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INDIAN OCEAN, the third largest ocean on Earth (after the Pacific and Atlantic), part of the World Ocean. Located between Africa in the northwest, Asia in the north, Australia in the east and Antarctica in the south.

Physiographical sketch

General information

Border of I. o. in the west (with the Atlantic Ocean south of Africa) along the meridian of Cape Agulhas (20° E) to the coast of Antarctica (Donning Maud Land), in the east (with the Pacific Ocean south of Australia) - along the eastern border of the Bass Strait to the island of Tasmania, and then along the meridian 146°55"" E. to Antarctica, in the northeast (with the Pacific Ocean) - between the Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca, then along the southwestern coast of the island of Sumatra, the Sunda Strait, the southern coast of the island of Java, the southern borders of the Bali and Savu seas, the northern border of the Arafura sea, the southwestern coast of New Guinea and the western border of the Torres Strait. The southern high-latitude part of the I. region. sometimes referred to as the Southern Ocean, which combines the Antarctic sectors of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. However, such geographical nomenclature is not generally accepted, and, as a rule, I. o. considered within its usual boundaries. And about. - the only one of the oceans that is located b. hours in the Southern Hemisphere and is limited in the north by a powerful land mass. Unlike other oceans, its mid-ocean ridges form three branches radiating in different directions from the central part of the ocean.

Area I. o. with seas, bays and straits 76.17 million km 2, water volume 282.65 million km 3, average depth 3711 m (2nd place after the Pacific Ocean); without them - 64.49 million km 2, 255.81 million km 3, 3967 m. The greatest depth in the deep sea Sunda Trench– 7729 m at point 11°10"" S. w. and 114°57"" E. e. The shelf zone of the ocean (conditionally depths up to 200 m) occupies 6.1% of its area, the continental slope (from 200 to 3000 m) 17.1%, the bed (over 3000 m) 76.8%. See map.

Seas

Seas, bays and straits in the waters of the island. almost three times less than in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans, they are mainly concentrated in its northern part. Seas of the tropical zone: Mediterranean - Red; marginal - Arabian, Laccadive, Andaman, Timor, Arafura; Antarctic zone: marginal - Davis, D'Urville (D'Urville), Cosmonauts, Mawson, Riiser-Larsen, Commonwealth (see separate articles on the seas). Largest bays: Bengal, Persian, Aden, Oman, Great Australian, Carpentaria, Prydz. Straits: Mozambique, Bab el-Mandeb, Bass, Hormuz, Malacca, Polk, Tenth Degree, Great Channel.

Islands

Unlike other oceans, the islands are few in number. The total area is about 2 million km 2. The largest islands of mainland origin are Socotra, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tasmania, Sumatra, Java, Timor. Volcanic islands: Reunion, Mauritius, Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen, etc.; coral - Laccadive, Maldives, Amirante, Chagos, Nicobar, b. including Andaman, Seychelles; The coral Comoros, Cocos and other islands rise on volcanic cones.

Shores

And about. It is distinguished by a relatively small indentation of the coastline, with the exception of the northern and northeastern parts, where the bays are located. including seas and major large bays; There are few convenient bays. The coasts of Africa in the western part of the ocean are alluvial, weakly dissected, and often surrounded by coral reefs; in the northwestern part - indigenous. In the north, low, weakly dissected shores with lagoons and sand bars, in places with mangroves, bordered on the landward side by coastal lowlands (Malabar Coast, Coromandel Coast) predominate; abrasion-accumulative (Konkan coast) and deltaic shores are also common. In the east, the shores are indigenous; in Antarctica, they are covered with glaciers descending to the sea, ending in ice cliffs several tens of meters high.

Bottom relief

In the bottom relief of the I. o. Four main elements of geotexture are distinguished: the underwater continental margins (including the shelf and continental slope), transition zones, or island arc zones, the ocean floor and mid-ocean ridges. The area of ​​the underwater continental margins in the I. region. is 17,660 thousand km 2. The underwater margin of Africa is distinguished by a narrow shelf (from 2 to 40 km), its edge is located at a depth of 200–300 m. Only near the southern tip of the continent does the shelf expand significantly and in the area of ​​the Agulhas Plateau extends up to 250 km from the coast. Significant areas of the shelf are occupied by coral structures. The transition from the shelf to the continental slope is expressed by a clear bend in the bottom surface and a rapid increase in its slope to 10–15°. The underwater margin of Asia off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula also has a narrow shelf, gradually expanding on the Malabar coast of Hindustan and off the coast of the Bay of Bengal, while the depth on its outer border increases from 100 to 500 m. The continental slope is clearly visible everywhere along the characteristic slopes of the bottom (height up to 4200 m, Sri Lanka island). The shelf and continental slope in some areas are cut through by several narrow and deep canyons, the most pronounced canyons being underwater continuations of the channels of the Ganges rivers (together with the Brahmaputra River, it annually carries about 1,200 million tons of suspended and traction sediments into the ocean, forming a layer of sediment over 3,500 m thickness). The Indian Ocean margin of Australia is characterized by an extensive shelf, especially in the northern and northwestern parts; in the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Arafura Sea up to 900 km wide; the greatest depth is 500 m. The continental slope to the west of Australia is complicated by underwater ledges and individual underwater plateaus. On the underwater outskirts of Antarctica, there are everywhere traces of the influence of the ice load of the huge glacier covering the continent. The shelf here belongs to a special glacial type. Its outer boundary almost coincides with the 500 m isobath. The shelf width is from 35 to 250 km. The continental slope is complicated by longitudinal and transverse ridges, individual ridges, valleys and deep trenches. At the foot of the continental slope, an accumulative plume composed of terrigenous material brought by glaciers is almost everywhere observed. The largest bottom slopes are observed in the upper part; with increasing depth, the slope gradually flattens out.

Transition zone at the bottom of the I. o. stands out only in the area adjacent to the arc of the Sunda Islands, and represents the southeastern part of the Indonesian transition region. It includes: the Andaman Sea basin, the Sunda Islands island arc and deep-sea trenches. The most morphologically pronounced in this zone is the deep-sea Sunda Trench with a slope steepness of 30° or more. Relatively small deep-sea trenches are identified to the southeast of the island of Timor and east of the Kai Islands, but due to the thick sedimentary layer, their maximum depths are relatively small - 3310 m (Timor Trench) and 3680 m (Kai Trench). The transition zone is extremely seismically active.

Mid-ocean ridges I. o. form three underwater mountain ranges radiating from the area at coordinates 22° S. w. and 68° E. to the northwest, southwest and southeast. Each of the three branches is divided according to morphological characteristics into two independent ridges: the northwestern - into the Middle Aden ridge and Arabian-Indian Ridge, southwestern – on West Indian Ridge and the African-Antarctic Ridge, southeastern - on Central Indian Range And Australasian-Antarctic Rise. That. median ridges separate the bed of the I. o. into three large sectors. The median ridges are vast uplifts, fragmented by transform faults into separate blocks, with a total length of over 16 thousand km, the foothills of which are located at depths of the order of 5000–3500 m. The relative height of the ridges is 4700–2000 m, width 500–800 km, depth of rift valleys up to 2300 m.

In each of the three sectors of the ocean floor, the I.O. characteristic forms of relief are distinguished: basins, individual ridges, plateaus, mountains, troughs, canyons, etc. In the western sector there are the largest basins: Somali (with depths of 3000–5800 m), Mascarene (4500–5300 m), Mozambique (4000–5800 m), 6000 m), Madagascar Basin(4500–6400 m), Agulhas(4000–5000 m); underwater ridges: Mascarene ridge, Madagascar; plateau: Agulhas, Mozambique; individual mountains: Equator, Africana, Vernadsky, Hall, Bardin, Kurchatov; Amirantsky Trench, Mauritius trench; Canyons: Zambezi, Tanganyika and Tagela. In the northeastern sector there are basins: Arabian (4000–5000 m), Central (5000–6000 m), Coconut (5000–6000 m), North Australian (Argo Plain; 5000–5500 m), Western Australian Basin(5000–6500 m), Naturalista (5000–6000 m) and South Australian Basin(5000–5500 m); underwater ridges: Maldives Ridge, East Indian Ridge, Western Australian (Brocken Plateau); Cuvier mountain range; Exmouth plateau; Mill Hill; individual mountains: Moscow State University, Shcherbakova and Afanasy Nikitin; East Indian Trench; Canyons: Indus, Ganges, Seatown and Murray rivers. In the Antarctic sector there are basins: Crozet (4500–5000 m), African-Antarctic Basin (4000–5000 m) and Australian-Antarctic Basin(4000–5000 m, maximum – 6089 m); plateau: Kerguelen, Crozetand Amsterdam; separate mountains: Lena and Ob. The shapes and sizes of the basins are different: from round with a diameter of about 400 km (Comoros) to oblong giants with a length of 5500 km (Central), the degree of their isolation and the bottom topography are different: from flat or gently undulating to hilly and even mountainous.

