| INDIAN OCEAN GEOGRAPHY STATS: |
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Area > A note
includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, and other tributary water bodies |
Area > Comparative
about 5.5 times the size of the US |
Area > Comparative to US places
about 5.5 times the size of the US |
Area > Note
includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies |
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Area > Total
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68,556,000 sq km
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[3rd of 248]
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Climate
northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean |
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Coastline
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66,526 km
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[4th of 249]
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Elevation extremes > Highest point
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sea level 0 m |
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Elevation extremes > Lowest point
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Java Trench -7,258 m |
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Geographic coordinates
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20 00 S, 80 00 E |
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Geography > Note
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait |
Location
body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia |
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Map references
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Other |
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Natural hazards
occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches |
Natural resources
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules |
Terrain
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge |
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