and demanding the release of detained crew from seized vessels.

Beyond inter-state conflict, the Red Sea region is also shaped by non-traditional security threats, including piracy, illicit trafficking, and ‘blue crime’ – a convergence of arms smuggling, illegal fishing, and maritime terrorism within governance gaps. Recent academic assessments highlight the role of ‘shadow fleets’, unregistered or covert vessels often linked to Iranian or Russian interests, which operate in the Red Sea to evade sanctions and transport illicit goods, including oil, weapons, and narcotics. While international attention has largely focused on missile and drone attacks, scholars also warn of critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, including damage to undersea cables caused by bottom trawling and sabotage.

Bordering countries

The Red Sea may be geographically divided into three sections: the Red Sea proper, and in the north, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez. The six countries bordering the Red Sea proper are:
* Eastern shore:
** Saudi Arabia
** Yemen
* Western shore:
** Egypt
** Sudan
** Eritrea
** Djibouti

The Gulf of Suez is entirely bordered by Egypt. The Gulf of Aqaba borders Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

In addition to the standard geographical definition of the six countries bordering the Red Sea cited above, areas such as Somalia are sometimes also described as Red Sea territories. This is primarily due to their proximity to and geological similarities with the nations facing the Red Sea and/or political ties with them.

Towns and cities

Towns and cities on the Red Sea coast (including the coasts of the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez) include:

* Ain Sokhna, Egypt (العين السخنة)
* Al Hudaydah, Yemen (الحديدة)
* Al Lith, Saudi Arabia (الليِّث)
* Al Qunfudhah, Saudi Arabia (القنفذة)
* Al-Qusair, Egypt (القصير)
* Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia (الوجه)
* Aqaba, Jordan (العقبة)
* Asseb, Eritrea (ዓሰብ / عصب)
* Dahab, Egypt (دهب)
* Duba, Saudi Arabia (ضباء)
* Eilat, Israel (אילת)
* El Gouna, Egypt (الجونة)
* El Tor, Egypt (الطور)
* Suez, Egypt (السويس)
* Hala'ib, Egypt and Sudan (حلايب) (disputed)
* Haql, Saudi Arabia (حقل)
* Hirgigo, Eritrea (ሕርጊጎ / حرقيقو)
* Hurghada, Egypt (الغردقة)
* Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (جدة)
* Jazan, Saudi Arabia (جازان)
* Marsa Alam, Egypt (مرسى علم)
* Massawa, Eritrea (ምጽዋዕ / مصوع)
* Mokha, Yemen (المُخا)
* Moulhoule, Djibouti (مول هولة)
* Nuweiba, Egypt (نويبع)
* Port Sudan, Sudan (بورت سودان)
* Rabigh, Saudi Arabia (رابغ)
* Safaga, Egypt (سفاجا)
* Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (شرم الشيخ)
* Soma Bay, Egypt (سوما باي)
* Suakin, Sudan (سواكن)
* Taba, Egypt (طابا)
* Thuwal, Saudi Arabia (ثول)
* Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (ينبع)

See also

* ferry disaster
* Crossing the Red Sea, a Biblical tale from the Book of Exodus
* Red Sea Dam
* The Red Sea Project

References

Further reading

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External links

Red Sea Coral Reefs

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