Geological structure

Feature of I. o. is that its formation occurred both as a result of the split and subsidence of continental massifs, and as a result of the spreading of the bottom and the new formation of oceanic crust within the mid-ocean (spreading) ridges, the system of which was repeatedly rebuilt. The modern mid-ocean ridge system consists of three branches that converge at the Rodriguez Triple Junction. In the northern branch, the Arabian-Indian Ridge continues northwest of the Owen transform fault zone with the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea rift systems and connects with the intracontinental rift systems of East Africa. In the southeastern branch, the Central Indian Ridge and the Australasian-Antarctic Rise are separated by the Amsterdam fault zone, which is connected to the plateau of the same name with the volcanic islands of Amsterdam and Saint-Paul. The Arabian-Indian and Central Indian ridges are slow-spreading (spreading speed is 2–2.5 cm/year), have a well-defined rift valley, and are crossed by numerous transform faults. The wide Australasian-Antarctic Rise does not have a pronounced rift valley; speed spreading it is higher than in other ridges (3.7–7.6 cm/year). To the south of Australia, the uplift is broken up by the Australian-Antarctic fault zone, where the number of transform faults increases and the spreading axis shifts along the faults in a southerly direction. The ridges of the southwestern branch are narrow, with a deep rift valley, densely crossed by transform faults oriented at an angle to the strike of the ridge. They are characterized by a very low spreading rate (about 1.5 cm/year). The West Indian Ridge is separated from the African-Antarctic Ridge by the Prince Edward, Du Toit, Andrew-Bain and Marion fault systems, which shift the ridge axis almost 1000 km to the south. The age of the oceanic crust within the spreading ridges is predominantly Oligocene-Quaternary. The West Indian Ridge, which penetrates like a narrow wedge into the structures of the Central Indian Ridge, is considered the youngest.

Spreading ridges divide the ocean floor into three sectors - African in the west, Asian-Australian in the northeast and Antarctic in the south. Within the sectors there are intra-oceanic uplifts of various natures, represented by “aseismic” ridges, plateaus and islands. Tectonic (block) uplifts have a block structure with varying crustal thickness; often include continental remains. Volcanic uplifts are mainly associated with fault zones. The uplifts are the natural boundaries of deep-sea basins. African sector characterized by the predominance of fragments of continental structures (including microcontinents), within which the thickness of the earth's crust reaches 17–40 km (Agullas and Mozambique plateaus, the Madagascar ridge with the island of Madagascar, individual blocks of the Mascarene ridge with the Bank of the Seychelles Islands and the Saya de Bank -Malya). Volcanic uplifts and structures include the Comoros underwater ridge, crowned by archipelagos of coral and volcanic islands, the Amirante Range, the Reunion Islands, Mauritius, Tromelin, and the Farquhar Massif. In the western part of the African sector I. o. (western part of the Somali Basin, northern part of the Mozambique Basin), adjacent to the eastern underwater margin of Africa, the age of the earth’s crust is predominantly Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous; in the central part of the sector (Mascarene and Madagascar basins) – Late Cretaceous; in the northeastern part of the sector (eastern part of the Somali Basin) – Paleocene-Eocene. Ancient spreading axes and transform faults intersecting them have been identified in the Somali and Mascarene basins.

For the northwestern (Asian) part Asian-Australian sector characterized by meridional “aseismic” ridges of block structure with increased thickness of the oceanic crust, the formation of which is associated with a system of ancient transform faults. These include the Maldives range, crowned by archipelagos of coral islands - Laccadive, Maldives and Chagos; so-called ridge 79°, Lanka ridge with Mount Afanasia Nikitin, East Indian (so-called ridge 90°), Investigator, etc. Thick (8–10 km) sediments of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in the northern part of the I.O. partially overlapped by ridges extending in this direction, as well as by the structures of the transition zone between the Indian Ocean and the southeastern edge of Asia. The Murray Ridge in the northern part of the Arabian Basin, bounding the Oman Basin from the south, is a continuation of folded land structures; falls within the Owen fault zone. South of the equator, a sublatitudinal zone of intraplate deformations up to 1000 km wide has been identified, which is characterized by high seismicity. It stretches in the Central and Cocos Basins from the Maldives Ridge to the Sunda Trench. The Arabian Basin is underlain by crust of Paleocene-Eocene age, the Central Basin by crust of Late Cretaceous - Eocene age; the crust is youngest in the southern part of the basins. In the Cocos Basin, the crust ranges in age from Late Cretaceous in the south to Eocene in the north; in its northwestern part, an ancient spreading axis was established, which separated the Indian and Australian lithospheric plates until the mid-Eocene. The Coconut Rise, a latitudinal uplift with numerous seamounts and islands (including the Cocos Islands) rising above it, and the Rhu Rise, adjacent to the Sunda Trench, separate the southeastern (Australian) part of the Asian-Australian sector. Western Australian Basin (Wharton) in the central part of the Asian-Australian sector of the I.O. it is underlain by Late Cretaceous crust in the north-west and Late Jurassic in the east. Submerged continental blocks (marginal plateaus of Exmouth, Cuvier, Zenith, Naturalista) divide the eastern part of the basin into separate depressions - Cuvier (north of the Cuvier plateau), Perth (north of the Naturalista plateau). The crust of the North Australian Basin (Argo) is the oldest in the south (Late Jurassic); becomes younger in a northern direction (until the Early Cretaceous). The age of the crust of the South Australian Basin is Late Cretaceous – Eocene. The Brocken Plateau (West Australian Ridge) is an intra-oceanic rise with increased (from 12 to 20 km, according to various sources) crustal thickness.

IN Antarctic sector And about. There are mainly volcanic intra-oceanic uplifts with increased thickness of the earth's crust: the Kerguelen, Crozet (Del Caño) and Conrad plateaus. Within the largest Kerguelen plateau, presumably founded on an ancient transform fault, the thickness of the earth’s crust (according to some data, Early Cretaceous age) reaches 23 km. Rising above the plateau, the Kerguelen Islands are a multiphase volcanoplutonic structure (composed of alkali basalts and syenites of Neogene age). On Heard Island there are Neogene-Quaternary alkaline volcanics. In the western part of the sector there are the Conrad plateau with the volcanic mountains Ob and Lena, as well as the Crozet plateau with a group of volcanic islands Marion, Prince Edward, Crozet, composed of Quaternary basalts and intrusive massifs of syenites and monzonites. The age of the earth's crust within the African-Antarctic, Australian-Antarctic basins and the Crozet Basin of the Late Cretaceous is Eocene.

For I. o. in general, the predominance of passive margins is characteristic (the continental margins of Africa, the Arabian and Indian peninsulas, Australia, Antarctica). The active margin is observed in the northeastern part of the ocean (the Sunda transition zone between the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia), where subduction(underthrust) of the ocean lithosphere under the Sunda island arc. A subduction zone of limited extent, the Makran subduction zone, was identified in the northwestern part of the I.O. Along the Agulhas I. plateau. borders the African continent along a transform fault.

Formation of the I. o. began in the middle of the Mesozoic during the split of the Gondwanan part (see. Gondwana) supercontinent Pangea, which was preceded by continental rifting during the Late Triassic - Early Cretaceous. The formation of the first sections of oceanic crust as a result of the separation of continental plates began in the Late Jurassic in the Somali (about 155 million years ago) and North Australian (151 million years ago) basins. In the Late Cretaceous, the northern part of the Mozambique Basin experienced the spreading of the bottom and the new formation of oceanic crust (140–127 million years ago). The separation of Australia from Hindustan and Antarctica, accompanied by the opening of basins with oceanic crust, began in the Early Cretaceous (about 134 million years ago and about 125 million years ago, respectively). Thus, in the Early Cretaceous (about 120 million years ago), narrow oceanic basins arose, cutting into the supercontinent and dividing it into separate blocks. In the middle of the Cretaceous period (about 100 million years ago), the ocean floor began to grow intensively between Hindustan and Antarctica, which led to the drift of Hindustan in a northerly direction. In the time interval of 120–85 million years ago, the spreading axes that existed north and west of Australia, off the coast of Antarctica and in the Mozambique Channel, died out. In the Late Cretaceous (90–85 million years ago), a split began between Hindustan with the Mascarene-Seychelles block and Madagascar, which was accompanied by bottom spreading in the Mascarene, Madagascar and Crozet basins, as well as the formation of the Australasian-Antarctic Rise. At the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, Hindustan separated from the Mascarene-Seychelles block; the Arabian-Indian spreading ridge arose; the extinction of spreading axes occurred in the Mascarene and Madagascar basins. In the middle of the Eocene, the Indian lithospheric plate merged with the Australian one; the still developing system of mid-ocean ridges was formed. Close to the modern appearance of the I. o. acquired in the early-mid Miocene. In the middle of the Miocene (about 15 million years ago), during the split of the Arabian and African plates, new formation of oceanic crust began in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Modern tectonic movements in the I. o. noted in mid-ocean ridges (associated with shallow-focus earthquakes), as well as in individual transform faults. The area of ​​intense seismicity is the Sunda island arc, where deep-focus earthquakes are caused by the presence of a seismofocal zone plunging in the northeast direction. During earthquakes on the northeastern outskirts of the I. o. tsunami formation is possible.

