
Bantu peoples
Bantu people are the speakers of Bantu languages, comprising several hundred indigenous ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa, spread over a vast area from Central Africa across the African Great Lakes to Southern Africa. Linguistically, Bantu languages belong to the Southern Bantoid branc…
What goods were traded along the Indian Ocean sea lanes?
Apr 15, 2020 · What are the Indian Ocean sea lanes? - The Indian Ocean Sea Lanes included sailors from China, Malaysia, Southeast Asia and Persia. - The Bantu people spread their language on the sea lanes where their language mixed with Arabic from Muslim traders, thus forming the Swahili languages. Click to see full answer.
What was traded along Indian Ocean sea lanes?
- The Indian Ocean Sea Lanes included sailors from China, Malaysia, Southeast Asia and Persia. -Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) - To use the routes, sailors used monsoon winds to plan their voyages - traveled all throughout the Muslim world and beyond, visiting Asia, into China, India and Sri Lanka Silk Roads Project Indian Ocean Sea Lanes
What ocean is near India?
May 15, 2018 · The sea lanes of the Indian Ocean and the China Seas linking Europe, the Middle East and Africa with Asia are among the busiest in the world, accounting for 25 to 30 per cent of global shipping traffic in 2012 compared to 17 per cent in 1992 — a period in which total shipping traffic increased more than twofold. This trade is dominated by energy and other raw materials …
Can you swim in Indian Ocean?
Jun 28, 2019 · These sea-lanes, which move across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in our east, are also the strategic routes for the flow of oil, from across the Indian Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean.

What are the three main sea routes in the Indian Ocean?
Trade routes & infrastructure Indian Ocean hosts one of the most important global maritime routes connecting Far East with Europe. It passes though the South China Sea, Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Suez Canal and Mediterranean until Atlantic, and carries majority of the ultra-large containerships.Jan 6, 2017
What were the Indian Ocean trade routes?
The Indian Ocean trade routes connected Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa, beginning at least as early as the third century BCE. This vast international web of routes linked all of those areas as well as East Asia (particularly China).Aug 9, 2019
How many seas join the Indian Ocean?
The Indian Ocean shares its borders with seven marginal seas. The following is a list of those seas arranged by area.Jan 17, 2020
Who has right on Indian Ocean?
Australia, Indonesia, and India are the three countries with the longest shorelines and exclusive economic zones. The continental shelf makes up 15% of the Indian Ocean.
What are some of the reasons the Indian Ocean trade took off and was so popular?
What are some of the reasons the Indian Ocean Trade took off and was so popular? They were seasonal and consistent. Monsoons would help carry ships from Africa to India between April and September. They carried ships back from November to February.Nov 28, 2021
Who controlled Indian Ocean trade?
But despite this diversity, for the most part, especially on the Western half of the Indian Ocean basin, the trade was dominated by Muslim merchants. Why? Largely because they had the money to build ships, although we will see that in the 15th century, the Chinese state could have changed that balance completely.
What are the 7 seas names in India?
The Seven Seas include the Arctic, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian, and Southern oceans. The exact origin of the phrase 'Seven Seas' is uncertain, although there are references in ancient literature that date back thousands of years.Mar 10, 2022
What is the Indian Ocean called?
The Indian Ocean has been known by its present name since at least 1515 when the Latin form Oceanus Orientalis Indicus (“Indian Eastern Ocean”) is attested, named for India, which projects into it. …Nov 28, 2021
Is the Red Sea part of the Indian Ocean?
Found in the Indian Ocean, between Asia and Africa, the Red Sea is a gift from nature: a paradise of clear waters, bathed in sun. That's why so many people each year choose it for their holidays. Found to the south of the Sinai peninsula, the Red Sea is more than 2,200 kilometres long and over 300km wide.
Why is it called Indian Ocean?
The Indian Ocean is named after India because of its strategic location at the head of the ocean from ancient times and its long coastline which is longer than any other country in the Indian Ocean rim.
What are 3 facts about the Indian Ocean?
Find out some interesting facts about the Indian Ocean.Covers 20% of the Earth Surface. ... Several Continents by its sides/ Unique Location. ... The Highest Point is at the Sea Level Itself. ... Limited Marine Life. ... Has Unique Chemical and Physical Properties. ... Has Several Tectonic Plate Boundaries. ... Has Lowest Oxygen Content.More items...•Dec 7, 2021
Does India control Indian Ocean?
However, the Indian Navy claims the entire Indian Ocean as its area of responsibility and prides itself on being the first to respond to natural and humanitarian disasters there. While France and India are the key regional players on security, the UK also plays an important role.Mar 3, 2021
What is the Indian Ocean?
