An estuary sea linked with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea is separated from the Arabian Peninsula by northeastern Africa. The Red Sea consists of some of the world’s lushest and saltiest seawater. With its connection to the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal, it is one of the world's most important waterways. The Red Sea is surrounded by Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea to the west and Saudi Arabia and Yemen to the east. The Red Sea covers a region of around 174,000 square miles (450,000 square kilometres). From its highest breadth of 190 miles (306 kilometres), it becomes smaller to 20 miles (32 kilometres) at its southern edge. The highest depth of the Red Sea is 9,974 feet (3,040 metres) but the original depth is about 1,500 feet (460 metres). The Red Sea moves from Suez, Egypt, towards the south around 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometres) to the Gulf of Bab el- Mandeb. The gulf links the sea with the Gulf of Aden and then with the Indian Ocean. At the northern edge, the sea is divided into two parts. The Gulf of Suez in the northwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba is to the northeast. Between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, there is the Sinai Peninsula. The Gulf of Suez moves to within 100 miles (160 kilometres) of the Mediterranean Sea. The intermediate space of land is known as the Isthmus of Suez. The Suez Canal moves north and south throughout the Isthmus of Suez, linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The coasts of the Red Sea are straight and there is no remarkable pit. The eastern and western shores are distinct from each other for nearly the whole length of the sea. There are several small groups of islands in the southern part of the Red Sea. The biggest islands are the Dahlak Archipelago and the Farasan Islands. A group of erupting volcanoes are located in the south of the Dahlak Archipelago. The weather is of a monsoon type but with an extreme level of aridity as the sea is situated in the middle of the deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The approximate winter temperature is around 59 degrees farenhright (15 degree celcuis) in the north to 81 degrees farehenheight (27 degrees Celsius) in the south. During summer the water temperature is around 80 degree farenheight (26.7 degree celcius). The relative humidity is very high during the summer. A low amount of precipitation usually happens in winter. The colour of the Red Sea is blue-green, but there is red algae in the water the colour of the Red Sea appears reddish-brown. In the Red Sea, the water does not go in river. Water is lost via dissolution at depths above 80 inches (200 centimetres) each year. An influx of low-salinity water via Bab el-Mandab in the south is observed northward by prevailing winds. The majority of the saline water from the Gulf of Suez moves towards the south. It is assumed that there is a full recycling of water in the Red Sea every twenty years. Various mineral stores include petroleum storage, limestone and heavy metal accumulation. Some salt is collected from the Red Sea for daily use. Dolphins, giant sea turtles and over 400 fish are found in the Red Sea. One of the world’s busiest adventure realms, the Red Sea transports traffic largely between Europe and Asia. Several docks in Asia are in Al-Aqaba, Jordan; Elat, Israel; Jiddah, Saudi Arabia; and Al-Hudaydah-Yemen. On the African coast docks are Suez, Egypt; Port Sudan, Sudan; and Massawa, Eritrea. Secret coral reefs, frequent dust storms and irregular water currents make exploration hard and risky. Extensive rise of coral reefs has made several portions of the channel very thin.