Bottom sediments

The rate of sedimentation in the I. region. generally lower than in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The thickness of modern bottom sediments varies from a discontinuous distribution at mid-ocean ridges to several hundred meters in deep-sea basins and 5000–8000 m at the foot of continental slopes. The most widespread are calcareous (mainly foraminiferal-coccolithic) silts, covering over 50% of the ocean floor area (on continental slopes, ridges and the bottom of basins at depths of up to 4700 m) in warm oceanic areas from 20° N. w. up to 40° south w. with high biological productivity of water. Polygenic sediments – red deep ocean clays– occupy 25% of the bottom area at depths of over 4700 m in the eastern and southeastern parts of the ocean from 10° N. w. up to 40° south w. and in areas of the bottom remote from islands and continents; in the tropical region, red clays alternate with siliceous radiolarian silts covering the bottom of deep-sea basins of the equatorial belt. In deep-sea sediments, they are present in the form of inclusions. ferromanganese nodules. Siliceous, predominantly diatomaceous, silts occupy about 20% of the bottom of the I. lake; distributed at great depths south of 50° S. w. The accumulation of terrigenous sediments (pebbles, gravel, sands, silts, clays) occurs mainly along the coasts of continents and within their underwater margins in areas of river and iceberg runoff and significant wind removal of material. The sediments covering the African shelf are mainly of shell and coral origin; phosphorite nodules are widely developed in the southern part. Along the northwestern periphery of the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Andaman Basin and the Sunda Trench, bottom sediments are represented mainly by deposits of turbidity (turbide) flows - turbidites with the participation of products of volcanic activity, underwater landslides, landslides, etc. Sediments of coral reefs are widespread in the western part of the island. from 20° south w. up to 15° N. latitude, and in the Red Sea - up to 30° N. w. Outcrops discovered in the Red Sea rift valley metalliferous brines with temperatures up to 70 °C and salinity up to 300‰. IN metalliferous sediments, formed from these brines, have a high content of non-ferrous and rare metals. On continental slopes, seamounts, and mid-ocean ridges, there are outcrops of bedrock (basalts, serpentinites, peridotites). Bottom sediments around Antarctica are classified as a special type of iceberg sediment. They are characterized by a predominance of a variety of clastic material, ranging from large boulders to silts and fine silts.

Climate

Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which have a meridional extension from the shores of Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and communicate with the Arctic Ocean, the I. o. in the northern tropical region it is bordered by a land mass, which largely determines the characteristics of its climate. The uneven heating of land and ocean leads to seasonal changes in extensive minimums and maximums of atmospheric pressure and to seasonal shifts of the tropical atmospheric front, which in the winter of the Northern Hemisphere retreats south to almost 10° S. sh., and in summer it is located in the foothills of southern Asia. As a result, over the northern part of the I. region. The climate is dominated by a monsoon climate, which is primarily characterized by changes in wind direction throughout the year. The winter monsoon with relatively weak (3–4 m/s) and stable northeast winds operates from November to March. During this period, north of 10° S. w. Calms are common. The summer monsoon with southwest winds occurs from May to September. In the northern tropical region and in the equatorial zone of the ocean, the average wind speed reaches 8–9 m/s, often reaching storm force. In April and October, a restructuring of the pressure field usually occurs, and during these months the wind situation is unstable. Against the background of the prevailing monsoon atmospheric circulation over the northern part of the I. region. isolated manifestations of cyclonic activity are possible. During the winter monsoon, there are known cases of cyclones developing over the Arabian Sea, and during the summer monsoon - over the waters of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Strong cyclones in these areas sometimes form during periods of monsoon change.

Approximately 30° S. w. in the central part of I. o. there is a stable area of ​​high pressure, the so-called. South Indian High. This stationary anticyclone, part of the southern subtropical high pressure area, persists throughout the year. The pressure at its center varies from 1024 hPa in July to 1020 hPa in January. Under the influence of this anticyclone in the latitudinal band between 10 and 30° S. w. Steady southeast trade winds blow throughout the year.

South of 40° S. w. atmospheric pressure in all seasons decreases uniformly from 1018–1016 hPa on the southern periphery of the South Indian High to 988 hPa at 60° S. w. Under the influence of the meridional pressure gradient in the lower layer of the atmosphere, a stable zap is maintained. air transfer. The highest average wind speed (up to 15 m/s) is observed in the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. For higher southern latitudes I. o. Throughout almost the entire year, stormy conditions are characteristic, in which winds with speeds of more than 15 m/s, causing waves over 5 m in height, have a frequency of 30%. South of 60° S. w. Along the coast of Antarctica, easterly winds and two or three cyclones per year are usually observed, most often in July–August.

In July, the highest air temperatures in the surface layer of the atmosphere are observed at the top of the Persian Gulf (up to 34 °C), the lowest are off the coast of Antarctica (–20 °C), over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal on average 26–28 °C. Above the water area of ​​the I. o. air temperature almost everywhere changes in accordance with geographic latitude. In the southern part of I. o. it gradually decreases from north to south by about 1 °C every 150 km. In January, the highest air temperatures (26–28 °C) are observed in the equatorial belt, near the northern coasts of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal - about 20 °C. In the southern part of the ocean, the temperature gradually decreases from 26 °C in the Southern Tropics to 0 °C and slightly lower at the latitude of the Antarctic Circle. The amplitude of annual fluctuations in air temperature over b. parts of the water area of ​​the I. o. on average less than 10 °C and only off the coast of Antarctica increases to 16 °C.

The greatest amount of precipitation per year falls in the Bay of Bengal (over 5500 mm) and off the eastern coast of the island of Madagascar (over 3500 mm). The northern coastal part of the Arabian Sea receives the least amount of rainfall (100–200 mm per year).

North-eastern regions of I. o. located in seismically active areas. The eastern coast of Africa and the island of Madagascar, the shores of the Arabian Peninsula and the Hindustan Peninsula, almost all island archipelagos of volcanic origin, the western shores of Australia, especially the arc of the Sunda Islands, have in the past been repeatedly exposed to tsunami waves of varying strength, up to catastrophic ones. In 1883, after the explosion of the Krakatau volcano in the Jakarta area, a tsunami with a wave height of over 30 m was recorded; in 2004, a tsunami caused by an earthquake in the area of ​​​​the island of Sumatra had catastrophic consequences.

Hydrological regime

Seasonality in changes in hydrological characteristics (primarily temperature and currents) is most clearly manifested in the northern part of the ocean. The summer hydrological season here corresponds to the duration of the southwest monsoon (May - September), the winter - to the northeast monsoon (November - March). A feature of the seasonal variability of the hydrological regime is that the restructuring of hydrological fields is somewhat delayed relative to the meteorological fields.

Water temperature. In the winter of the Northern Hemisphere, the highest water temperatures in the surface layer are observed in the equatorial zone - from 27 °C off the coast of Africa to 29 °C or more east of the Maldives. In the northern regions of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, the water temperature is about 25 °C. In the southern part of I. o. Everywhere there is a zonal distribution of temperature, which gradually decreases from 27–28 °C to 20° S. w. to negative values ​​at the edge of the drifting ice, located approximately 65–67° S. w. In the summer season, the highest water temperatures in the surface layer are observed in the Persian Gulf (up to 34 °C), in the north-west of the Arabian Sea (up to 30 °C), in the eastern part of the equatorial zone (up to 29 °C). In the coastal areas of the Somali and Arabian peninsulas, abnormally low values ​​(sometimes less than 20 °C) are observed at this time of year, which is the result of the rise to the surface of cooled deep waters in the Somali Current system. In the southern part of I. o. The distribution of water temperature throughout the year remains zonal in nature, with the difference that its negative values ​​in the winter of the Southern Hemisphere are found much further north, already around 58–60° S. w. The amplitude of annual fluctuations in water temperature in the surface layer is small and averages 2–5 °C; only in the area of ​​the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea does it exceed 7 °C. The water temperature quickly decreases vertically: at a depth of 250 m it almost everywhere drops below 15 °C, deeper than 1000 m – below 5 °C. At a depth of 2000 m, temperatures above 3 °C are observed only in the northern part of the Arabian Sea, in the central regions - about 2.5 °C, in the southern part it decreases from 2 °C to 50° S. w. to 0 °C off the coast of Antarctica. Temperatures in the deepest (over 5000 m) basins range from 1.25 °C to 0 °C.

Salinity of surface waters I. o. is determined by the balance between the amount of evaporation and the total amount of precipitation and river flow for each region. The absolute maximum salinity (over 40‰) is observed in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, in the Arabian Sea everywhere, with the exception of a small area in the southeastern part, salinity is above 35.5‰, in the band 20–40° S. w. – more than 35‰. The area of ​​low salinity is located in the Bay of Bengal and in the area adjacent to the Sunda Islands arc, where fresh river flow is high and precipitation is greatest. In the northern part of the Bay of Bengal, salinity is 30–31‰ in February, and 20‰ in August. An extensive tongue of water with salinity up to 34.5‰ at 10° south. w. extends from the island of Java to 75° east. e. In Antarctic waters, salinity is everywhere below the average oceanic value: from 33.5‰ in February to 34.0‰ in August, its changes are determined by slight salinization during the formation of sea ice and corresponding desalination during the melting of ice. Seasonal changes in salinity are noticeable only in the upper, 250-meter layer. With increasing depth, not only seasonal fluctuations fade, but also spatial variability of salinity; deeper than 1000 m it fluctuates between 35–34.5‰.

Density The highest density of water in I. o. observed in the Suez and Persian Gulfs (up to 1030 kg/m 3) and in cold Antarctic waters (1027 kg/m 3), average - in the warmest and saltiest waters in the northwest (1024–1024.5 kg/m 3) , the smallest is in the most desalinated waters in the northeastern part of the ocean and in the Bay of Bengal (1018–1022 kg/m3). With depth, mainly due to a decrease in water temperature, its density increases, sharply increasing in the so-called. jump layer, which is most noticeably expressed in the equatorial zone of the ocean.

