| It is a long, narrow arm of the Indian Ocean that separates the Arabian Peninsula from northeastern Africa. The Red Sea is one of the busiest waterways in the world. In this sea Europe and Asia do their trading. No one knows where the name came from. One explanation is that in the summer a type of algae forms a reddish-brown scum on its surface. The sea is 2,200 km long, 350 km wide, and covers about 456,000 square kilometers. It is 1,765 feet deep and its deepest point is 9,974 feet deep. On the northeast side of the Red Sea it branches into the Gulf of Agaba and on the northwest side it branches into the Gulf of Suez. The Red Sea lies in the Great Rift Valley system. Huge tower like cliffs hang over both banks of the sea. It has large numbers of coral reefs. The waters of the Red Sea are among the saltiest in the world. The surface of the sea's average temperature is 85 degrees F. High temperatures make the water evaporate, but the salt remains. The salt is collected in evaporation pans for local use. There aren't enough or large enough fish to make commercial fishing profitable. |
| The Red Sea |
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by The JavaScript Source
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