The Red Sea

ocean · geography · geology

Between two continents. The Red Sea lies between Africa on the west and Asia on the east, making it one of the world's most important crossroads for ships traveling between Europe and Asia.

Gateway to the world. Ships pass through the narrow Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the south to reach the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean, then travel north through the Suez Canal to reach Europe and the Mediterranean Sea.

A massive rift zone. The Red Sea sits on top of the Red Sea Rift, a giant crack in Earth's crust that is part of the Great Rift Valley, where the African and Asian continents are slowly pulling apart.

Three gulfs meet here. At the northern end of the Red Sea, three bodies of water meet: the Gulf of Suez (which has the Suez Canal), the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Sinai Peninsula between them.

Salt and coral paradise. The Red Sea is known for having some of the world's most colorful coral reefs and unique sea creatures adapted to its salty, warm waters.