Ice regime. Severity of climate in the southern part of the island. is such that the process of sea ice formation (at air temperatures below –7 °C) can occur almost all year round. The ice cover reaches its greatest development in September–October, when the width of the drifting ice belt reaches 550 km, and its smallest development in January–February. Ice cover is characterized by great seasonal variability and its formation occurs very quickly. The ice edge moves north at a speed of 5–7 km/day, and retreats just as quickly (up to 9 km/day) to the south during the melting period. Fast ice is established annually, reaches an average width of 25–40 km and almost completely melts by February. Drifting ice off the coast of the continent moves under the influence of katabatic winds in a general direction to the west and northwest. Near the northern edge, the ice drifts eastward. A characteristic feature of the Antarctic ice sheet is the large number of icebergs breaking off from the outlet and shelf glaciers of Antarctica. Table-shaped icebergs are especially large, which can reach a gigantic length of several tens of meters, rising 40–50 m above the water. Their number quickly decreases as they move away from the shores of the mainland. The average lifespan of large icebergs is 6 years.

Currents I. Circulation of surface waters in the northern part of the I. region. is formed under the influence of monsoon winds and therefore changes significantly from the summer to the winter season. In February from 8° N. w. off the Nicobar Islands to 2° N. w. off the coast of Africa there is a surface winter Monsoon current with speeds of 50–80 cm/s; with a core running approximately 18° S. sh., in the same direction the South Trade Wind Current is spreading, with an average speed on the surface of about 30 cm/s. Connecting off the coast of Africa, the waters of these two streams give rise to the Intertrade Countercurrent, which carries its waters to the east with velocities in the core of about 25 cm/s. Along the North African coast, with a general direction to the south, the waters of the Somali Current move, partially turning into the Intertrade Countercurrent, and to the south - the Mozambique and Cape Agulhas Currents, moving south at speeds of about 50 cm/s. Part of the South Trade Wind Current off the eastern coast of the island of Madagascar turns south along it (Madagascar Current). South of 40° S. w. the entire ocean area is crossed from west to east by the longest and most powerful stream in the World Ocean Western Wind Currents(Antarctic Circumpolar Current). The velocities in its rods reach 50 cm/s, and the flow rate is about 150 million m 3 /s. At 100–110° E. from it a stream branches off, heading north and giving rise to the Western Australian Current. In August, the Somali Current follows a general direction to the northeast and, at a speed of up to 150 cm/s, pushes water into the northern part of the Arabian Sea, from where the Monsoon Current, skirting the western and southern shores of the Hindustan Peninsula and the island of Sri Lanka, carries water to the shores of the island Sumatra turns south and merges with the waters of the South Trade Wind Current. Thus, in the northern part of I. o. an extensive clockwise gyre is created, consisting of the Monsoon, South Trade Wind and Somali currents. In the southern part of the ocean, the pattern of currents changes little from February to August. Off the coast of Antarctica, in a narrow coastal strip, a current caused by katabatic winds and directed from east to west is observed all year round.

Water masses. In the vertical structure of water masses I. o. According to hydrological characteristics and depth, surface, intermediate, deep and bottom waters are distinguished. Surface waters are distributed in a relatively thin surface layer and, on average, occupy the upper 200–300 m. From north to south, water masses are distinguished in this layer: Persian and Arabian in the Arabian Sea, Bengal and South Bengal in the Bay of Bengal; further, south of the equator - Equatorial, Tropical, Subtropical, Subantarctic and Antarctic. As the depth increases, the differences between neighboring water masses decrease and their number decreases accordingly. Thus, in intermediate waters, the lower limit of which reaches 2000 m in temperate and low latitudes and up to 1000 m in high latitudes, the Persian and Red Sea in the Arabian Sea, the Bengal in the Bay of Bengal, the Subantarctic and Antarctic intermediate water masses are distinguished. Deep waters are represented by the North Indian, Atlantic (in the western part of the ocean), Central Indian (in the eastern part) and Circumpolar Antarctic water masses. Bottom waters everywhere, except the Bay of Bengal, are represented by one Antarctic bottom water mass, filling all deep-sea basins. The upper limit of bottom water is located on average at a horizon of 2500 m off the coast of Antarctica, where it is formed, up to 4000 m in the central regions of the ocean and rises to almost 3000 m north of the equator.

Tides and waves e. The greatest distribution on the shores of the I. o. have semidiurnal and irregular semidiurnal tides. Semidiurnal tides are observed on the African coast south of the equator, in the Red Sea, off the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf, in the Bay of Bengal, and off the northwestern coast of Australia. Irregular semidiurnal tides - off the Somali Peninsula, in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of the Arabian Sea, in the Persian Gulf, off the southwestern coast of the Sunda island arc. Diurnal and irregular tides occur off the western and southern coasts of Australia. The highest tides are off the northwestern coast of Australia (up to 11.4 m), in the mouth of the Indus (8.4 m), in the mouth of the Ganges (5.9 m), off the coast of the Mozambique Strait (5.2 m) ; in the open ocean, the magnitude of the tides varies from 0.4 m near the Maldives to 2.0 m in the southeastern part of the island. Waves reach their greatest strength in temperate latitudes in the zone of action of westerly winds, where the frequency of waves over 6 m high per year is 17%. Waves with a height of 15 m and a length of 250 m were recorded near the Kerguelen Island, and 11 m and 400 m, respectively, off the coast of Australia.

Flora and fauna

The main part of the water area of ​​the I. o. located within the tropical and southern temperate zones. Absence in I. o. northern high-latitude region and the action of monsoons lead to two differently directed processes that determine the characteristics of the local flora and fauna. The first factor complicates deep-sea convection, which negatively affects the renewal of deep waters of the northern part of the ocean and the increase in oxygen deficiency in them, which is especially pronounced in the Red Sea intermediate water mass, which leads to a depletion of species composition and reduces the total biomass of zooplankton in the intermediate layers. When oxygen-poor waters in the Arabian Sea reach the shelf, local death occurs (death of hundreds of thousands of tons of fish). At the same time, the second factor (monsoons) creates favorable conditions for high biological productivity in coastal areas. Under the influence of the summer monsoon, water is driven along the Somali and Arabian coasts, which causes powerful upwelling, bringing water rich in nutritious salts to the surface. The winter monsoon, although to a lesser extent, leads to seasonal upwelling with similar consequences off the western coast of the Indian subcontinent.

The coastal zone of the ocean has the greatest species diversity. The shallow waters of the tropical zone are characterized by numerous 6- and 8-rayed madrepore corals and hydrocorals that, together with red algae, can create underwater reefs and atolls. Among the powerful coral structures lives a rich fauna of various invertebrates (sponges, worms, crabs, mollusks, sea urchins, brittle stars and starfish), small but brightly colored coral reef fish. Most of the coasts are occupied by mangroves. At the same time, the fauna and flora of beaches and rocks that dry out at low tide are quantitatively depleted due to the depressing effect of sunlight. In the temperate zone, life on such sections of the coast is much richer; Dense thickets of red and brown algae (kelp, fucus, macrocystis) develop here, and a variety of invertebrates are abundant. According to L.A. Zenkevich(1965), St. 99% of all species of bottom and benthic animals living in the ocean live in the littoral and sublittoral zones.

The open spaces of the lake, especially the surface layer, are also characterized by rich flora. The food chain in the ocean begins with microscopic single-celled plant organisms - phytoplankton, which inhabit mainly the uppermost (about 100-meter) layer of ocean waters. Among them, several species of peridinian and diatom algae predominate, and in the Arabian Sea - cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which often cause the so-called mass development. water bloom. In the northern part of I. o. There are three areas of highest phytoplankton production: the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. The greatest production is observed off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, where the number of phytoplankton sometimes exceeds 1 million cells/l (cells per liter). Its high concentrations are also observed in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones, where during the spring flowering period there are up to 300,000 cells/l. The lowest phytoplankton production (less than 100 cells/l) is observed in the central part of the ocean between parallels 18 and 38° S. w.

Zooplankton inhabits almost the entire thickness of oceanic waters, but its quantity quickly decreases with increasing depth and decreases by 2–3 orders of magnitude toward the bottom layers. Food for b. Some of the zooplankton, especially those living in the upper layers, are phytoplankton, therefore the patterns of spatial distribution of phyto- and zooplankton are largely similar. The highest levels of zooplankton biomass (from 100 to 200 mg/m3) are observed in the Arabian and Andaman seas, the Bengal, Aden and Persian Gulfs. The main biomass of ocean animals consists of copepod crustaceans (more than 100 species), with slightly less pteropods, jellyfish, siphonophores and other invertebrate animals. Radiolarians are typical of unicellular organisms. In the Antarctic region I. o. characterized by a huge number of euphausian crustaceans of several species, collectively called “krill”. Euphausiids create the main food supply for the largest animals on Earth - baleen whales. In addition, fish, seals, cephalopods, penguins and other bird species feed on krill.

Organisms that move freely in the marine environment (nekton) are presented in the I. o. mainly fish, cephalopods, and cetaceans. From cephalopods in I. o. Cuttlefish, numerous squid and octopuses are common. Of the fish, the most abundant are several species of flying fish, luminous anchovies (coryphaenas), sardinella, sardine, mackerel, nototheniids, groupers, several types of tuna, blue marlin, grenadier, sharks, and rays. Warm waters are home to sea turtles and poisonous sea snakes. The fauna of aquatic mammals is represented by various cetaceans. The most common baleen whales are: blue whale, sei whale, fin whale, humpback whale, and Australian (Cape) whale. Toothed whales are represented by sperm whales and several species of dolphins (including killer whales). In the coastal waters of the southern part of the ocean, pinnipeds are widespread: the Weddell seal, the crabeater seal, seals - Australian, Tasmanian, Kerguelen and South African, Australian sea lion, leopard seal, etc. Among the birds, the most typical are the wandering albatross, petrels, great frigatebird, phaetons , cormorants, gannets, skuas, terns, gulls. South of 35° S. sh., on the coasts of South Africa, Antarctica and islands - numerous. colonies of several penguin species.

