Why is Indian Ocean named after India?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

The Indian Ocean is named after India as it has a central location between West and East Asia. It has the longest coastline and is the international trade point for other countries. The Indus and Ganges fans contain 40% of the sediment in the Indian Ocean. Terrigenous sediments are primarily found in the marine basins next to the continental slopes. More than half of the runoff water that enters the Indian Ocean comes from the Bay of Bengal. Due to the powerful monsoon winds, the western Indian Ocean has one of the highest densities of phytoplankton blooms during the summer.

Table of content

1. Indian Ocean is Named after India
2. Important Points about the Indian Ocean
3. Why is Indian Ocean named after India?

Indian Ocean is Named after India

India is the source of the term for the Indian Ocean because it lies in the middle of East and West Asia. In the Indian Ocean, India has the longest coastline. Because it protrudes into the Indian Ocean, India’s southernmost extension of the Deccan Peninsula is crucial for trade that passes through the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is comparable to an embayed ocean because it is surrounded by significant land masses and an archipelago on three sides and does not run from pole to pole, unlike the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The Indian Peninsula serves as its focal point. The Indian Ocean has been a cosmopolitan stage, connecting various regions through innovations, trade, and religion since early in human history, despite the subcontinent’s importance to its history.

Important Points about the Indian Ocean

It is the world’s largest ocean. India, which makes up a large portion of its northern border, inspired the name. The eastern hemisphere is where it is located. 19.8% of the surface of the earth’s water is covered by it.

It is situated between Asia, Australia, the Southern Ocean, and Africa.
It is the world’s hottest ocean and is enclosed by land in the northern hemisphere.
Madagascar is the biggest island in the Indian Ocean (fourth largest island in the world).
The deepest trench in the Indian Ocean is called the Sundra/ Java Trench, about 7450 metres.
The Indian Ocean’s marginal seas are crucial for trade because they provide vital marine lanes that link the Middle East, East Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. An island, peninsula, or collection of islands that encloses a portion of an ocean is known as a marginal sea (group of islands). They are located close to land and are shallower than the ocean.

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