Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 14 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
10 fieldsLand area
73,600,000 km2; Arabian Sea, Bass Strait, Bay of Bengal, Java Sea, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Climate
- northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October);
- tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the north Indian Ocean and January/February in the south Indian Ocean
Terrain
- surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the south Indian Ocean;
- unique reversal of surface currents in the north Indian Ocean - low 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 Ninety East Ridge;
- maximum depth is 7,258 meters in the Java Trench
Natural resources
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules
Environment
endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea
Note
- major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait;
- ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme south near Antarctica from May to October
Economy
The Indian Ocean provides a major highway for the movement of petroleum | products from the Middle East to Europe and North and South American | countries.
2 fieldsOverview
The Indian Ocean provides a major highway for the movement of petroleum products from the Middle East to Europe and North and South American countries. Fish from the ocean are of growing economic importance to many of the bordering countries as a source of both food and exports. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna.
Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Industries
based on exploitation of natural resources, particularly marine life, minerals, oil and gas production, fishing, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits
Communications
2 fieldsPorts
Bombay (India), Calcutta (India), Madras (India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Fremantle (Australia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Melbourne (Australia), Richard's Bay (South Africa)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Indian Ocean.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/indian-ocean/1992.