Gulf of Aden

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About Gulf of Aden:

It is an extension of the Indian Ocean, located between the Arabian Peninsula (north) and the Horn of Africa (south).
It connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea and ultimately the Indian Ocean.
The gulf is named after “Aden,” a port city on Yemen’s coast.
It is approximately 900 km long and 500 km wide and covers roughly 410,000 sq.km.
It is bounded to the south by Somalia and the Socotra Islands (part of Yemen), north by Yemen, east by the Arabian Sea, and west by Djibouti.
The gulf is connected to the Somali Sea to the south by the Guardafui Channel, and to the Red Sea on the west by the Strait of Bab el Mandeb.
In the west, it narrows into the Gulf of Tadjoura,near Djibouti.
It is demarcated from the Arabian Sea by the Horn of Africa and the Socotra Islands.
The dominant relief feature of the gulf’s terrain is the Sheba Ridge,an extension of the Indian Ocean ridge system, which extends along the middle of the gulf.
Compared to the neighbouring Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden has a lower saline content.
Some of the major cities near the gulf include Aden, Mukalla, Ahnwar, Balhaf, Berbera, Bosaso, and Djibouti City.
Major Ports:Aden in Yemen, and Berbera and Bosaso in Somalia.
It is also a critical part of the Suez Canal shipping route, which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
An estimated 11% of seaborne petroleum passes through the Gulf of Aden en route to the Mediterranean or Arabian Seas.

Q1: What two bodies of water are connected by the Gulf of Aden?

Gulf of Aden, deepwater basin that forms a natural sea link between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. Named for the seaport of Aden, in southern Yemen, the gulf is situated between the coasts of Arabia and the Horn of Africa.

Source: TH