Red Sea
Map: World
Current relevance:
The Red Sea is in news after Yemen’s Houthis
claimed an attack on a Saudi military vessel and accompanying patrol boats
near Mokha and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, highlighting continuing security risks
along this strategically important maritime route.
Continent: 
The Red Sea lies between Africa and Asia, separating
Northeast Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
Countries Bordering the Red
Sea:
The principal countries with coastlines along
the Red Sea are Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti on the African side, and
Saudi Arabia and Yemen on the Asian side. The Gulf of Aqaba, the Red
Sea's northeastern extension, also gives Jordan and Israel access to the
Red Sea system.
Important Map Connections:
1.
The Red Sea connects with the Mediterranean
Sea through the Suez Canal in the north and with the Gulf of Aden
and Arabian Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the south.
2. The IMO
describes this corridor—from the Suez Canal through Bab el-Mandeb to the Gulf
of Aden—as one of the world's critical maritime routes.
Significance of the
Red Sea:
1.
The Red Sea forms a crucial
maritime link between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal–Red Sea–Bab
el-Mandeb route.
2. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a strategic chokepoint
connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
3. The route is important for the international movement of containerised
goods, energy supplies and other commercial cargo.
4. Disruptions in the Red Sea can force vessels onto the much longer route
around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing shipping time and costs.
5. Its location between Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
gives the Red Sea major geopolitical and maritime-security significance. The
IMO continues to monitor attacks affecting international shipping in the area.
Source: THE HINDU