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km 2 (27,240,000 sq mi) or 19.8% of the water on Earth 's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east.
What are the boundaries of the Indian Ocean?
The borders of the Indian Ocean, as delineated by the International Hydrographic Organization in 1953 included the Southern Ocean but not the marginal seas along the northern rim, but in 2000 the IHO delimited the Southern Ocean separately, which removed waters south of 60°S from the Indian Ocean but included the northern marginal seas. Meridionally, the Indian Ocean is delimited from the Atlantic Ocean by the 20° east meridian, running south from Cape Agulhas, and from the Pacific Ocean by the meridian of 146°49'E, running south from the southernmost point of Tasmania. The northernmost extent of the Indian Ocean (including marginal seas) is approximately 30° north in the Persian Gulf.
How much of the Indian Ocean is covered by the Pacific Ocean?
The Indian Ocean drainage basin covers 21,100,000 km 2 (8,100,000 sq mi), virtually identical to that of the Pacific Ocean and half that of the Atlantic basin, or 30% of its ocean surface (compared to 15% for the Pacific).
When was the Indian summer monsoon?
The huge variability in the Indian Summer Monsoon has also occurred pre-historically, with a strong, wet phase 33,500–32,500 BP; a weak, dry phase 26,000–23,500 BC; and a very weak phase 17,000–15,000 BP, corresponding to a series of dramatic global events: Bølling-Allerød, Heinrich, and Younger Dryas.
How many people died in the 2004 tsunami?
The waves radiated across the ocean at speeds exceeding 500 km/h (310 mph), reached up to 20 m (66 ft) in height, and resulted in an estimated 236,000 deaths.
Where is 40% of the sediment in the Indian Ocean?
40% of the sediment of the Indian Ocean is found in the Indus and Ganges fans. The oceanic basins adjacent to the continental slopes mostly contain terrigenous sediments. The ocean south of the polar front (roughly 50° south latitude) is high in biologic productivity and dominated by non-stratified sediment composed mostly of siliceous oozes. Near the three major mid-ocean ridges the ocean floor is relatively young and therefore bare of sediment, except for the Southwest Indian Ridge due to its ultra-slow spreading rate.
Is the Indian Ocean a part of the Mediterranean?
The Indian Ocean, together with the Mediterranean, has connected people since ancient times, whereas the Atlantic and Pacific have had the roles of barriers or mare incognitum. The written history of the Indian Ocean, however, has been Eurocentric and largely dependent on the availability of written sources from the colonial era. This history is often divided into an ancient period followed by an Islamic period; the subsequent periods are often subdivided into Portuguese, Dutch, and British periods.
Which ocean is the choke point for oil?
These sea-lanes, which move across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in our east, are also the strategic routes for the flow of oil, from across the Indian Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean. The Straits of Malacca are regarded as crucial “choke points” for the world’s sea-borne oil supplies. Security of Indian Ocean sea-routes from Hormuz to Malacca, ...
Where does India get its oil?
India gets over 70 per cent of its oil supplies across the sea routes of the Indian Ocean. The imperatives of energy security are becoming increasingly complex, because of rivalries and tensions, within the Indian Ocean Region, as India now faces a growingly assertive China. Beijing receives most of its oil imports from across ...
Which country has the largest exports?
China, whose exports were less than India’s in 1948, is today the world’s largest exporter, with annual exports of $1.99 trillion. Even the US lags behind China, with annual exports of $1.46 trillion. India, with annual exports of $268.6 billion, ranks twentieth — behind Singapore and Taiwan. Those who believe that India can match China’s regional ...
Is China in Colombo?
There are concerns that China appears to be undertaking an effort in Colombo, like it did in Hambantota, to take over management of yet another strategic port, in Sri Lanka. India has recently offered to participate in building a container terminal in Colombo, in collaboration with Japan.
Does China have a maritime border?
China has, however, made a serious mistake by making untenable claims on maritime borders, with virtually all its maritime neighbours. It is facing a serious problem with Indonesia, which has, on the other hand, demarcated its maritime boundaries with India.
Can India match China?
Those who believe that India can match China’s regional influence, on its own, should remember these facts. India will have to be measured and realistic in seeking to balance Chinese power across the Indian Ocean. We are working with and advising littoral countries against becoming overly dependent on China.
What is the importance of the Indian Ocean?
As the third-largest body of water in the world, and containing vital sea lanes that help feed some of Asia’s largest economies, the importance of the Indian Ocean has long been clear. However, the relative decline of US power in the region has left a void that is increasingly being filled by China and India, both eager to secure their position as ...
What are the consequences of overfishing?