In 1938 in I. o. a unique biological phenomenon was discovered - a living lobe-finned fish Latimeria chalumnae, considered extinct tens of millions of years ago. "Fossil" coelacanth lives at a depth of over 200 m in two places - near the Comoros Islands and in the waters of the Indonesian archipelago.

History of the study

The northern coastal areas, especially the Red Sea and deeply incised bays, began to be used by humans for navigation and fishing already in the era of ancient civilizations, several thousand years BC. e. 600 BC e. Phoenician sailors, in the service of the Egyptian pharaoh Necho II, circumnavigated Africa. In 325–324 BC. e. Alexander the Great's comrade Nearchus, commanding a fleet, sailed from India to Mesopotamia and compiled the first descriptions of the coastline from the mouth of the Indus River to the top of the Persian Gulf. In the 8th–9th centuries. The Arabian Sea was intensively explored by Arab navigators, who created the first sailing directions and navigational guides for this area. In the 1st half. 15th century Chinese navigators under the leadership of Admiral Zheng He made a series of voyages along the Asian coast to the west, reaching the coast of Africa. In 1497–99 the Portuguese Vasco da Gama paved the sea route for Europeans to India and the countries of Southeast Asia. A few years later, the Portuguese discovered the island of Madagascar, the Amirante, Comoros, Mascarene and Seychelles islands. Following the Portuguese in I. o. The Dutch, French, Spanish and English entered. The name "Indian Ocean" first appeared on European maps in 1555. In 1772–75 J. Cook penetrated into I. o. to 71° 10" S and carried out the first deep-sea measurements. Oceanographic research on the island began with systematic measurements of water temperature during the circumnavigation of the Russian ships "Rurik" (1815–18) and "Enterprise" (1823–26) In 1831–36, an English expedition took place on the ship Beagle, on which Charles Darwin carried out geological and biological work. Complex oceanographic measurements in the I.O. were carried out during the English expedition on the ship Challenger in 1873–74. Oceanographic work in the northern part of the island was carried out by S. O. Makarov on the ship “Vityaz” in 1886. In the first half of the 20th century, oceanographic observations began to be carried out regularly, and by the 1950s they were carried out on almost 1,500 deep-sea oceanographic stations. In 1935, P. G. Schott’s monograph “Geography of the Indian and Pacific Oceans” was published - the first major publication that summarized the results of all previous studies in this region. In 1959, the Russian oceanographer A. M. Muromtsev published a fundamental work - “Main Features Hydrology of the Indian Ocean". In 1960–65, the Scientific Committee on Oceanography of UNESCO conducted the International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE), the largest of those previously operating in the Indian Ocean. Scientists from more than 20 countries (USSR, Australia, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Portugal, USA, France, Germany, Japan, etc.) took part in the MIOE program. During the MIOE, major geographical discoveries were made: the underwater West Indian and East Indian ridges were discovered, tectonic fault zones - Owen, Mozambique, Tasmanian, Diamantina, etc., underwater mountains - Ob, Lena, Afanasia Nikitina, Bardina, Zenit, Equator and etc., deep-sea trenches - Ob, Chagos, Vima, Vityaz, etc. In the history of the study of I. o. The results of research carried out in 1959–77 AD are particularly highlighted. the ship "Vityaz" (10 voyages) and dozens of other Soviet expeditions on ships of the Hydrometeorological Service and the State Fisheries Committee. From the beginning 1980s Ocean research was carried out within the framework of 20 international projects. Research on I. o. has become especially intensified. during the International Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE). After its successful completion in the end. 1990s the volume of modern oceanographic information on the I.O. doubled in size.

Modern research on I. o. are carried out within the framework of international programs and projects, such as the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (since 1986, 77 countries participate), including the projects Dynamics of Global Ocean Ecosystems (GLOBES, 1995–2010), Global Flows of Matter in the Ocean ( JGOFS, 1988-2003), Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ), Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER), Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ, 1993-2015), Study of Ocean Surface Interactions with the lower atmosphere (SOLAS, 2004–15, ongoing); “World Climate Research Program” (WCRP, since 1980, 50 countries participate), the main marine part of which is the program “Climate and Ocean: Instability, Predictability and Variability” (CLIVAR, since 1995), the basis of which was the results of TOGA and WOCE; International study of biogeochemical cycles and large-scale distribution of trace elements and their isotopes in the marine environment (GEOTRACES, 2006–15, ongoing) and many others. etc. The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is being developed. Since 2005, the international ARGO program has been operating, in which observations are carried out by autonomous sounding instruments throughout the World Ocean (including the Arctic Ocean), and the results are transmitted through artificial Earth satellites to data centers. From the end 2015 begins the 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition, designed for 5 years of research with the participation of many countries.

Economic use

Coastal zone I. o. has an exceptionally high population density. There are over 35 states on the coasts and islands, home to about 2.5 billion people. (over 30% of the world's population). The bulk of the coastal population is concentrated in South Asia (more than 10 cities with a population of over 1 million people). In most countries in the region, there are acute problems of finding living space, creating jobs, providing food, clothing and housing, and medical care.

The use of the ocean, like other seas and oceans, is carried out in several main areas: transport, fishing, extraction of mineral resources, and recreation.

Transport

Role of acting in maritime transport increased significantly with the creation of the Suez Canal (1869), which opened a short sea route for communication with states washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. is an area of ​​transit and export of all kinds of raw materials, in which almost all major seaports are of international importance. In the northeastern part of the ocean (in the Malacca and Sunda Straits) there are routes for ships traveling to the Pacific Ocean and back. The main export item to the USA, Japan and Western European countries is crude oil from the Persian Gulf region. In addition, agricultural products are exported - natural rubber, cotton, coffee, tea, tobacco, fruits, nuts, rice, wool; wood; miner raw materials - coal, iron ore, nickel, manganese, antimony, bauxite, etc.; machinery, equipment, tools and hardware, chemical and pharmaceutical products, textiles, processed gemstones and jewelry. To the share of I. o. accounts for about 10% of the cargo turnover of world shipping, in con. 20th century About 0.5 billion tons of cargo were transported through its waters per year (according to IOC data). According to these indicators, it ranks 3rd after the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, inferior to them in terms of shipping intensity and total volume of cargo transportation, but surpassing all other sea transport communications in terms of oil transportation volume. The main transport routes along the Indian Ocean are directed to the Suez Canal, the Strait of Malacca, the southern tips of Africa and Australia, and along the northern coast. Shipping is most intense in the northern regions, although limited by storm conditions during the summer monsoon, and less intense in the central and southern regions. The growth of oil production in the Persian Gulf countries, Australia, Indonesia, and other places contributed to the construction and modernization of oil ports and the emergence of the I.O. giant tankers. The most developed transport routes for the transportation of oil, gas and petroleum products: Persian Gulf - Red Sea - Suez Canal - Atlantic Ocean; Persian Gulf – Strait of Malacca – Pacific Ocean; Persian Gulf - southern tip of Africa - Atlantic Ocean (especially before the reconstruction of the Suez Canal, 1981); Persian Gulf - Australian coast (port of Fremantle). Mineral and agricultural raw materials, textiles, precious stones, jewelry, equipment, and computer equipment are transported from India, Indonesia, and Thailand. From Australia, coal, gold, aluminum, alumina, iron ore, diamonds, uranium ores and concentrates, manganese, lead, zinc are transported; wool, wheat, meat products, as well as internal combustion engines, passenger cars, electrical products, river vessels, glass products, rolled steel, etc. The oncoming flows are dominated by industrial goods, automobiles, electronic equipment, and others. I.O. plays an important role in the transport use. transport of passengers.

Fishing

Compared to other oceans, the I. o. has relatively low biological productivity; production of fish and other seafood accounts for 5–7% of the total world catch. Fishing and non-fishery fishing is concentrated mainly in the northern part of the ocean, and in the west it is twice as much as in the eastern part. The largest volumes of bioproduct production are observed in the Arabian Sea off the western coast of India and off the coast of Pakistan. Shrimp are harvested in the Persian and Bengal Bays, and lobsters are harvested off the east coast of Africa and on tropical islands. In open ocean areas in the tropical zone, tuna fishing is widely developed, carried out by countries with well-developed fishing fleets. In the Antarctic region, nototheniids, icefish and krill are caught.

