Depth of the Red Sea, underwater world, countries, coordinates. Why is the Red Sea called Red?

Everyone knows the Red Sea, because it is the most transparent and warmest sea in the world, and also, not counting Dead Sea, the saltiest on earth. Have you ever wondered why this sea has such unusual name, because water is usually not associated with the color red? IN different times at different nations it was called differently: Eritrean, Suez, Reed Sea... There is one nuance, the Red Sea is called only in European languages, but for example, among the inhabitants of Egypt it is the Green Space (Wazi Vr), among the Jews it is the Reed Sea (Yam Suf). There are many versions about the name of the Red Sea, from scientific to mythical.

Today we will learn about beautiful legends, possibly based on real events, that will help you reveal the secret of the name of the Red Sea.

Love story.

Once upon a time, long ago, even before our era, on the sea coast there lived a young handsome, but, alas, not rich guy. He had a kind heart and a big soul, but as often happens, he fell in love with a beautiful girl, but not of his social level. She was the daughter of one of the most respected and wealthy husbands of this city. Her blue ones huge eyes chased the guy every minute, and the cascades long curls appeared in every window. Moreover, unfortunately, she was about to marry the poor young man.

Our hero had almost no time left to win the beauty’s heart, and then he decided on an unrealistic plan. The girl loved the sea very much, she was especially attracted to the sunrise, when the sea in the rays of the rising sun is especially serene and pristine.

And then one day what she saw shook her entire being to her very heart. All the water, wherever you could look, was bright red. The girl immediately ran to the sea and saw that it was the petals of scarlet roses that gave the water this color. And on the shore, near a small boat, stood a stately young man with a pleading look. The entire bottom of the boat was also covered with rose petals. Enchanted, she boarded the boat and heard the guy’s passionate confession. Her heart sank, her breathing quickened and her consciousness told her that it was love at first sight. No one else ever saw them in this city, and its inhabitants admired the scarlet petals for a long time and called this sea the Red.

A burning story.

The Egyptians have their own legend about why the Red Sea was called Red. In distant times on the shore warm sea There lived one evil and greedy merchant. Everyone in the city knew that he was very rich and his main product was red hot pepper. He sailed and traded a lot, filled his home with gold and jewelry, but had no family, no children, or even friends. The merchant was cruel to the poor and defenseless. One day, the city residents ran out of patience, and they offered him either death or to move far away with all their goods. The merchant loaded his ship so much that the overcrowded ship sank along with its owner, and the sea began to appear red from the huge amount of pepper floating on the water surface.

Biblical history.

All Christians know that according to Old Testament, Moses led his people across the Red Sea. He ordered the water to part and the people walked along the bottom full of red ridges and stones. It was a hard road. Many crossed, but many died in this transition, including the guards who pursued Moses. The water filled with scarlet blood and turned red.

Until now, scientists, geographers and venerable researchers of the Red Sea argue about why it is called the Red Sea, but this does not stop us from enjoying the beautiful myths and legends of the Red Sea!

Almost every geographical name has an origin story. It has long been no secret why the Red Sea was called Red. We know from school that this body of water is the saltiest (not counting the Dead Sea), not a single river flows into it. This sea is the youngest of its kind; it has no equal in the beauty and diversity of the underwater world.

The sea is famous for its coral reefs, most of which are bright red in color. Since the water is crystal clear, it appears red from a bird's eye view. There is also a version about large accumulations of algae or fish, which give the water a corresponding red tint.

2. The color of the rocks.

Ancient sailors were delighted with the unusual red rocks reflected in the sea water, so they dubbed it Red. Why the hills were this color, either because of the setting sun or because of the rock, history is silent.

3. The color of blood.

According to the Bible, Moses led his people through the parting of the Red Sea. When the last Jew set foot on land, the sea closed in, burying the bodies of his pursuers. In that place, the water turned red from their blood, which is why they began to call the sea area Red.

4. Incorrect interpretation of the ancient name.

The Arabs found writings ancient people- Himyarites, who lived until the 6th century on the sea coast. Their writing did not display short vowels, so the name of the sea, consisting of three consonant letters “x”, “m”, “r”, was interpreted as “akhmar”, which in Arabic means "red".

5. Translator error.

According to the Bible, Moses and his people passed through the “sea of ​​reeds,” translated into English as “reed sea.” There is an assumption that an error occurred, one letter was lost, and “reed” turned into “red sea” - “Red”.

