Bab al-Mandab strait

About Bab al-Mandab strait

• It is strait between Arabia (northeast) and Africa (southwest) that connects the Red Sea (northwest) with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean (southeast).
• It forms a vital strategic link in the maritime trade route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal
• It is one of the world's most important routes for global seaborne commodity shipments, particularly crude oil and fuel.
• It is bordered by Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast.

Key points about the Red Sea

• It is a semi-enclosed inlet (or extension) of the Indian Ocean between the continents of Africa and Asia. It is one of the world’s warmest seas.
• The northern portion of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula into the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez, where it is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the famous Suez Canal.
• Bordering Countries:
  • Yemen and Saudi Arabia border the Red Sea to the east.
  • It is bordered by Egypt to the north and west and by Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti to the west.

Q1) Where is Sinai Peninsula?

It is a triangle-shaped peninsula located in northeastern Egypt. It serves as a land bridge connecting Asia and Africa.It has an area about 23,500 square miles (61,000 square km). It is the sovereign territory of Egypt.

Source: Bab al-Mandab shipping lane a target as Israel fights Hamas