Mineral resources

Almost throughout the entire shelf area of ​​the I. o. deposits of oil and natural combustible gas or oil and gas shows have been identified. The most industrially important are the actively developed oil and gas fields in the Persian Gulf ( Persian Gulf oil and gas basin), Suez (Gulf of Suez oil and gas basin), Cambay ( Cambay oil and gas basin), Bengali ( Bengal oil and gas basin); off the northern coast of the island of Sumatra (North Sumatra oil and gas basin), in the Timor Sea, off the northwestern coast of Australia (Carnarvon oil and gas basin), in Bass Strait (Gippsland oil and gas basin). Gas deposits have been explored in the Andaman Sea, oil and gas bearing areas in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and along the coast of Africa. Coastal-sea placers of heavy sands are developed off the coast of the island of Mozambique, along the southwestern and northeastern coasts of India, off the northeastern coast of the island of Sri Lanka, along the southwestern coast of Australia (mining ilmenite, rutile, monazite and zircon); in the coastal areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand (cassiterite mining). On the shelves I. o. Industrial accumulations of phosphorites were discovered. Large fields of ferromanganese nodules, a promising source of Mn, Ni, Cu, and Co, have been established on the ocean floor. In the Red Sea, identified metal-bearing brines and sediments are potential sources of production of iron, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, etc.; There are deposits of rock salt. In the coastal zone of the I. o. sand is mined for construction and glass production, gravel, and limestone.

Recreational resources

From the 2nd half. 20th century The use of ocean recreational resources is of great importance for the economies of coastal countries. Old resorts are being developed and new ones are being built on the coasts of continents and on numerous tropical islands in the ocean. The most visited resorts are in Thailand (Phuket island, etc.) - over 13 million people. per year (together with the coast and islands of the Gulf of Thailand of the Pacific Ocean), in Egypt [Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh (Sharm el-Sheikh), etc.] - over 7 million people, in Indonesia (the islands of Bali, Bintan , Kalimantan, Sumatra, Java, etc.) - over 5 million people, in India (Goa, etc.), in Jordan (Aqaba), in Israel (Eilat), in the Maldives, in Sri Lanka, in the Seychelles islands, on the islands of Mauritius, Madagascar, South Africa, etc.

Port cities

On the banks of I. o. specialized oil loading ports are located: Ras Tanura (Saudi Arabia), Kharq (Iran), Al-Shuaiba (Kuwait). The largest ports of the island: Port Elizabeth, Durban (South Africa), Mombasa (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Mogadishu (Somalia), Aden (Yemen), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Karachi (Pakistan) ), Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kandla (India), Chittagong (Bangladesh), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Yangon (Myanmar), Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne (Australia).

Although the Indian Ocean occupies a relatively small area on the world map, it has a rich, vibrant, unique flora and fauna.

This is the third largest body of water on the globe; its depths hold many mysteries and secrets. Studied in natural history lessons in elementary school, then in high school, grades 5-7, this topic is often found in exam papers and tests.

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Characteristics of the Indian Ocean

The ocean washing the shores of Indochina is smaller in size than the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and ranks third in size on Earth.

Its area is 76.17 million km², which is about 20% of the total water surface.

The average depth of the ocean is about 3.7 thousand meters, the maximum depth reaches 7.7 thousand meters in the east, in the area where the Java Trench is located.

The average temperature at the surface of the water can reach 20-27°C and reach 7°C in depth in areas of the equator, salinity is approximately 35%.

History of the study

It is believed that it was this ocean that people first began to cross; in the beginning, ordinary wooden rafts were used for this.

Significant knowledge and information about the ocean has appeared for the first time since the exploration of Vasco da Gama, carrying out his own plan to reach distant lands.

Geographical position

The salty waters of the ocean wash Asia from the north, touch the coast of Africa from the west, and eastern currents wash towards Australia, and border on Antarctica in the south.

It also has intersections with the territories of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, one of which runs along the meridian of Cape Agulhas, and the other along Cape Horn. Located south of the Tropic of Cancer.

In the northern hemisphere, the Indian Ocean could easily be confused with a large sea, which misled sailors and fishermen.

Currents

The currents are mostly directed in the opposite direction from the clockwise direction. In the north they change with the onset of the season, which is associated with changing winds. Currents south of the equator are the same throughout the year.

In winter, the Northeast monsoon current, which originates in the Bay of Bengal, has a strong influence. It washes East Africa, splits, enters the Red Sea and generates the Equatorial Countercurrent.

Seas

There are many seas in the Indian Ocean:

• Red sea;
• Mawson Sea;
• Commonwealth Sea;
• Arabian Sea.

Indian Ocean on the physical map of the world (click to enlarge)

They are of great importance not only for tourism, but are also important for transportation and cargo transportation. They are distinguished by many unique natural features.

Climate and climate zones

Due to the influence of the temperature regime of Asia, a monsoon climate is established in the north, rich in cyclones moving towards the coasts.

In summer, heated sea waters begin to release moisture into the air, making it humid. It moves to the mainland and pours over the surface of the earth in the form of heavy rains. Thunderstorms, storms or cold typhoons are common occurrences in this area.

Flora and fauna

It is the colorful diversity of flora and fauna that makes the Indian Ocean so special.

At the bottom you can see all the variety of species of multi-colored sponges, starfish, corals, and crustaceans.

All the delicacies that are served on the table live here: lobsters, shrimp, mussels, lobsters.

In these climatic zones there are characteristic representatives of various species of fish, not only suitable for catching and eating, but also distinguished by their unusual color, the beauty of which is difficult to compare with anything else.

Islands and peninsulas

The largest and most famous island, of course, is Madagascar, with an area of ​​590,000 km.

Madagascar Island

Christmas Island originated from a volcano, where the Maldives, Seychelles, and Andaman Islands are also located.

Sri Lanka

The largest free-standing islands are Tasmania, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, and Socotra. It is noteworthy that some islands used to be part of the mainland, and later separated and became islands.

Bottom relief

Just as the fauna in the Indian Ocean is diverse and unique, the structure of the oceanic bottom relief is also amazing.

A special feature is the angle of the bottom in the Bay of Bengal, which is a unique phenomenon. The bottom is very diverse, in some parts reefs and characteristic faults predominate.

Deepest trench of the Indian Ocean

The Java Trench, also called the Sunda Trench, is considered the deepest point of the ocean. The depth in it reaches about 7.7 thousand meters; there is practically no relief at the bottom.

In the area of ​​the Java Trench, a huge earthquake occurred not long ago; scientists fear that this will soon cause a shift in tectonic plates.

Bays

There are 22 bays in total, the most significant of which can be called the Persian (due to its huge oil reserves).

Persian Gulf

The Bay of Bengal is home to many currents that influence water and air temperatures.

Features of nature

Strong winds and monsoons have a particular influence on the currents and temperature of coastal areas.

Also, these places have the richest diversity of marine life, algae species and corals.

Coastline

The coastline is strongly indented only on the north side, where most of the large seas are located.

On the Persian Gulf side, the ocean is protected from strong winds by mountains. The rest of the territory is almost flat.

Minerals

The Indian Ocean contains numerous and rich sources of oil and natural gas.

Near the coastlines and on the shelves, a variety of semi-precious stones and metals are mined, which are of significant importance for global industry.

Environmental problems of the Indian Ocean

Environmental problems arose in connection with anthropogenic influences, which led to such a deplorable state of natural ecosystems.

Pollution of Indian Ocean waters is influenced by many factors:

1. Starting with military operations and preparation for them, which are a serious source of the release of harmful and toxic substances. Warships greatly neglect environmental controls. A large number of sunken ships have accumulated at the bottom of the seas since ancient wars. Exposure to metals also causes significant environmental damage.
2. Industrial and agricultural emissions predominate.
3. Pesticides, being the most dangerous substances, cause irreparable damage to the environment.
4. The amount of garbage in the waters is growing rapidly, it gets there from the sides of ships or is thrown out by sewage from land. Plus, radioactive and toxic waste is buried at the bottom.

Types of economic activities

Fishing is not very developed, since the animal world is incredibly beautiful and serves more for the aesthetic pleasure of tourists. Whale fishing used to be widespread in Antarctic waters, which was later banned.

Tuna fishing is popular around the equator.

Such valuable parts of expensive jewelry as mother-of-pearl and natural pearls are mined off the coast of Australia.

As mentioned above, the Persian Gulf is home to one of the largest sources of oil production. The countries of the Indian Ocean extract all the necessary mineral resources and raw materials here in large quantities.

Attractions

Here are just some amazing places that will be interesting to see:

As a conclusion, here are some interesting facts:

1. The volume of water in the ocean is the third largest in the world after the Pacific and Atlantic.
2. In ancient times, the ocean was called “Eastern”, later European discoverers and explorers renamed it.
3. The first swims were made before the advent of our era.
4. Significant contributions to the study of the sea region were made by Covilha, Vasco da Gama and Cook.
5. In the depths of the ocean there are almost 2 billion tons of black gold and 2.3 trillion tons of gas.
6. It happens that glowing circles appear on the surface of the ocean. It is believed that this is plankton in large quantities.
7. It is in the Indian Ocean that the sea with the highest salt content on Earth is located - the Red Sea contains 42%.
8. The ocean contains a huge variety of coral reefs over a large extent.

India occupies the Hindustan Peninsula, which is adjacent to the mainland from the north and is washed by the waters of the World Ocean on the other three sides. It is the seventh largest in the world by area.

India also includes the Nicobar, Andaman, Minicoy, Amyndive and Laccadive Islands.

(On the diagram of water, sea, bay, ocean - washed by India)

From the west, India is washed by the Arabian Sea. The southern part of the peninsula faces the Laccadive Sea. On the eastern side, the coast is washed by the waters of the Bay of Bengal, which is part of the Indian Ocean.

Seas surrounding India

The Arabian Sea covers an area of ​​4.2 thousand square kilometers. Its average depth is about 3 thousand km, the maximum is 5.8 thousand km. The prevailing winds over its waters are monsoons. Winter ones last from November to March, summer ones - from June to August, and the wind speed during this period reaches 15-20 m/s. Its relief is predominantly flat.