The consequences of over fishing, which is actually largely a result of activity by countries outside the region, could eventually have serious consequences for littoral states that depend heavily on maritime resources to feed their populations and also provide valuable export revenues.
Where did the Indian Ocean trade originate?
The Indian Ocean trade routes connected Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa, beginning at least as early as the third century BCE. This vast international web of routes linked all of those areas as well as East Asia (particularly China ). Long before Europeans "discovered" the Indian Ocean, traders from Arabia, Gujarat, ...
What did the Portuguese do in the Indian Ocean?
As a result, the Portuguese entered the Indian Ocean trade as pirates rather than traders. Using a combination of bravado and cannons, they seized port cities like Calicut on India's west coast and Macau, in southern China. The Portuguese began to rob and extort local producers and foreign merchant ships alike.
Which empires were involved in the Indian Ocean trade?
During the classical era (4th century BCE–3rd century CE), major empires involved in the Indian Ocean trade included the Achaemenid Empire in Persia (550–330 BCE), the Mauryan Empire in India (324–185 BCE), the Han Dynasty in China (202 BCE–220 CE), and the Roman Empire (33 BCE–476 CE) in the Mediterranean.
What is a sea lane?
A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels ( ships) on wide waterways such as oceans and large lakes, and is preferably safe, direct and economic.
What is the busiest shipping lane in the world?
The world's busiest shipping lane is the Dover Strait. 500-600 vessels per day traverse the narrow strait and in 1999 1.4 billion tonnes gross, carried by 62,500 vessels passed through the strait.
What is the cardinal mark?
Behind the cardinal mark is a sea lane opened on an ice-covered sea. Although most ships no longer use sails (having switched them for engines), the wind still creates waves, and this can cause heeling. As such following the overall direction of the trade winds and westerlies is still very useful.

Overview
Trade
The sea lanes in the Indian Ocean are considered among the most strategically important in the world with more than 80 percent of the world's seaborne trade in oil transits through the Indian Ocean and its vital chokepoints, with 40 percent passing through the Strait of Hormuz, 35 percent through the Strait of Malacca and 8 percent through the Bab el-Mandab Strait.
The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia w…
Etymology
The Indian Ocean has been known by its present name since at least 1515 when the Latin form Oceanus Orientalis Indicus ("Indian Eastern Ocean") is attested, named for India, which projects into it. It was earlier known as the Eastern Ocean, a term that was still in use during the mid-18th century (see map), as opposed to the Western Ocean (Atlantic) before the Pacific was surmised.
Conversely, Chinese explorers in the Indian Oceanduring the 15th century called it the Indian Oce…
Geography
The borders of the Indian Ocean, as delineated by the International Hydrographic Organization in 1953 included the Southern Ocean but not the marginal seas along the northern rim, but in 2000 the IHO delimited the Southern Ocean separately, which removed waters south of 60°S from the Indian Ocean but included the northern marginal seas. Meridionally, the Indian Ocean is delimited from the Atlantic Ocean by the 20° east meridian, running south from Cape Agulhas, and from the Pacific …
Climate
Several features make the Indian Ocean unique. It constitutes the core of the large-scale Tropical Warm Pool which, when interacting with the atmosphere, affects the climate both regionally and globally. Asia blocks heat export and prevents the ventilation of the Indian Ocean thermocline. That continent also drives the Indian Ocean monsoon, the strongest on Earth, which causes large-scale seasonal variations in ocean currents, including the reversal of the Somali Current and India…
Oceanography
40% of the sediment of the Indian Ocean is found in the Indus and Ganges fans. The oceanic basins adjacent to the continental slopes mostly contain terrigenous sediments. The ocean south of the polar front (roughly 50° south latitude) is high in biologic productivity and dominated by non-stratified sediment composed mostly of siliceous oozes. Near the three major mid-ocean ridges the ocean floor is relatively young and therefore bare of sediment, except for the Southwest India…
Marine life
Among the tropical oceans, the western Indian Ocean hosts one of the largest concentrations of phytoplankton blooms in summer, due to the strong monsoon winds. The monsoonal wind forcing leads to a strong coastal and open ocean upwelling, which introduces nutrients into the upper zones where sufficient light is available for photosynthesisand phytoplankton production. These phytoplankton blooms support the marine ecosystem, as the base of the marine food web, and …
Biodiversity
Of Earth's 36 biodiversity hotspot nine (or 25%) are located on the margins of the Indian Ocean.
• Madagascar and the islands of the western Indian Ocean (Comoros, Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues, the Seychelles, and Socotra), includes 13,000 (11,600 endemic) species of plants; 313 (183) birds; reptiles 381 (367); 164 (97) freshwater fishes; 250 (249) amphibians; and 200 (192) mammals.