Indian Ocean Facts
In this article, we will be exploring the interesting Indian Ocean facts for kids. So let's dive into the ocean and collect lots of interesting and incredible information about the Indian ocean.
1➤ Where is the Indian Ocean?
The Indian Ocean is bounded by Asia on the north, Africa on the west, Australia on the east and Antarctica on the south This is the only Ocean which is named after a country, that is, India
2➤ Why is the Indian Ocean named after India?
3➤ Map of Indian Ocean
4➤ Which Continents Border The Indian Ocean?
The Indian Ocean is bounded by FOUR continents. These continents name are
5➤ How big is the Indian Ocean?
There are FIVE oceans in the world. The name of these oceans are as below:-
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
- Southern Ocean
Out of these five oceans, the Indian Ocean is the world’s third-largest ocean after the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Its total area measures about 70,560,000 km2 or 19.8% of the water on Earth’s surface.
6➤ How deep is the Indian Ocean?
The average depth of Indian Ocean’s is 12,990 feet (3,960 meters), and its deepest point is Java Trench in the Sunda Shelf the southern coast of the island of Java (Indonesia), is 24,442 feet (7,450 meters)
7➤ Indian Ocean Temperature
Temperatures vary across the Indian Ocean and depend on the location of the equator. The part of the Indian Ocean that is near the Equator, the water is warm there. Due to this reason, In coastal regions near the equator, the water is up to 28 degrees Celsius or higher.
While sections of the Indian Ocean are relatively warm, there are parts that are also extremely cold. For instance, the belt between southwestern Australia and southern Africa is cold enough that icebergs form throughout the year.
Indian ocean average temperature: On average, the temperature of the Indian Ocean is 22 degrees Celsius.
8➤ Which is the world's warmest ocean?
The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean in the world and due to this reason, it has limited sea life. Its temperature makes it difficult for Phytoplankton to grow and live in most areas which is a necessary food source for many life forms in the ocean.
When compared to the world’s other oceans, this is one of the main reasons for the limited marine animal life in the Indian Ocean
9➤ What are the Islands in the Indian Ocean?
There are many islands that can be found in the Indian Oceans, among these islands, the most well-known are:
- Mauritius
- Seychelles
- Reunion (France)
- Madagascar
- The Comores (Spain)
- Maldives (Portugal)
- Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon
10➤ What is the largest Island in the Indian Ocean?
Out of all islands, Madagascar is the largest island in the Indian Ocean with an area of about 226,658 square miles. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. Below is the name of the islands in descending order.
- Greenland
- New Guinea
- Borneo
- Madagascar
11➤ What are the Important Waterways of India Oceanic?
In the Indian Ocean, there is FOUR important access to waterways.
The Suez Canal (Egypt) – The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea. It enables a more direct route for shipping between Europe and Asia It is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes.
Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen) – The Bab el-Mandeb(The Gate of Tears) strait is a strategic waterway located between Djibouti and Yemen that links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Exports from the Persian Gulf and Asia destined for Western markets must pass through this strait before passing through the Suez Canal. It is also the most unstable and geopolitically contested strait in the world.
Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman) -It is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The 39km strait is the only route to the open ocean for over one-sixth of global oil production and one-third of the world’s liquified natural gas (LNG)
Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia) – The Strait of Malacca, which flows between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, connects the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean through the South China Sea.
Do you know which one is the man-made waterway that links the mediterranean sea and the red sea? – “It is the Suez Canal.”
The Northern Indian Ocean is the most important trade route for oil. It connects the Middle-East with Asia, and each day tankers carry about 17 million barrels of crude oil from the Persian Gulf. More than 80% of the world’s sea trade in oil is transported through the Indian Ocean.
About 40% of the world’s supply of oil production comes from the Indian Ocean.
12➤ Why Indian Ocean known as a Closed Ocean?
13➤ What seas are in the Indian Ocean?
The Indian Ocean features numerous marginal seas. A marginal sea is a section of an ocean partially enclosed by an island, a peninsula, or an archipelago.
Below is the list of Indian Ocean’s marginal sea
- Arabian Sea
- Bay of Bengal
- Andaman Sea
- Red Sea
- Java Sea
- Persian Gulf
- Sea of Zanj
14➤ 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake And Tsunami Facts
➤ In the early hour around 07:58:53 in local time (UTC+7) of 26 December 2004, there was a major in Indonesia (Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake ).
➤ With the magnitude of 9.1, the Indonesia earthquake 2004 was one of the world’s most powerful earthquakes. This triggered one of the largest tsunamis in 40 years.
➤ This 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami is also known as Christmas or Boxing Day Tsunami. For the reference below is the list of five largest earthquakes by the magnitude.
| Date | Location | Magnitude |
| May 22, 1960 | Valdivia, Chile | 9.4–9.6 |
| March 27, 1964 | Prince William Sound, Alaska, United States | 9.2 |
| December 26, 2004 | Indian Ocean, Sumatra, Indonesia | 9.1–9.3 |
| March 11, 2011 | Pacific Ocean, Tōhoku region, Japan | 9.1 |
| July 8, 1730 | Valparaiso, Chile (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 9.1–9.3 |
Ref:
15➤ How many died in the 2004 Tsunami?
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake killed an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries, making it the deadliest and one of the most destructive in recorded history.