GS Paper I and II
News Excerpt:
A US warship and multiple other commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea, deepening maritime tension in the Middle East.
About the Red Sea:
Geography:
- It is a narrow inland sea located between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.
- It extends southeast from the Gulf of Suez to the Bab el Mandeb, connecting with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
- It occupies part of a large rift valley in the continental crust of Africa and Arabia.
- It separates the coasts of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea from those of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
- The Gulf of Aqaba, a northeastern extension of the sea, reaches southern Israel and southwestern Jordan.
Ecology:
- Colour: Its name is derived from the seasonal colour changes observed in its waters.
- Usually, the Red Sea is of an intense blue-green colour; however, it is populated by extensive blooms of the algae Trichodesmium erythraeum, which, upon dying off, turn the sea reddish brown.
- Rainfall: No water enters the Red Sea from rivers, and rainfall is scant, but the evaporation loss is significant, making the water’s salinity and density high.
- Conservation: The world's largest independent conservation organization, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has identified the Red Sea as a "Global 200" ecoregion. Thus, it is considered a priority for conservation.
Economic:
- Trade Route:
- During medieval times, the Red Sea was an important part of the Spice trade route.
- It connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Arabian Sea via the Suez Canal, one of the most heavily travelled waterways in the world, carrying traffic between Europe and Asia.
- It has global importance thanks to its role in global shipping, with as much as 10 percent of world trade passing through its waters.
- Hub of Innovation:
- Saudi Arabia’s megacity projects, such as Neom, are located on the Red Sea. This presents an opportunity for the region to participate in sustainable urbanization through massive, renewables-focused initiatives integrating robotics and smart services into new economies designed to thrive on innovation and tourism.
- The “LINE” refers to the first urban linear living complex rather than the common round living complexes.