6. Geographical location.

According to the ancient Assyrian calendar, the cardinal directions were associated with certain colors. For example, red symbolized the south, black – north, green – east, white – west. So it turned out that the sea located in the south began to be called Red.

7. Color of foreign bodies.

According to one version, these could be numerous petals of red flowers, according to another, ground red pepper. But scientists put forward a third, related to big amount sea ​​creatures corresponding color.

Love stories of the red piece of the ocean

But how they could get into the water is explained by several very real stories.

Story 1. Love is red

Oddly enough, every person associates love with different colors: from white to black with the most unusual shades and inclusions, maybe even striped. According to Feng Shui, this feeling is green. But one man proved that his love is bright red, like pink petals, and huge, like the sea.

This happened a very long time ago, even BC, so the names of the heroes of history, unfortunately, have not reached the present day. At that time there lived a young guy on the sea coast; he could not boast of beauty and strength. But he was gifted with great kind hearted and a sharp mind.

The guy came from a poor family and worked from morning to evening, tirelessly. It so happened that at one of the holidays, where all the residents of the city gather, he saw a beautiful girl from whom he could not take his eyes off. Subsequently, the young man learned that she was the daughter of one of the most respected people in the city. And the saddest thing was that preparations were underway for the wedding, which was to take place in a few weeks.

The lover tried to throw the girl out of his head and heart, but he could not help himself. Every minute her figure in a red cape appeared in front of him, her blue, almost transparent eyes looked into her very soul. Hair the color of sand, wavy, like dunes at the bottom of the sea, did not allow me to breathe calmly.

Realizing that there was very little chance of winning the girl’s heart, the guy decided to take a desperate step. He began to think about a plan that seemed almost unrealistic to conquer a woman’s heart.

Every morning the girl went out onto the balcony of her house to admire the sunrise, which illuminated the clear water with bright rays. The sight she saw one morning struck the young soul.

The entire surface of the sea that was in sight turned from transparent blue to bright red. To find out what happened, the girl went down to the sea. On the shore I saw a man in a boat who did not take his eyes off her. What happened to the water, why did its color change? It turns out that the entire surface was strewn with scarlet rose petals.

The girl, fascinated by what she saw, without hesitation, got into the boat, the bottom of which was covered pink petals, only white, and looked at young man. The words that the guy said during the boat trip remained forever in the girl’s heart. She fell in love with him at first sight and realized that she would not be happy without him. So no one saw them again. And the rose petals swayed on the sea waves for a long time, which is why the locals called it Red.

Story 2. Peppered sea

In ancient times, a merchant lived in a city on the shore of a warm reservoir. He made his fortune by trading spices, especially red pepper. A person often left his home, spending time on a ship due to his profession.

The merchant lived half his life, but never started a family. They didn’t like him in the city for his greed and malice. The whole house was filled with gold, jewelry and bags of spices. The merchant did not participate in the life of the city, did not help the poor, and treated the defenseless cruelly.

The people decided to expel him at a general meeting. They were allowed to take all the goods and sail to other shores. Out of greed, the merchant loaded his ship so much that, not having time to disappear beyond the horizon, the ship sank. A few hours later the sea turned scarlet from the scattering of a huge amount of pepper.

This is interesting:

Gates of cities in Ancient China had different colors, depending on which side of the world you went to. Also, the tips of the arrows in a modern compass have corresponding colors: red, black, green and white, respectively indicating the parts of the world: south, north, east and west.

In the first “documents” dating back to the second century BC, the Red Sea could be referred to as the Eritrean Sea (Eritrea is a state on the shores of the Red Sea from the East of Africa), and in the 16th century it was called the Suez Sea.

If you break off a branch of bright coral, after a few minutes without water it will lose its attractiveness and turn dirty white or brown. Therefore, tourists cannot get a trophy in the form of red corals, and only a photo of it can preserve such beauty for display to family and friends.

This sea is recognized as the cleanest. Most likely due to the fact that no rivers flow into it. As a rule, they are the ones who carry sand, silt and other particles that pollute the water.

The water here is the saltiest. Firstly, no rivers enter the sea, that is, there is no influx fresh water, secondly, high temperatures of water and air contribute to intense evaporation of water, which further increases the concentration of salts. Today it is 41 g per liter of water, in the Black Sea it is only 8 g.

