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THE RED SEA

 

 

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Arabia. The connection to the ocean is in the south

through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. To the north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez

(leading to the Suez Canal).

 The Red Sea is a Global 200 Eco region. The sea is underlain by the Red Sea Rift which is part of the Great Rift Valley.

The Red Sea has that name because it sometimes looks red from the red algae. The water has more salt and is clearer than water of most

other seas because almost no rivers run into it.

The climate is dry and warm. Many people, including those from Europe, like to vacation there. Some of them are divers and want to

see the beautiful coral reefs and fish. Seaside resorts include Sharm el-Sheikh, or Hurghada.

The Red Sea was formed by the Arabian peninsula being split from the Horn of Africa by movement of the Red Sea Rift. The sea is still

widening.  

The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. More than 1200 species of fish have been recorded in the Red Sea, and around 10% of

these are found nowhere else. This also includes 42 species of deep-water fish.


The rich diversity is in part due to the 2,000 km of coral reef extending along its coastline; these fringing reefs are 5000–7000 years old

and are largely formed of stony acropora and porites corals. The reefs form platforms and sometimes lagoons along the coast and

occasional other features such as cylinders (such as the Blue Hole (Red Sea) at Dahab). These coastal reefs are also visited by pelagic

species of Red Sea fish, including some of the 44 species of shark.

The sea is known for its recreational diving and snorkeling sites, such as Ras Mohammed, Marsa Allam, Hurghada, Safaga. Shipwrecks,

Elphinstone island, The Brothers reefs, Satayia Reefs, St.John's Reef, and Rocky Island in Egypt.

The Red Sea became a popular destination for diving in the 1950s, and later. Popular tourist resorts include El Gouna, Hurghada,

Safaga, Marsa Alam, on the west shore of the Red Sea, and Sharm-el-Sheikh, Dahab, and Taba on the Egyptian side of Sinai, as well as

Aqaba in Jordan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

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