Red Sea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red Sea
Coordinates	22°N 38°E / 22°N 38°E / 22; 38
Primary inflows	Barka River, Haddas River, Anseba River, Wadi Gasus
Primary outflows	Bab el Mandeb
Max. length	2,250 km (1,400 mi)
Max. width	355 km (221 mi)
Surface area	438,000 km2 (169,000 sq mi)
Average depth	490 m (1,610 ft)
Max. depth	3,040 m (9,970 ft)
Water volume	233,000 km3 (56,000 cu mi)

Coral reef near Marsa Alam, Egypt

The Red Sea, also known as the Gulf of Arabia, is a sea between the Arabian Peninsula of Asia in the northeast and Africa in the southwest. It is a part of the Indian Ocean. The Red Sea is about 2200 km long, but its width is less than 330 km. Many ships go through the Red Sea, because the Suez Channel connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb at the opposite end is a gate to the Indian Ocean. Ports of the Red Sea are, for example, Suez, Port Sudan, Massawa, Yanbu al-Bahr, Jeddah, Aqaba and Eilat.

It is named that because it sometimes looks red from the red algae. The water of Red Sea has more salt and is clearer than water of most other seas because almost no rivers run into it. The weather is dry and warm around the Red Sea and for this reason many people from Europe and other parts of the world come for their holiday to the Red Sea. Some of them are divers, who swim under the sea level, to see rich coral reefs and fish. Holiday places, for example, are Sharm el-Sheikh, Eilat or Hurghada. The countries next to the Red Sea are Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.

In the Bible

According to the book of Exodus, God parted it for Moses and the Israelites so they could escape from the Egyptian Army.

Images for kids

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  Tihama on the Red Sea near Khaukha, Yemen

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  Ancient Egyptian expedition to the Land of Punt on the Red Sea coast during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut

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  Annotated view of the Nile and Red Sea, with a dust storm

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  Dust storm over the Red Sea

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  Red Sea coast in Taba, Egypt

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  Hawksbill sea turtle in the Elphinstone Reef

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  Nudibranch egg ribbon at Shaab Mahmoud

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  Red Sea coral and marine fish

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  Hotels in Eilat, Israel

See also

In Spanish: Mar Rojo para niños