The Red Sea is gradually increasing in size. It is located in a seismic zone where plates move without stopping. Therefore, the banks diverge, the displacement reaches up to 1 cm per year, which means that over the course of a century the border will expand by 1 m.

History contains many mysteries and unusual events. That is why the White Sea is called that way; a definite answer has not yet been received. Often the origin of geographical names has several versions, which are supplemented by modern interpretations. It is often difficult to discern the line between fiction and reality.

Location: between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa
Washing the shores of countries: Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, Jordan
Square: 438,000 km²
Greatest depth: 2211 m
Coordinates: 20°44"41.1"N 37°55"27.9"E

The Red Sea, located in a tectonic depression and being the third largest inland sea on our planet, the Indian Ocean, is considered the youngest and most interesting in terms of the diversity of flora and fauna.

It is located between the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. The Red Sea is connected to the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, through the well-known Suez Canal.

Speaking about the Red Sea, you should pay attention to the fact that it is considered the saltiest of all the seas that are part of the World Ocean, which washes all the continents of our planet.

“Why is this sea the saltiest of all the seas?” a person who does not know the geography and location of the Red Sea may ask. The thing is that the Red Sea is the only sea in the whole world into which no freshwater river. Naturally, it is significantly inferior in salt content to the Dead Sea, but it should be remembered that practically no living organism can survive in the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea amazes even experienced divers with the abundance of life forms. And this despite the fact that the salinity of the water of the magnificent Red Sea is up to 60 grams of salts per liter of water taken for laboratory analysis.

As a comparison, it is worth citing the salinity of the water, popular among domestic tourists, in the Black Sea - it is only 18 grams of salts per liter of water.

In addition, describing the Red Sea, which is rightfully considered one of seven wonders of the underwater world, it is impossible not to mention that this is also the warmest sea on the planet. It is warmed not only by the rays of the sun, but also by the earth’s mantle, that is, in the Red Sea, unlike other seas, not cold, but warm layers of water rise from the depths. In winter, the water warms up to 21 - 23 degrees Celsius, and in summer up to +30. Because of high temperature water and its constant evaporation, the Red Sea became the saltiest in the world, naturally, after the Dead Sea.

Origin of the name of the Red Sea

The Red Sea, according to the most conservative assumptions of scientists, originated 25 million years ago. Therefore, it is, alas, impossible to find out exactly why the Red Sea was called “Red”. There are only a few versions of the origin of the name of the Red Sea, although it is worth mentioning right away that none of them can be considered reliable.

According to the first version, the name comes from ancient language Himyarites - a people who lived in South Arabia long before these lands were captured by the Arabs. The conquerors tried for a long time to decipher the writing of the Semites and decided to read the three letters “X”, “M” and “P” in their own way - “akhmar”, which translated means red. This assumption can be considered as a version that does not deserve special attention: It’s hard to imagine that the Arabs decided to add vowels to a foreign language in order to get a word that would be familiar to them, because they were deciphering the language, and not merging it with their own.

The second version, according to historians, is more plausible, although it is associated with the myths of many peoples who inhabited the territory near the Red Sea. They associated each part of the world with a certain color. The color red was associated with the south, where the sea was located, hence its name. According to documents that have survived to this day and have been deciphered by scientists, the Red Sea was mentioned back in the 2nd century BC, and in the 16th century some researchers called this sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean, Suez.

As mentioned above, the sea was formed even when India began its movement towards to the Asian mainland, and this event happened long before the first person appeared on Earth, so scientists will probably not be able to find out for sure why the saltiest sea that is part of the World Ocean was called “Red”.

The Long History of the Youngest Sea

Over the entire period of its existence, the Red Sea, despite its young age (naturally, according to geological standards), has experienced a number of changes and cataclysms. For 25 million years, which for our planet can be considered only a short moment, the level of the World Ocean has constantly fluctuated, which, by the way, is still happening. Glaciers melted and new ones formed; the waters of the oceans rose and fell by tens, or even hundreds of meters. As soon as the level of the World Ocean dropped significantly, the Red Sea turned into a huge salt Lake, where the salt content was several times higher than the amount of salt per liter of water in the Dead Sea.