In terms of natural resources, the Arabian Sea is one of the richest in the World Ocean. About a thousand species of fish, including commercial ones, live here. However, in the northern part the waters are heavily polluted by waste and sewage. It has important transport significance: a transport route passes through its waters, along which oil is transported from the Persian Gulf. It is also attractive for tourists: there are many places for diving, windsurfing and other water sports.

From the east, the coast of India is washed by the waters of the Bay of Bengal, which belongs to the Indian Ocean. This is the largest bay in the world's oceans, with an area of ​​2172 thousand square meters. km also washes the shores of the neighboring states of Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The Bay of Bengal is a continuation of the northern part of the Indian Ocean, which can also be considered in general terms, washing the waters of India and neighboring countries.

The ocean surrounding India

The Indian Ocean is the third largest by area. 15% of its waters are seas. The waters of the Bay of Bengal, which makes up the northern part of the Indian Ocean, wash the shores of India. In the Bay of Bengal, not far from the coast of India, the Northeast monsoon current originates, which sets in for the winter period. The main surface currents are formed by monsoon winds. In summer, in this part of the ocean, the monsoon current is divided into northern and southern. The tide is semi-diurnal, the water rise is about 5 m, near Mumbai it reaches 5.7 m.

Due to pollution from petroleum products and heavy metals, the once rich natural world has become impoverished in recent years. Some species of whales and fish are under threat of extinction. This is due to the fact that transport routes along which oil is transported run through the waters of the Indian Ocean. It is possible that if the international community does not take action, at any moment a large-scale accident could lead to an environmental disaster.

It has the least number of seas. It has a peculiar bottom, and in the northern part - a special system of winds and.

Mostly located in the Southern Hemisphere between, and. Its coastline is slightly indented, with the exception of the northern and northeastern parts, where almost all seas and large bays are located.

Unlike other oceans, the mid-ocean ridges of the Indian Ocean consist of three branches radiating from its central part. The ridges are dissected by deep and narrow longitudinal depressions - grabens. One of these huge grabens is a continuation of the faults of the axial part of the Arabian-Indian mid-ocean ridge.

Mid-ocean ridges divide the bed into 3 large sections, which are part of three different ones. The transition from the ocean floor to the continents is gradual everywhere; only in the northeastern part of the ocean is there an arc under which the Indo-Australian lithospheric plate is plunging. Therefore, a deep-sea trench about 4000 km long stretches along these islands. There are more than a hundred active volcanoes here, including the famous Krakatoa, and earthquakes often occur.

Near the surface of the Indian Ocean depends on. The northern part of the Indian Ocean is much warmer than the southern part.

Monsoons form in the northern part of the Indian Ocean (north of 10 S latitude). In summer, the southwestern summer monsoon blows here, carrying humid equatorial air from the sea to the land, and in winter - the northeastern winter monsoon, carrying dry tropical air from the continent.

The system of surface currents in the southern half of the Indian Ocean is similar to the system of currents in the corresponding latitudes of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. However, north of 10°N. A special regime of water movement arises: monsoon seasonal currents appear, changing direction to the opposite twice a year.

The organic world of the Indian Ocean has much in common with the organic world of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans at the corresponding latitudes. In the shallow waters of hot zones, coral polyps are common, creating numerous reef structures, including islands. Among the fish, the most numerous are anchovies, tuna, flying fish, sailfish, and sharks. The tropical coasts of continents are often occupied by mangroves. They are characterized by peculiar plants with terrestrial respiratory roots and special communities of animals (oysters, crabs, shrimp, mudskipper fish). The bulk of ocean animals are invertebrate planktonic organisms. In tropical coastal areas, sea turtles, poisonous sea snakes, and endangered mammals - dugongs - are common. The cold waters of the southern part of the ocean are home to whales, sperm whales, dolphins, and seals. Among the birds, the most interesting are penguins that inhabit the coasts of Antarctica and the islands of the temperate zone of the ocean.

Natural resources and economic development

The Indian Ocean has great biological wealth, but fishing is mainly limited to coastal zones, where, in addition to fish, lobsters, shrimp, and shellfish are caught. In the open waters of hot zones, tuna fishing is carried out, and in cold zones, whales and krill are fished.

Of the most important are oil deposits and. The Persian Gulf with its adjacent land stands out especially, where 1/3 of the world's oil is produced.

In recent decades, the coasts of warm seas and the islands of the northern part of the ocean have become increasingly attractive for people to relax, and the tourism business is booming here. The volume of traffic through the Indian Ocean is significantly less than through the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, it plays an important role in the development of South and Southeast Asian countries.

All this is becoming a reality for tourists coming to Indian Ocean resorts.

The Indian Ocean Islands are an all-season luxury holiday destination. All you have to do is decide what you like best: relaxation and contemplation, active sports, the opportunity to touch antiquities or watch the most unusual creatures on Earth.

Mauritius

Tropical Mauritius was once a favorite haven of pirates, and now the island attracts thousands of tourists every year with its luxury hotels and white beaches surrounded by volcanic mountains. This place is suitable not only for heat-loving couch potatoes, but also for curious travelers who want to get acquainted with the amazing colonial architecture of the region, Indian temples and botanical gardens. Here you can also spot rare birds, walk through the park with lions or swim with dolphins, or you can even test your strength by doing extreme sports - wind and kite surfing are very popular on the island.

Mauritius is located just 20 degrees south of the equator, so the temperature here does not drop below +25 ° C. Most tourists go here on vacation when the cold weather sets in in the Northern Hemisphere, so the peak tourist season on the island is considered to be from October to April. However, at this time of year it is quite hot and humid and sometimes rainy. The best time to holiday in Mauritius is the local winter, which begins in the Southern Hemisphere in May.

Mauritius is very small, only 45x65 square meters. km, however, due to the unique landscape, the weather here is very changeable. You are unlikely to be able to quickly drive around this small island, and all because it is riddled with narrow and winding roads on which it is simply impossible to accelerate. In addition, when planning excursions, it is worth remembering that left-hand traffic has remained on the island since the British colonial era. Therefore, it is better for tourists to use taxi services or organized transfers.

The tourist center of Mauritius is the resort town of Grand Bay in the northeast of the island, where most hotels and entertainment venues are concentrated. The West Coast is the most expensive and prestigious: those who come here are accustomed to relaxing in the most luxurious hotels and want to sunbathe on the most beautiful white sand beaches. The south is considered the greenest, wildest and most interesting part of the island.

Where to stay

The pearl of Mauritius is Paradis & Golf Club on the Le Morne Peninsula. This hotel is considered one of the best on the southwest coast. It is especially memorable for guests due to the breathtaking views from the rooms of the picturesque beach and lagoon.

The Paradis resort is suitable for both lovers of a relaxing holiday (there are several restaurants, a spa center of a famous cosmetic brand, the largest fitness center in Mauritius, its own international golf course and golf academy), and for those who prefer an active holiday and enjoys water sports. On the beach, hotel guests can use any equipment for free, including snorkel masks and windsurfing equipment. A separate fee will be asked only for the services of a personal instructor. By the way, this hotel hosts the Kite Jam Festival, which every year brings together professionals and amateurs of wind and kitesurfing from all over the world. The festival includes amateur competitions, master classes from world champions and the best athletes on the planet, as well as surfing and kiteboarding schools.

	Time zone: there is no time difference between Mauritius and Moscow. So it doesn’t matter how long your vacation is - you won’t remember what jet lag is after returning home.
	Visa: Visa for up to 60 days is issued upon arrival. To do this, at customs you must provide a passport valid for at least 6 months after the end of your stay in the country, a return ticket, a hotel reservation, a completed entry form and pay a fee of $17.
	How to get there: the best option is to fly with Air France to Paris with a transfer to an Air Mauritius flight. Travel time including connections is about 16 hours. The price of a round-trip ticket is from 49 thousand rubles.

Madagascar

Madagascar is the largest island of the Indian Ocean, one of the poorest countries in the world, but it is also one of the safest countries in Africa. Such nature as in Madagascar cannot be found anywhere else. The flora and fauna of the island are rich in absolutely endemic plants and animals that cannot be found in other parts of the planet.

Baobab trees grow everywhere in Madagascar. In some areas, impressive rows of giant trees line up, in the crowns of which the African sun pancake beautifully “gets stuck” during sunset, giving tourists the opportunity to take photographs of amazing beauty.

Here you can see 70 species of lemurs and chameleons and even watch humpback whales. The best time to see whale migration is from June to September, but they appear in east coast waters year-round.

There is also a unique stone forest on the island, covering an area of ​​more than 150 thousand hectares and consisting of sharp karst spiers, the approximate age of which is a million years. Stone Forest consists of intricate labyrinths through which excursions are organized for tourists.

As a rule, travelers go to Madagascar to see the jungle, wild animals, take part in safaris or follow adapted and safe tourist routes, which are complemented by a few days of relaxation on the coast. The most popular recreation areas for foreign tourists are the resorts of the Anakao Peninsula and the beaches of the tiny island near Madagascar - Nosy Be.

The north of the country is very fond of divers all over the world, including those from Russia. The long coastline with unique underwater plants and animals gives them a completely new diving experience.

The climate of Madagascar is very diverse: on the coast it is tropical, in the interior it is closer to subtropical, and in the south it is dry (arid), with high air temperatures experiencing large daily fluctuations and with negligible amounts of precipitation. The island has two seasons. The hot and humid season - the Madagascar summer - lasts from November to April, the air temperature in these months is +25 + 27 ° C, the cooler dry season is established from May to October (+20 + 24 ° C).

