strait
A strait is a waterway or a waterway located between two parts of land and separating them, and it also connects two bodies of water. Usually, the areas where the land exerts great pressure on the sea are known as straits, and straits express contraction and contraction. Seawater when it is confined between two parts of the land, and in the past many wars occurred and many treaties were concluded aiming to control many straits around the world to benefit from and exploit them.
Among the most important straits are the Strait of Gibraltar, which is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, and the Darendelles Strait, which is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Areas in which the pressure of land on the sea is great are known as areas of suffocation, and the characteristic of suffocation largely applies to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is located in the southern part of the Red Sea. The following is an overview of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, in terms of its location and importance throughout history and in the modern era.
Bab al-Mandab Strait
The Strait of Bab al-Mandab was known in the past as The Mandab or the Gate of Tears, as mentioned in the Dictionary of Countries about Yaqut al-Hamawi. Its name was given this name due to the dangers that ships were exposed to when passing through it, as there is a group of large, protruding rocks that would have obstructed the routes. Sea navigation. As for the reason for calling it the Strait of Bab al-Mandab, it is because the people of Yemen used to disembark in it when the invaders attacked them with their naval fleets through it. Other names that were given to it include: (the entrance to the Bahr al-Qalzam, and the Strait of Loyalty or Loyalty). The Bab al-Mandab Strait has great importance due to its unique strategic location. It connects the Arab seas and gulfs to each other, and it also controls global trade routes with the passage of oil tankers through it, which has given it great economic and strategic importance that has increased over time.
Read also:What is the tongue of the sea?Location of the Bab al-Mandab Strait
The Bab al-Mandab Strait connects the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The island is located northeast of the strait and to the southwest of the continent of Africa, where the strait connects the Red Sea from the northwestern part with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean from the southeastern part. The Bab al-Mandab Strait is the southern gateway to the Red Sea. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and from there to the Arabian Sea and from there to the Indian Ocean, and from the Indian Ocean to East and Southeast Asia and then to the Pacific Ocean.
Thus, the Bab al-Mandab Strait can be considered a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea through the southern entrance to the Red Sea, passing through the Suez Canal and the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the Bab al-Mandab Strait is 20 miles, equivalent to 32 km, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is divided into two channels by An island called Perim Island, where the length of the western channel is 16 miles, which is equivalent to 26 km, and the length of the eastern channel is 2 miles, which is equivalent to 3 km.
Due to the location of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, it includes the territorial waters of three countries: the Republic of Yemen, which overlooks its eastern coast, and Eritrea and Djibouti, which overlook the western coast. As for Perim Island, which separates the strait into two channels, it has great importance, because of its strategic location, it controls navigation within the strait. As it controls the entrance to the Red Sea from the south, it also has great importance with Yemen, as it is only 4.8 km away from Yemen, and it is close to the African coast as well.
Read also:How does ocean water move?Bab al-Mandab Strait throughout history
The Bab al-Mandab Strait has had great importance throughout history. Its importance began to appear in antiquity when its depth was less than it is today, as this allowed various migrations to occur through its waters. The first human migrations took place through it, and it is believed that the Bab al-Mandab Strait was the route through which The Semitic Ge'ez crossed his path to Africa around 1900 BC. In the period between 100 and 940 AD, the Aksumite Empire took control of the Bab el-Mandab Strait, as it ruled the region now located between northern Ethiopia and Eritrea. In 1799 AD, the British took control of Perim Island, and in In 1861 AD, they built a lighthouse on the island, extended their influence over it, practiced trade there, and controlled its commercial routes.
The importance of the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the modern era
The Bab al-Mandab Strait connects the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean via the Arabian Sea, the Horn of Africa, and the Sea of Oman. It also connects the Arabian Gulf with the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, and because of this location its importance stems, as it is the oil trade route that takes place between Middle Eastern countries and European countries, and through... Its route is communication between the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal, and because the Bab al-Mandab Strait controls the global oil trade routes with the passage of oil tankers through it, closing the strait makes oil tankers move across the southern tip of Africa towards the north, reaching European countries, which leads to loss of... Effort and money are significant, and it is worth noting that the Bab al-Mandab Strait serves as a suitable route for maritime navigation other than the transport of oil, allowing the movement of ships between the countries of the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea.
Read also:Research on the new Suez Canal and its importance
