The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2000 to 2025 Oceans

Background Indian Ocean, in 26 editions.

The entry for Indian Ocean published Background in 26 editions of 36, from 2000 to 2025. The text changed in 8 editions. Each is shown as published. Background in every entry.

editions changed the text
8
the first edition with it
2000
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Background” (2000 to 2025).

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2025 edition

Same as 2024

Open the 2025 entry

The same text in 2024 and 2025.

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five ocean basins (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The International Hydrographic Organization decided in 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean basin, the Southern Ocean, which removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans ocean basins (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization decided in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, world ocean basin, the Southern Ocean, which removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

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Central Intelligence Agency. “Indian Ocean: Background.” The World Factbook, 2000–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/indian-ocean/background.

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