By the way, at the moment the sea is connected to the ocean by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The most deep place strait - 184 meters. One can only imagine what will happen if a new one begins glacial period and the level of the World Ocean will drop by 190 meters. The Red Sea will cease to communicate with the waters of the Indian Ocean and will once again become dead. However, this does not threaten our contemporaries and descendants. Such a decrease in the level of the World Ocean occurs over hundreds of thousands of years, therefore amazing beauty the sea that washes the shores of Sudan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and, of course, Egypt will delight everyone who wants to see all the wealth of the underwater world that can only be found in the Red Sea or on the Barrier Reefs.

Scientists have found that the Red Sea quite often lost its “connection” with the World Ocean, and its coast dried up and was covered with salt. As a result of this, even now, alas, you will not find lush vegetation on the shores of the Red Sea, and you will not be able to quench your thirst from the spring that flows. The water underground also tastes salty. Surprisingly, even rains in the Red Sea area will not give life-giving moisture to the soil; they, like the sea and the springs near it, are salty.

Forest by the Red Sea

Yes, dear reader, you heard right, in the northernmost part of the Red Sea there is a forest consisting of mangroves. This forest is part of a nature reserve called Nabq. Only mangroves are able to grow in salt water and do not require constant access to oxygen to the root system.

This amazing plant is able to remove excess salt through its leaves, and life-giving fresh moisture nourishes the wood. Mangroves usually grow together in such a way that it is quite difficult for a person to get through them, and once in a certain area, you can easily find yourself in a trap from which it is impossible to get out without outside help. The mangroves of the Red Sea are home to a huge number of animals and birds, whose lives are monitored by ornithologists and zoologists in the reserve.

Flora and fauna of the Red Sea

If we say that The Red Sea is a real paradise for divers, fishermen and people interested in spearfishing, this will not be an exaggeration. You just have to put on a mask and pick up a snorkel, and right at the coast you can see the enchanting undersea world with many colorful corals, sponges, sea urchins and fish.

Sometimes it seems that each species competes with each other here in terms of brightness of color and unusual shape. Warm and crystal clear waters The Red Sea allows for the existence of many species of underwater flora and fauna, most of which are endemic. Life underwater here is in full swing and does not stop even in the dead of night.

Today alone, scientists who conduct research in the depths of the Red Sea have discovered and described almost 1,500 invertebrates, and almost the same number of fish species. The waters of the Red Sea are home to almost 300 species of corals, the reproduction of which is a fantastic picture.

Huge sea ​​turtles and frolicking dolphins complement the amazing landscape and tell the tourist that he is in a place where underwater life is revealed to man in all its glory.

It is surprising that, according to ichthyologists, no more than 60% of the underwater inhabitants of the Red Sea have been discovered in our time. The greatest depth of this unique sea is more than 3 kilometers, which means that most deep sea fish are not yet known to science. So far, only forty-three species of fish living at great depths have been discovered. Also, the Red Sea constantly poses more and more mysteries for scientists. It is still unknown why about 30% of the inhabitants of the northern part of the sea cannot live in its other part.

It seems as if an invisible border prevents them from moving from north to south. Although chemical composition water and temperature regime in these areas are almost identical. Maybe the reason lies in the word “almost”?...

Despite the extraterrestrial beauty of the underwater world, the Red Sea is fraught with a lot of dangers. Touching the most beautiful corals, sponges or fancy jellyfish in the sea is strictly prohibited. This is written about in almost every tourist brochure. A sting from a sea urchin or a bite from a poisonous underwater snake or toothy moray eel can cause a burn, allergic reaction, large blood loss, and sometimes the death of the victim.

When diving into the depths of the Red Sea, you must remember that it is home to 44 species of sharks. Some of them are quite harmless creatures that live only at great depths and feed on plankton or small fish. However, among them there are also species that are most dangerous to humans, for example, the tiger shark, which often attacks a person for no apparent reason. Its mouth is lined with huge, sharp teeth that can easily tear off a limb. Alas, but in Lately attacks by tiger sharks on vacationers began to be observed more and more often, which, for the most part, most often ended fatally. There is evidence that a large white shark, which, even according to scientists, is a killing machine.

The warmest, the most affectionate, the saltiest, the most beautiful - this is it, the Red Sea, the favorite place of beachgoers, divers and just tourists. The depths of the Red Sea hide many unusual beauties, and each of the ancient countries surrounding it is shrouded in an aura of mystery.

