Editing Arabian Sea (section)

==Geography==
The Arabian Sea's surface area is about {{convert|3862000|km2|sqmi|-1|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Britannica">[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31653/Arabian-Sea Arabian Sea], Encyclopædia Britannica</ref> The maximum width of the sea is approximately {{convert|2400|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}}, and its maximum depth is {{convert|5395|m|ft|0}}.<ref name="NOAA">{{cite web |title=NOAA Bathymetric Data Viewer |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/bathymetry/ |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}</ref> The biggest river flowing into the sea is the [[Indus River]].

The Arabian Sea has two important branches: the Gulf of Aden in the southwest, connecting with the Red Sea through the strait of [[Bab-el-Mandeb]]; and the Gulf of Oman to the northwest, connecting with the Persian Gulf. There are also the gulfs of [[Gulf of Khambhat|Khambhat]] and [[Gulf of Kutch|Kutch]] on the [[Coastal South West India|Indian Coast]].
The Arabian Sea has been crossed by many important marine trade routes since the 3rd or 2nd millennium BCE. Major seaports include [[Kandla|Kandla Port]], [[Mundra Port]], [[Pipavav Port]], [[Dahej Port]], [[Hazira Port]], [[Mumbai Port Trust|Mumbai Port]], [[Jawaharlal Nehru Port|Nhava Sheva Port (Navi Mumbai)]], [[Mormugao|Mormugão Port (Goa)]], [[New Mangalore Port]] and [[Cochin Port|Kochi Port]] in India, the [[Port of Karachi]], [[Port Qasim]], and the [[Gwadar Port]] in Pakistan, [[Chabahar Port]] in Iran and the [[Port of Salalah]] in [[Salalah]], [[Oman]]. The largest islands in the Arabian Sea include [[Socotra]] ([[Yemen]]), [[Masirah Island]] (Oman), [[Lakshadweep]] (India) and [[Astola Island]] (Pakistan).
The countries with coastlines on the Arabian Sea are Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, Iran, India and the [[Maldives]].<ref name="Britannica"/>

===Limits===
The [[International Hydrographic Organization]] defines the limits of the Arabian Sea as follows:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition |year=1953 |publisher=International Hydrographic Organization |access-date=28 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207191813/https://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |archive-date=7 December 2017 |pages=20–21}}</ref>

*On the west: the eastern limit of the Gulf of Aden.
*On the north: a line joining [[Ras al Hadd|Ràs al Hadd]], east point of the [[Arabian Peninsula]] (22°32'N) and [[Jiwani|Ràs Jiyùni]] (61°43'E) on the coast of Pakistan.
*On the south: a line running from the southern extremity of [[Addu Atoll]] in the Maldives, to the eastern extremity of [[Ras Hafun|Ràs Hafun]] (the easternmost point of [[Africa]], 10°26'N).
*On the east: the western limit of the Laccadive Sea a line running from [[Sadashivgad]] on the west coast of India ({{coord|14|48|N|74|07|E}}) to [[Cora Divh]] ({{coord|13|42|N|72|10|E}}) and thence down the west side of the [[Lakshadweep|Laccadive]] and Maldive archipelagos to the most southerly point of [[Addu Atoll]] in the Maldives.

===Hydrography===
The [[International Indian Ocean Expedition]] in 1959 was among the first to perform hydrographic surveys of the Arabian Sea. Significant bathymetric surveys were also conducted by the [[Soviet Union]] during the 1960s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hall |first1=John K. |last2=Levenson |first2=Shahar |title=Compilation of a 100m bathymetric grid for the Arabian Plate; Red Sea, Arabian and Oman Seas and Persian Gulf |journal=U.S. HYDRO 2017 Conference |date=March 20, 2017 }}</ref>

====Hydrographic features====
Significant features in the northern Arabian Sea include the [[Indus Fan]], the second largest fan system in the world. The De Covilhao Trough, named after the 15th century [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorer [[Pêro da Covilhã|Pero de Covilhăo]], reaches depths of {{convert|4400|m|ft|0}} and separates the Indus Fan region from the Oman Abyssal Plain, which eventually leads to the [[Gulf of Oman]].

The southern limits are dominated by the [[Arabian Basin]], a deep basin reaching depths over {{convert|4200|m|ft|0}}. The northern sections of the [[Carlsberg Ridge]] flank the southern edge of the Arabian Basin.

The deepest parts of the Arabian Sea are in the Alula-Fartak Trough on the western edge of the Arabian Sea off the Gulf of Aden. The trough, reaching depths over {{convert|5360|m|ft|0}}, traverses the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. The deepest known point is in the Arabian Sea limits at a depth of {{convert|5395|m|ft|0}}. Other significant deep points are part of the Arabian Basin, which include a {{convert|5358|m|ft|0}} deep point off the northern limit of Calrsberg Ridge.<ref name="NOAA"/>

====Seamounts====
Prominent [[Sea mount|sea mounts]] off the Indian west coast include Raman Seamount named after [[C. V. Raman]], Panikkar Seamount, named after [[N. Kesava Panikkar|N. K. Panikkar]], and the Wadia [[Guyot]], named after [[Darashaw Nosherwan Wadia|D. N. Wadia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wadia Guyot |url=https://www.marineregions.org/gazetteer.php?p=details&id=5802 |website=Marine Regions Gazetteer |access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>

Sind'Bad Seamount, named after the fictional explorer [[Sinbad the Sailor]], Zheng He Seamount, and the Mount Error Guyot are some notable sea mounts in western Arabian Sea.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sind'Bad Seamount |url=https://www.marineregions.org/gazetteer.php?p=details&id=5795 |website=Marine Regions Gazetteer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mount Error Guyot |url=https://www.marineregions.org/gazetteer.php?p=details&id=5790 |website=Marine Regions Gazetteer |access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>