Where to stay

One of the best hotels in the popular resort island of Nosy Be is Ravintsara Wellness Hotel. “Fantastic vacation”, “royal vacation”, “heaven on earth” - these are the reviews from tourists that Ravintsara received for its beautiful and spacious bungalows on the beach, green gardens around, excellent service and exquisite cuisine. The hotel also offers entertainment for every taste: boat trips, ATV rides. The cost of accommodation is from 300 dollars per day.

	Time zone: Madagascar time is one hour behind Moscow.
	Visa: a tourist visa for up to 90 days can be issued upon arrival. To do this, you must provide a passport valid for at least 6 months and a return air ticket.
	How to get there: you can get to Antananarivo, the largest airport in Madagascar, from Moscow via Paris (Air France). Flight time is 14 hours excluding connections. Ticket price - from 50 thousand rubles.

Seychelles

The Seychelles is an archipelago of magical beauty, 115 islands, many of which are uninhabited, scattered in the waters of the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa. Breathtakingly secluded beaches, unique nature and climate make the islands perhaps the most idyllic tourist destination in the world.

The Seychelles is one of the few resort areas where you can simply pick up and fly at any time of the year, without worrying about seasonal weather changes. The climate here is quite stable throughout the year, the average air temperature on the islands is +26+30º C. During the peak season (December-January), precipitation on the islands becomes more frequent, which subsides only by mid-March, but it cannot be called abundant and essentially they do not interfere with tourists' recreation.

The warmest and calmest weather occurs in April-May and October-November. During this period, the islands have ideal conditions for swimming, snorkeling and diving: the water temperature reaches +29º C, and visibility often exceeds 30 meters.

The period from October to April is the best time for fishing enthusiasts, and from April to October is the season for watching exotic birds. It is during these months that they reproduce, nurse their offspring and migrate to other regions. From May to September, fans of surfing and windsurfing flock to the Seychelles.

The main island of the archipelago, on which the international airport is located, is about. Mahe. Those who fly to the Seychelles in search of peace and secluded relaxation are unlikely to appreciate the bustle of Mahe, but it’s worth staying here if only to study the colonial architecture of the capital of the Seychelles - the city of Victoria, or to visit the botanical garden, which contains dozens of tropical species plants. The surrounding area of ​​Mahe Island has great opportunities for deep-sea diving: here you can not only swim with magnificent tropical fish, but also walk through the habitats of reef and big-nosed sharks, stingrays, sea urchins, and sea turtles.

Each island of the archipelago has its own atmosphere, and if you don’t want the noise of Mahe at all, then you can go to the small islands, where complete peace and quiet reigns.

Where to stay

One of the best hotels in Mahe is Banyan Tree Seychelles, located on the picturesque southwestern coast of the island. Banyan Tree has 60 villas, each with its own swimming pool.

This resort is located in a quiet location, away from anything that might disturb you during your holiday. This sometimes makes guests think that they are on a desert island, where someone invisible provides round-the-clock comfort. There are no entertainment venues or significant tourist sites nearby, so it is chosen by those who are going to enjoy a vacation away from civilization. The cost of renting a villa is from $1,200 per day.

	Time zone: in the Seychelles, the time coincides with Moscow.
	Visa: Russian citizens arriving in the Seychelles for a period not exceeding 30 days do not require a visa. It is placed at the border when entering the country.
	How to get there: you can fly from Moscow to the Seychelles on Emirates airlines with a transfer at your home airport (Dubai). Travel time including connections is 12.5 hours. Ticket price - from 30 thousand rubles.

Maldives

The Maldives is made up of about 20 groups of atolls, but only half of the islands that make up them are open to tourists. If you are planning to visit the Maldives for the first time and are looking for some general advice on choosing a resort, then the main thing you need to remember is that each of the Maldives resorts is located on its own island, the size of the islands varies from 2.5 km to 150 m (from coast to coast). This means that all resort facilities (restaurants, bars, sports facilities, etc.) will be the only entertainment during your stay in the Maldives. Therefore, their infrastructure needs to be carefully studied in advance, so as not to fall into deep despondency on your long-awaited vacation. In general, there are offers for tourists for every taste: from affordable bungalows adjacent to diving equipment rental points, to secluded luxury villas on stilts in the sea, from the terrace of which you can hang your feet and admire the colorful fish swimming in the water.

The Maldives archipelago is located almost on the equator, the climate here is tropical, the temperature is stable all year round (about +28+30º C). The hottest season on the islands occurs in our winter: from December to April the islands are dry, and the air temperature reaches its highest levels.

Most of the activities in the Maldives are centered around water activities. Snorkeling and diving are very popular - vacationers have the opportunity to see the most beautiful coral reefs and get acquainted with 700 species of exotic fish living in the Indian Ocean. Surfers (both advanced and beginners) also enjoy coming here to spend an invigorating holiday cutting through the waves on a board. Those who like a more relaxing holiday may be interested in fishing in open water.

Where to stay

One of the most famous Maldivian resorts, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, is located on the large and very picturesque Addu Atoll, on Villingili Island. Shangri-La offers accommodation in fully equipped traditional style villas. Guests can choose a house in the garden, on the shore or on stilts directly over the water. Vacationers have access to several restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool, a gym, a children's club, a beauty salon and a spa center, which offers various face and body care programs, scrubs, wraps, as well as massage and stone therapy. The territory has tennis and badminton courts, a small golf course, as well as everything you need for snorkeling, diving, windsurfing and fishing.

Tourists are transported to the resort from Male International Airport by plane or speedboat.

	Time zone: time in the Maldives is one hour ahead of Moscow.
	Visa: Russian citizens do not need to apply for a visa in advance if the tourist flies into the country for a period of no more than 30 days. It is placed at the border upon entry into the country, for which you will need a valid passport and a dated return ticket.
	How to get there: International flights arrive at Hulhule Airport, which is located next to the capital island of Male. Flights to the Maldives are regularly carried out by Emirates (via Dubai), Singapore Airlines (via Singapore), Qatar (via Doha). Travel time depends on the length of the connection at the carrier's home airport. In the winter season, Aeroflot opens a direct flight to Male. Travel time is about 9 hours. The cost of the flight is from 49 thousand rubles.

O. Ceylon

The island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) is a real corner of eternal celebration. The number of significant events celebrated here is more than 160 per year! Add to this colorful beaches, misty mountains, tea plantations and luxury hotels - and you will get a truly unforgettable holiday in the kingdom of nature on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

The developed tourism infrastructure in Sri Lanka provides vacationers with excellent opportunities for recreation for every taste: from “doing nothing” on the beaches and self-care in local spas to observing wildlife, practicing extreme sports and pilgrimages to ancient cities.

The climate in Sri Lanka is equatorial. It is warm and humid all year round, with the rainy season occurring in summer. The average annual air temperature on the island is +28º C, the water temperature in the Indian Ocean reaches +26º C.

The largest city of the island state is noisy, crazy Colombo. Tourists come here to see the main attractions: admire colonial buildings, mosques, churches, Buddhist and Hindu temples, see the Presidential Residence (or Queen's House), visit the National Museum and Art Gallery. There is also a wonderful zoo in Colombo, where tourists try to go to the elephant show.

The beaches of the island are very popular among tourists. Moreover, Sri Lanka is gaining increasing popularity among those who love active water sports. Surfers managed to fall in love with Arugam Bay, a place 314 km from Colombo, on the southeastern coast of Ceylon, which was included in the honorary list of the ten best surf beaches in the world. Arugam Bay is popular among beginners, and for experienced athletes, the point of attraction has become the west coast, where you can catch impressive waves. The town of Negombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka has become a hangout for kitesurfers who come here for the winds from May to the end of September.

Thanks to the varied topography of the island, Ceylon has excellent conditions for rafting, the now fashionable hiking and mountain biking.

Wildlife lovers come to Sri Lanka to watch the whales and dolphins that appear in the waters near the town of Mirissa. At certain times of the year, sea turtles can also be seen coming ashore to lay eggs.

Where to stay

The most famous beach resort in Sri Lanka is the town of Bentota and its surroundings. This is where the largest number of hotels are located, offering accommodation for every taste. However, the hotels are located at a considerable distance from each other, so tourists can enjoy a relaxing holiday.

A beautiful secluded hotel in Benote - Saman Villas, which is located on a small rocky hill, right on the ocean. It is quiet and cozy here, the number of rooms (and especially the open-air bathroom) pleases travelers who do not skimp on positive reviews. Tourists also note the excellent cuisine in the hotel restaurant and praise the treatments at the local spa. The cost of living is about 300 dollars per day.

The small village of Hikkaduwa is popular among divers and surfers, who are known to be not too fussy, so there are mainly inexpensive hotels and apartments here.

You can snorkel and swim in the calm waters, which are protected from the waves by a coral ridge, at the Trincomalee resort, located on the east coast of the country.

	Time zone: time in Sri Lanka is 1.5 hours ahead of Moscow.
	Visa: Russian citizens do not need to apply for a visa in advance. It is placed at the airport upon arrival.
	How to get there: flights to Colombo are carried out by Etihad (with a transfer in Abu Dhabi), Emirates (with a transfer in Dubai), as well as Aeroflot. Travel time is about 10 hours. The cost of a round-trip ticket is from 25 thousand rubles.

Irina Lavery