85 Facts About The Bay of Bengal That Every Conservationist Should Know

Why is the Bay of Bengal referred to as a bay?

A bay is a coastal water body that is connected to a water body like a lake, an ocean, or another bay that is larger in size.

The Bay of Bengal is connected to the Indian Ocean. It was formed through plate tectonics movement. This is true for many of the world's largest bays like the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of Guinea. Bays can be of different sizes.

The larger ones are referred to as gulfs, bight, sound, or sea. The Bay of Bengal is the second-largest subdivision of the Indian Ocean. The first is the Arabian Sea.

The surface area of the Bay of Bengal is 1003865 sq mi (2599998.41 sq km). The maximum width of the bay is 1,000 mi (1,610 km) while the maximum length is 1,298 mi (2,088.9 km).

The maximum depth of the bay is 15, 400 ft (4,693.9 m). The average depth of the bay is 8,530 ft (2,600 m).

The Bay of Bengal is pretty famous as it is the largest water body on the surface of the earth that is known as a bay. In short, it is the largest bay in the world.

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Fun Facts About The Bay Of Bengal

The Bay of Bengal has a special place in world history and geography. It is because of several reasons.

It is bordered by the Eastern Coast in India (West Bengal and other states), and the southern coast in Bangladesh. It is also bordered by Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman and the Nicobar Islands.

The Andaman group of islands are the larger islands in the area. The Andaman sea is separated from the bay by the Andaman and the Nicobar Islands.

On the East, a line runs from Cape Negrais located in Burma. It does so in a way that all the narrow waters between the isles are situated to the east of the line and they are excluded from the bay.

The limits are defined by the Little Andaman Island and then along with the Southwest limit of the Burma Sea. The lines are defined in such a way that narrow waters are appertaining to the Burma sea. Chittagong and Mongla are major ports of Bangladesh.

The major ports of India include Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata, and Chennai. Kolkata and Chennai are some of the biggest ports in the world. Yangon (the former capital and largest city of Myanmar) is also a major port along the Bay of Bengal.

Facts About Bay Of Bengal's Ecosystem

The ecosystem of the bay that is a part of the Bengal map in Eastern India, is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Indian subcontinent.

There are numerous islands found in the bay. A chain of islands of the Burmese coast in the northeast area is known for mud volcanoes. The Ritchie's Archipelago is made of smaller islands.

Only 6.5 % of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are inhabited. The main island group in the Andaman Islands is Great Andaman. The Bay of Bengal is biologically diverse.

It has coral reefs, mangroves, estuaries, fish nurseries, and spawning areas. There are 64 large marine ecosystems in the world. The Bay of Bengal is one of them. Kerilia jerdonii is a sea snake that is found in the bay.

Sea turtles are seen here too. The bay is the host of the Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. It also hosts Cox’s Bazar, the longest beach.

Facts About Bay Of Bengal's Climatic Conditions

What kind of climatic conditions prevail around the Bay of Bengal? Is a tropical storm a common phenomenon in the area? The climate around this region can be classified as a monsoon climate.

Between the months of November and April, that is in the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, a continental high-pressure system in the north of the bay leads to the formation of the northeast monsoons. The southwest winds blow over this region in the summer months, that is, between the months of June to September.

These are rain-bearing winds. The Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon moves northwest.

It strikes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the month of May. It also hits mainland India before the end of June. Tropical cyclones are common on the bay.

However, tropical cyclones are most common in this region between the months of April and May and the months of October and November. Some of the most devastating tropical storms form on this bay. The area has suffered some of the most intense and costliest storms in history.

Facts About Bay Of Bengal's Importance

Why is the Bay of Bengal important? What role does it play in the political and economic spheres in the region?

There are two geopolitical blocks surrounding the Bay of Bengal. One is of the countries in Southeast Asia while the other includes the countries in South Asia. The first is called the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The second one is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The bay serves as an important shipping and trade route. It links various countries bordering the majestic Indian Ocean.

Many landlocked nations and littoral nations around the bay have formed the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). This has been done in order to facilitate free trade in the area.

The bay supports not only international trade and engagement amongst various nations but also supports thriving businesses like fishing. It plays an important role in the tourism industry too.

The BIMSTEC is specially focused on the tourism sector. It is believed that tourism around the bay has the potential to raise revenues close to $200 billion. Data suggests that the Bay of Bengal is responsible for supporting around 31% of the coastal fishermen across the world.

Marine life like tuna, shrimp, snapper, scad, and sardine are commonly found in the bay. In terms of weight, the annual total catch is more than 8818490487 lb (3999999999.8 kg). If converted in value, it is equivalent to $6 billion.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly factsfor everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the Bay of Bengal then why not take a look at Bay of Biscay, or the biggest swamp in the world.