Gulf of Suez: description, photo

The Gulf of Suez is located on the territory of the Red Sea. It is located in its northern part, between the Sinai Peninsula and the coasts of Africa. It separates Asia from Africa. It belongs to the basin of the Indian Ocean.

The bay stretched along the Sinai Peninsula for 300 kilometers. Its width varies from 20 to 50 m. The average depth is about 60 m. The most significant ports of the bay are Suez and Port Said. Suez - Egyptian city, which connects the territory between the Red and Mediterranean seas, it is here that this waterfront originates.

Scientists have established that the Gulf of Suez was formed about 20 million years ago. This happened during the movement of the earth's crust, in particular the branch of the breakaway of the Arabian Peninsula from Africa.

Characteristics of the Gulf

The climate in the bay is very hot, there are no constantly flowing rivers along the perimeter of the territory, their river-wadi periodically dry up. Since fresh water from the watercourses does not enter the bay, it has a very high salinity, much more than in the World Ocean. The water here is extremely transparent (visibility up to 200 meters) and warm all year round.

Fauna and flora

Favorable climatic conditions contributed to the formation in the Suez Bay of coral reefs with the richest flora and fauna. Corals amaze with their beauty, their colors are represented by different shades: yellow, pink, blue. They have bizarre and unusual shapes.

In the water area, you can find 3 species of dolphins: bottlenose and striped representatives and killer whales. There are unusually many rare fish, echinoderms. You can meet a dangerous predator - a shark. Bright fish: clowns, angels are also frequent guests of the bay.

Economic importance

The Gulf of Suez is the most important center of trade. Many peoples fought for the right to possess it. The man settled in this territory 29 thousand years ago. At first, the Arabs lived here, and after the Turks, they formed the Ottoman Empire.

One of the most profitable spheres of this region is tourism. Many travelers note the good climatic conditions due to the geographical location, and the diversity of flora and fauna.

On the western shore of the bay there are deposits of gas and oil.

Also, the Suez Bay is one of the most important waterways in the world, connecting Europe with the countries of Africa and Asia.

Ecology

The Gulf of Suez (on the map it is easy to find) is in a difficult ecological situation. It is polluted by holidaymakers, but the main problem is the mining of minerals, which adversely affects the ecology of the bay. Great Britain, France and some other European countries are initiating projects to improve the water area of the Gulf.