19 Mind-Blowing Indian Ocean Facts That You Should Know

The Indian Ocean is among the major oceans of the world, and surprisingly the youngest!

It is the third-largest ocean in the world, with the largest being the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean. It played an extremely important role in history as many ancient civilizations such as the Indus valley, Egypt, and Euphrates civilization all thrived due to trade which was made possible around the Indian ocean.

The Ocean itself is very vast and houses important port cities, pristine beaches along the coastline, and hustling and bustling island nations. To point out the exact Indian Ocean location on the world map, simply locate the vast expanse of blue between South Asia, East Asia, and Africa!

The Indian Ocean basin itself is the youngest among all other major oceans, and is less than 80 million years old, compared to the Pacific Ocean which is around 750 million years old!

The breakup of the continents of Africa from the Indian subcontinent and Australia moving away from Antarctica are what is thought to have created this ocean. To read more enthralling facts about the Indian Ocean, read on!

If you enjoyed this article, also do read our other pages on Arctic Ocean facts and Pacific Ocean facts.

What is the Indian Ocean famous for?

The Indian Ocean comes on third place on the list of the largest oceans in the world, so there's bound to be some extraordinary features lurking in its coasts and waters! So here are the most amazing things about this enormous ocean.

The ocean itself is named after the country of India, with the oceans origin being around the Indian peninsula. The ancient name of the Indian Ocean is Ratnakarna - which means the nine gems.

It was, and still is an important trading route that connects India to the rest of the world, so it is fit that it would be named after a country that gives it so much honor.

The Indian Ocean map will show that the vast ocean is located between four continents - Africa, Asia, Antarctica, and Australia, and has at least 57 known groups of Indian Ocean islands present!

Many of these are popular spots for tourists, with the most famous getaway destinations being the Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar islands!

The only islands in the Central Indian Ocean where traces of an ancient civilization have been found are the Maldives, which is astounding because it means that our ancestors were able to make their way to deserted islands long ago.

They were able to establish contact and trade with India and other countries in the Red Sea.

The largest island of the Indian Ocean is Madagascar, having an area of 226,658 sq mi (587,041 sq km). It is its own island country, called the Republic of Madagascar.

There are many important trading ports located on the Indian Ocean coast, as it is pretty much a landlocked ocean.

It is surrounded by Africa from the west and Asia from the north and south, making it a good pathway for transportation of heavy-duty goods. The most important ports are located in Durban and Richards Bay in South Africa, the cities of Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai in India, Melbourne in Australia, Colombo in Sri Lanka, and Jakarta in Indonesia.

Many of these cities are rich in history and have flourished because of trade brought in from these points- so trading by sea plays a very important part in history.

Though large, the Indian Ocean itself does not harbor as much sealife as other water bodies in the world.

The Indian Ocean does contain a variety of sea life, with over 440 species of fish, a number of crustaceans and mollusks, and sea snakes and cephalopods - it has a very low oxygen level which may not help most sea creatures survive in the depths.

The Indian Ocean is also no stranger to mass pollution, with many oil spills and dumping of industrial waste happening in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea areas.

The Indian Ocean is also the warmest ocean in the world, with its proximity to the equator!

The eastern Indian Ocean and western Indian Ocean are divided by an underwater mountain range, called the Ninety east ridge- named so because it is located right near the 90th meridian- at the center of the Eastern hemisphere.

The Indian Ocean is actually under the protection of many countries, as major cooperation is needed in order to make sure trading occurs smoothly between countries, and that no nation takes over more of the natural resources of the ocean than they need to.

The most prominent controllers of the ocean are the countries of the Indian subcontinent, with the Indian Navy taking full responsibility of the monitoring and upkeep of all ocean-related issues - which includes carrying out rescues and search missions.

Can you swim in the Indian Ocean ?

Though the Indian Ocean is massive, and there seems to be enough room for everyone to swim in, this may not be the wisest decision depending on the circumstances.

Of course, swimming near the coast, along beaches is always the best part of a vacation, but you should always make note of the movement of the tides before stepping into the water.

High tide and low tide both can be equally dangerous, as they may cover or reveal areas among the coast which are unsafe, such as drops in the sea level and jagged rocks. Strong tides may also pull unaware beachgoers in and pull them under, which makes them susceptible to drowning.

Always make sure a lifeguard is present on the beach before stepping into the water, and double-check with the locals about what time is the safest to enter for a swim.

Dress any children with appropriate floaties, so that they are able to stay afloat in case of high tides.

Venturing deeper into the Indian Ocean to swim is highly advised against, as the choppy waters can make it very difficult for a swimmer to keep hold of themselves.

Hidden strong undertows may pull unaware swimmers near the coast, and the extreme conditions and lack of safety measures away from the coast make it not worth risking one's life for.

Only partake in activities like boating, diving, jet-skiing, and surfing away from the coast under the guidance of an expert.

As always, if you see the tide receding too far into the ocean, get as far away as possible as you can as it could be the sign of an incoming tsunami!

Indian Ocean Temperature

The Indian Ocean stretches from slightly above the equator to Antarctica, which means that there is a wide range of temperature changes happening between these extremes.

The average temperature maintained by the ocean is estimated to be 28 degrees C (82 degrees F) near the equator, with the highest temperature being in the region above the equator, in the northern Indian Ocean . The more south you travel, the temperatures will keep dropping, with the water being the coldest near Australia.

The average temperatures in the Southern Indian Ocean region are 22 degrees C (71 degrees F).

How deep is the Indian Ocean?

The depth of the Indian Ocean at an average is 2,762 ft (3890 m), with the shallowest points being at the coastlines and the deepest point being the Java trench near Indonesia. This trench stretches for around 2000 miles (3200 km).

The deepest point in this trench is 24,440 ft (7450 m), with the ocean floor maintaining a continuous slope until this point.

How long and wide is the Indian Ocean?

The Indian Ocean is actually the third largest ocean in the world and covers around 20% of the earth's surface. It ranges from the Eastern coast of Africa to the western coast of Australia, with the largest distance between them being around 6,200 miles (10,000 km)!

The point of maximum length lies from the Bay of Bengal to Antarctica and measures 6000 miles (9600 km).

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 19 mind-blowing Indian Ocean facts that you should know then why not take a look at Antarctic Ocean facts or Atlantic Ocean.