Characteristic

The Red Sea on the map looks like a narrow slit between Africa and Eurasia. The length of the reservoir is 2350 km, and the width is only 350 km. The total area is 450 thousand km 2. Coordinates: 21°08′45″ N. w. 38°06′02″ E. d. Since the sea is surrounded by land on almost all sides, it is classified as inland. Most of the reservoir is located in tropical zone. The Red Sea is connected to the Indian Ocean through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait of the Arabian Sea. The artificially created Suez Canal allows ships to cross from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and further to the Indian Ocean without going around the entire African continent.

The maximum depth of the Red Sea is expressed as 2211 (although in some sources the figures range from 2200 to 3020 m), the average depth is considered to be 490 m.

This sea of ​​the Indian Basin is “young”. It is only 25 million years old. It was formed due to the fracture of tectonic continental plates, which are now slowly but surely moving away from each other. The Red Sea zone and its shores are a seismically active area. Magma is immediately poured into the cracks that result from the movement of plates, which quickly hardens. Studies show that the water temperature in the Red Sea in some depressions reaches 62 o C. Another distinctive feature- how more depth, the warmer the water, and not vice versa, as in all other seas.

The coastal line is not distinguished by any special meanders or deep bays; the shores are almost parallel to each other. The shallows near the coast do not exceed a depth of 200 m, then the bottom of the Red Sea forms deep-sea trench- up to 1000 m. Approximately in the middle is the deepest part, where the maximum data is recorded.

There is no single definite version of the name of this tropical sea. One legend says that ancient peoples assigned the cardinal directions with color names: north - black, east - white, south - red. It turns out that the Red Sea is the southern sea.

Opponents of this version argue that Red is still the color of the water, which gives the sea its special brown algae during flowering.

There is another answer to the question of why the Red Sea is called Red. The desert stretching along its banks was called the Red Land by the ancient Egyptians. This color is given to it by the local sand and stones. At certain times, the display of the desert in the water makes it a delightfully coral color.

No one can reliably assert the correctness of this or that interpretation; there are no documentary records about this. Is this really important? You can come up with something yourself. For example, red means beautiful and warm. After all, this is so. The Red Sea is the warmest of all the earth's seas, average annual temperature its waters are 22 o C.

Features of “red” water

Another application of the epithet “most” for the Red Sea. This is the saltiest body of water in the World Ocean (after the Dead Sea). This situation, where the evaporation of water occurs much faster than its replenishment, leads to the fact that the salinity of the water in the Red Sea is approximately 4 times higher than the global average and amounts to 41 g per liter of water. For comparison: the Black Sea contains 18 g in 1 liter, and the White Sea - 5. An expedition to study the characteristics of sea water discovered places where the Red Sea had a salt concentration of 200 g/l!

The reservoir is also distinguished by the fact that its water is not replenished by any freshwater river from land. Usually, many different impurities enter the seas along with continental water. Deprived of such a privilege, the Red Sea remains the cleanest and most transparent.

Medicinal properties

The mere fact that a change of place and delight in exotic beauties lifts the mood and, accordingly, vitality, serves important reason travel to unknown countries. In addition to purely psychological relaxation, the water of the Red Sea, like sea ​​air, has a whole bouquet medicinal properties. The Dead Sea is famous for its very high concentration of salt, but it is precisely “dead”, in contrast to it, the Red Sea is “living”, but also very salty, as already mentioned. A high concentration of various salts has strong wound-healing and antibacterial properties.

In addition to sea salts, local sea ​​water contains a number of minerals, the composition of which can cure some forms of female infertility. The saturation of water and air with bromine cures diseases of the respiratory system, and in combination with warm and dry air it can completely cure chronic rhinitis. The positive effects of the Red Sea are experienced by people suffering from diseases of the joints, spine, cardiovascular diseases, and problem skin. But vegetative-vascular dystonia from heat and dryness can worsen. This is not a contraindication; you just need to alternate sun and sea baths with rest in a cool place.

Undersea world

What else can the Red Sea countries boast of (Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel and Jordan) is because their sea is the most beautiful. More precisely, its underwater world. Unlike the Dead Sea, whose strong concentration of salt killed all living things, the life of the Red Sea is boiling and seething. If the land landscape around the shores is rather boring and monotonous, then the environment under water is strikingly different with its bright colors and richness. It's like comparing gray, inconspicuous towns to a vibrant Brazilian festival.

