Gulf of Aden
| Gulf of Aden | |
|---|---|
 US map of attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden from May to September 2008 |
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| Waters | Arabian Sea |
| Land mass | Arabian Peninsula , Africa |
| Geographical location | 13 ° N , 48 ° E |
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| width | 440 km |
| depth | 1 000 km |
| Greatest water depth | 3680 m |
| Islands | Zeila Islands |
 "Breasts of Aden" (around 1930) |
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The Gulf of Aden is the funnel-shaped sea gulf between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and thus between Africa and Asia . It is bordered by the states of Yemen , Djibouti and northern Somalia (or the de facto independent Somaliland and the autonomous region of Puntland ).
In addition to the eponymous port city of Aden in Yemen, Djibouti City , Berbera and Boosaaso are other important ports on the Gulf.
geography
The Gulf represents the continuation of the Red Sea , which kinks to the east and opens to the Indian Ocean , with which it is connected by the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is around 27 km wide . It is also the northeastern extension of the Great African Rift Valley . As a special feature, a fraction of its water, and thus the ocean , flows westwards via underground drains to Lake Assal in Djibouti .
The Zeila Islands are located off the Somali coast near Zeila . The Socotra archipelago, which belongs to Yemen, is located slightly east of the eastern exit of the Gulf of Aden .
The Gulf of Aden is framed by high mountains or mountains . Not far from its south coast in Somalia in the eastern Somali highlands is the Shimbiris (2,416 m high), north of the Gulf this is the Jabal Thamar ( 2514 m above sea level ) in Yemen .
Tectonically , the gulf lies between the African and Arabian plates . It not only separates the two aforementioned continents, but also two peninsulas - the Somali Peninsula and the Arabian Peninsula .
In ancient times it was called Sinus Aualites .
expansion
The Gulf of Aden is up to 1,000 km long and 150 to 440 km wide. Its eastern boundary is the air line between Cape Guardafui in Somalia and Cape Fartak in Yemen . In the west it is up to 874 m deep and in the middle it is 3,478 m deep. In the east it merges into the open Indian Ocean , where the sea drops to a depth of 5,029 m .
Shipping and piracy
All shipping routes from Europe to the Indian Ocean lead through the Gulf of Aden. The Gulf has the same importance for shipping as the Suez Canal .
The neighboring states of Yemen and Somalia are very poor, politically unstable countries and are considered ' failed states '. The entire region is correspondingly dangerous. The Federal Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for all countries .
The Gulf of Aden, together with the Bab al-Mandab, is one of the areas most severely affected by piracy worldwide ( see also: Piracy off the coast of Somalia ). The German Navy and its allies are involved in the Enduring Freedom and Atalanta campaigns , which are supposed to fight terrorism, weapons smuggling and piracy with frigates on site. In March 2015, a coalition of ten states, including Saudi Arabia, launched an offensive in Yemen (see Storm of Resolve ). She wants to prevent Shiite Houthi rebels from completely conquering Yemen.
