The Red Sea separates Saudi Arabia from northeastern Africa and connects northward to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
It is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean lying between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti are among the African countries on its western side, while Saudi Arabia and Yemen occupy much of its eastern shore. At its northern end, the Gulf of Suez leads to the Suez Canal, an artificial waterway opened in 1869 that links the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.
The Red Sea is one of the world’s warmest and saltiest seas. Its name may refer to seasonal reddish algal blooms, nearby red-hued mountains, or ancient directional color traditions; no single explanation is universally accepted. The narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait connects it with the Gulf of Aden. The sea also contains extensive coral reefs and supports major shipping routes, making it important both ecologically and economically.