“Fish soup” is the name often given to the underwater world of the Red Sea due to the many varieties of its inhabitants. The constantly warm temperature and abundance of food have led to the fact that 1,200 types of fish live here, 100 of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Tropical inhabitants of various sizes are dressed in bright “clothes”, as if they understand that they need to attract tourists. In fact, this is due to the fact that the multi-colored bright color allows you to camouflage among the equally bright and multi-colored corals. This whole palette attracts fish too all year round scuba diving enthusiasts.

Dolphins, killer whales, sharks and sea turtles also live here.

Travel underwater

The shores of the Red Sea attract crowds of tourists every year, whose main entertainment is underwater excursions. After stories about fantastic pictures of the fish kingdom, even those who never thought of diving seriously under water become divers here. However, you can observe the underwater world of the Red Sea in different ways:

• Diving - scuba diving and special equipment. To avoid unpleasant and dangerous situations, you need to undergo special training and obtain a certificate for this entertainment. Resorts now practice diving for beginners with an instructor, under his supervision.
• Snorkeling is a shallow dive. All you need is a mask, fins and a snorkel. Transparent water allows you to observe the underwater fauna as much as you like.
• Bathyscaphe - if it’s really scary or unacceptable to dive into the depths of the sea, you can look at the beauty of their inhabitants through the glass bottom of a special pleasure boat.

Beautiful things can be dangerous

The depth of the Red Sea not only amazes with its beauty, sometimes, if you do not observe elementary rules, walking can be dangerous. What unpleasant things can you find here?

• Sharks. They are more common in places where the Red Sea washes the shores of Sudan. They rarely appear near popular Egyptian resorts, but you still need to know the rules of how to deal with them. First of all, it is recommended not to swim far with unhealed bleeding wounds on your body: a shark can smell blood from kilometers away.
• Barracudas and moray eels hide in the reefs. They are not mortally dangerous, but they can seriously bite if they mistake a swimmer for a fish.
• Poisonous inhabitants - sea snakes, warts, lionfish, sea ​​urchins, stingrays, some types of jellyfish and starfish- emit poisons that are dangerous to humans, some of them cause slight illness, and some are deadly. If you receive any injection under water, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Coastal climate

The Red Sea countries are among the hottest on the planet, almost all of them have tropical desert climates. The Mediterranean climate in the north of the region is slightly easier.

• Temperature conditions. The hottest period is July and August, daytime temperatures reach 38-43 o C, and at maximum - 50 o C. The coldest period is winter with temperatures of 25-30 o C during the day and not lower than 18 o C at night.
• Wind. Winter temperatures that are comfortable for Europeans are spoiled by strong and prolonged winds. In the spring, the desert hot khamsin can blow for fifty days in a row.
• Precipitation. Rare short showers bring the sea only 8 cm of precipitation per year, and the hot tropical sun evaporates 205 cm. The level of the Red Sea is maintained by the waters of the Indian Ocean.

Briefly about the countries

The Red Sea on the map looks like an ordinary large watershed between two continents. Basic natural resources countries along its shores - desert and sea, in some places - oil.

• Egypt, capital - Cairo. The most popular destination for tourist routes and beach holidays. In addition to the beauty of the Red Sea, tourists are attracted ancient history this country, its mysterious pyramids and sphinxes, the banks of the Nile and the exotic life of the Bedouins.
• Sudan, capital - Khartoum. The Red Sea is the only maritime outlet for this power. Sudan is an intermediary between the Arab and African worlds, the main route for pilgrims from East Africa to religious shrines.
• - Asmara. A small but very dry and hot patch that stretches a little more than a kilometer along the coastline has blocked access to the sea for greater Ethiopia. The struggle for independence ended in victory, but economic problems, the tourism sector has just begun - the main line of replenishing the budget.
• Israel, capital - Jerusalem. Economically developed with rich history and cultural attractions. It has access to two seas - the Dead and the Red, on the shores of which world-famous hospitals are located.
• Jordan, capital - Amman. An arid and desert climate, very scarce water reserves, which are only slightly replenished from November to April, during the rainy season - this is what the small Asian country of Jordan looks like at first glance. The Red Sea for this power, as well as for the rest of its neighbors, is an excellent prospect for attracting tourists and foreign capital, since its natural resources are insignificant.
• Saudi Arabia, capital - Riyadh. The rich oil queen of the Middle East, whose reserves of basic wealth are the largest in the world. The favorable location in the center of shipping routes is used for transporting oil and other traffic. The problem was the pollution of the coast with oil waste.
• Yemen, capital - Sana'a. A small state in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula is washed by the Red and Arabian Seas. Such a place is very advantageous for trade routes. Yemen is a historically very poor country that dramatically increased its oil production in the 1990s and has been steadily moving toward greater prosperity ever since.
• Djibouti with the capital of the same name. This country has a desert, hot and dry climate. There are no permanent rivers here. The vegetation cover is desert or semi-desert. Animal world poor

