Red Sea

The Red Sea (Hebrew: Yam HaSuf ים הסוף, Arabic: Al-Bahr Al-Ahmar البحر الأحمر) is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal). The Red Sea is a crucial waterway, carrying maritime traffic between Europe and Asia. It is also renowned for its biodiversity, with over 1,000 species of fish (about 10% of the world's total) and 200 types of coral. The sea's name is believed to originate from the occasional blooms of the algae Trichodesmium erythraeum, which turn the normally blue-green water a reddish-brown. The Red Sea is also significant in history and religion, notably as the crossing point of the Israelites according to the biblical narrative.