Which ocean lies between Africa and Australia?

The Indian Ocean lies between Africa and Australia. It is bounded by Africa to the west, Australia to the east, Asia to the north, and the Southern Ocean or Antarctica to the south, depending on the boundary system used.

Covering about 70.56 million square kilometres, the Indian Ocean is the third-largest of Earth’s five recognized oceanic divisions. Its basin includes major regional waters such as the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, and the Red Sea. Madagascar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the Seychelles are among its notable islands.

The ocean is especially important for the monsoon system. Seasonal changes in wind direction affect rainfall across eastern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Southeast Asia. These winds have also shaped trade routes connecting Africa, Arabia, India, and Indonesia for thousands of years.

A common mistake is treating the Arabian Sea or Bay of Bengal as separate oceans. They are seas within the broader Indian Ocean system. Another neighbouring fact readers often ask about is its depth: the average depth is about 3,741 metres, while the Sunda Trench reaches roughly 7,290 metres.