All countries on the Red Sea coast, both African and Asian, rich and poor, have one common feature- availability of resorts and tourist places.

Red Sea Resorts

The most prestigious and fashionable resorts on the Red Sea are located in Egypt. They are also among the most popular. Developed infrastructure, service, colorful coast allow you to find places for a quiet family vacation, and for noisy youth. Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada, Taba, Dahab are just some of the many famous places. In addition to beach holidays, tourists love sea cruises and trips to shrines that are very nearby.

The relatively new resort of El Gouna has become a worthy alternative to the usual and familiar resort places. It is called the Venice of the East. The islands, on which hotels and beautiful gardens are located, are man-made and connected by graceful bridges. If we add to this the fact that the resort is located in a cozy bay, sheltered from the winds, then it becomes clear why it attracted attention.

The only Israeli resort on the Red Sea, Eilat, is located far from places of pilgrimage to shrines and, unlike the Dead Sea holiday destinations, has an entertainment destination. There is a huge aquarium here, which is a hall with glass walls in the middle of a coral reef. You can observe life underwater without scuba gear.

The Red Sea Gulf of Aqaba and the resort of the same name are loved by divers. This place is also distinguished by the fact that relaxation here is comfortable at any time of the year. Mountains along the shore protect the bay from strong winds, and the water temperature does not drop below 22 o.

The remaining powers on the coast, although they cannot compete with these resorts specifically in terms of beach holidays, are happy to reveal their secrets to numerous tourists who are interested in the history, culture and life of this region.

Islands

The islands in the Red Sea are small in size, but unsurpassed in their beauty. Some of them are not even marked on maps; the nature of these places is sometimes wild and untouched by man. Only four islands are permanently inhabited by local people. The main activity here is pearl mining. This fishery began in the days of the ancient Romans and continues to this day, and in the same way.

The largest archipelago is located near Eritrea, called Dahlak. Largest quantity population lives on the island of Dahlak Kebir. On one of the islands called Nokra, in the 70s there was a naval base of the Soviet Union.

For lovers of contemplating the beauty that the depths of the Red Sea hide, the Brothers Islands leave an unforgettable impression. These are big and little brothers, together with the neighboring small islands of Roki and Zabargad they form a unique underwater Marine Park. To explore the underwater depths without scuba gear, there are two submarines with a special transparent bottom and huge windows.

Not far from Hurghada there is another coral reserve on the island of Mahmeya.

Secrets and legends

Beauty depths of the sea, exotic representatives of flora and fauna, healing air and water are the main charms of this region. The main ones, but not the only ones. Still, the shores of the Red Sea are covered with legends, historical events and unsolved mysteries. It was through the waters of the Red Sea that Moses and God's help led the Jews, spreading the water with his hands. Divers and scuba divers are attracted not only sea ​​inhabitants and the beauty of corals. The depths of the sea can compete with the museum in terms of the number of antiquities hidden in it. The shortest route from Asia to Europe was not always smooth and cloudless. Reefs have become a deadly obstacle for ships at different times.

Another one mystical secret Red Sea - a dangerous but beautiful vertical huge coral cave near the city of Dahab.

Whatever reasons prompt a traveler to visit the Red Sea coast, he will not be disappointed: there is plenty of relaxation, impressions, and drive in this region.

Many geographical features receive their name due to historical events or features. Some characterize the named object by certain features.
There is a special science (toponymy) that studies the history of names. They look into history, find legends, myths that explain this name, famous people, professions popular in the area, take into account the terrain and draw conclusions.

The sea has long been a beautiful turquoise or Blue colour. But why is Red called red? How did it get its name, what were the reasons for it? There are a great many answers to these questions. From the side of religion, one version has been put forward, from the side of science there are several, and there is also a romantic theory. We will look at them below.

Location

The Red Sea is part of the Indian Ocean. The waters of this sea wash 8 countries. This natural body of water has a special distinctive feature; not a single river or stream flows into it. The Red Sea has a very high percentage of salt. The European population calls it the Red Sea. But the Egyptian translation means Green Sea. The names are very different. So why is the Red Sea called red?

Scientific versions

Scientists gave the Red Sea this name because of the huge amount of diverse algae in it. When it’s time to bloom, their color gives this body of water a red-brown hue. There are also types of algae that turn red when they die and are found on the surface of the water.

The whole world knows about the beauty of the Red Sea - coral reefs. Maybe these waters got their name because of them? The water in the sea is very clean and clear, and the red color of the reefs is clearly visible. And some fish breeds have brightly evocative scale colors. They are especially noticeable from afar when they accumulate in large numbers.

This name was given to the sea by sea travelers who first got there. Because they saw in the calm and clear waters reflection of the red mountains, which consisted of sandstone and clay. It can also be called that because of its geographical location. If we rely on many mythical stories, then the cardinal directions had their own color. East is white, north is black, south is red.

Or maybe it was named that way because of the hue of the water during the morning sunrise. And when the sun sets, the colored colors are reflected on the sea surface. pink color the tops of hot sandy hills. The sea could have been given the name of the legendary red king - Erythra. There is also a theory that this body of water got its name from the ancient Egyptian word “Desher”, which means red desert, in this case the red sea of ​​desert lands. The first to describe the Red Sea was the geographer and historian from Greece Agatharchides of Cnidus in his work in the 2nd century BC. e. It was called the “Red Sea”.

Interpretation of the Bible

The Bible has chapters about the possible name of this sea. The Jews were persecuted. They came to the shore of some reservoir. The guide Moses gave the order, and the waves burst, the bottom was exposed and the people, without getting their feet wet, were able to cross the reservoir without interference and reach the opposite shore. Behind them were guards and pursuers. They also stepped onto the exposed bottom, but only walked this path to the middle. The sea closed its waters above their heads. The water suddenly turned red. It was the blood of drowned pursuers.

Wrong translation

There is another assumption about the name of the Red Sea. It indicates that a mistake was made in the translation. The reservoir along the bottom of which Moses led his Jewish people was originally called Reed. When the translation was carried out after some time, one of the letters was lost, and this is how a new name was formed - the Red Sea. It was found in very ancient chronicles of the South Arabian people of the Himyarites, who lived on the shores of this reservoir. They had a writing system that did not use consonants. The Arabs made their own translation while reading. And so the name of the sea was born - Red, from the translation - akhmar.

Theory of the peoples of Egypt

These people explain the name of the Red Sea in their own way. There is a legend in Egypt that in ancient times a very wealthy merchant lived in those parts. His holdings were very large. He made them in the fragrant herb trade. This merchant had neither family nor loved ones. Relatives and friends turned their backs on him. He was stingy and had an evil character.

One day he needed to sail on a ship to the opposite shore of the sea with his loaded fragrant goods. But due to greed, he loaded the goods more than the required weight. His product was red hot pepper. The ship could not stay afloat and sank midway. Red pepper covered almost the entire surface of the sea, and it turned red.

Romantic

The legend tells about a poor young man who loved very much. And as often happens, she was from a rich family. She had a fiancé and a wedding day was set. The house and balcony where the girl lived were located on the seashore. In the mornings, she often admired the view of the sea, standing on the balcony. That morning she looked at the sea, but did not recognize it. The sun's rays painted it a bright scarlet color. Out of curiosity, the girl went ashore. There she saw that the sea had acquired such an unexpected color because of the petals of a scarlet rose. The surface of the sea was covered with them. Here the poor young man was waiting for her. He told her about his feelings and invited her to sail with him to distant lands. The girl agreed. This couple was never seen in those areas again. But the sea is very long time it was still covered with leaves of a scarlet rose.

The Red Sea is one of the geographical objects that has such a huge number of different meaning explanations for its name. And it is very difficult to distinguish between truth and fiction. But scientists do not particularly insist on any one explanation. There are several versions of the explanation for the name, and which one is the most truthful and accurately answers the question: “Why is the Red Sea called red?” let it remain an unsolved mystery until the end.