Indian Ocean Region
Indian Ocean Region The Indian Ocean is the world's third largest ocean covering an area of over 28 million square miles. It is bounded by land masses on three sides. The exact boundaries of the Indian Ocean region has been argued but there is general agreement that it includes Cape Agulhas at the southernmost point of Africa, the Suez Canal, the entirety of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Malacca, the Singapore Strait, and the west coast of Tasmania. The Indian Ocean region is comprised of 36 key states and an additional 19 states that are adjacent to, or dependent upon, the Indian Ocean. In addition, the region includes numerous strategically spread island territories that are valuable to both regional and extra-regional states that control them as Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and strategic outposts with flat surfaces for airfields and good harbor locations. 1 A majority of the countries in the region are former colonies and many are considered to be part of the developing world. The Indian Ocean is comprised of several important seas. The Arabian Sea separates India and Africa. Within it, the Persian Gulf is a landlocked sea whose access is protected by the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. This particular region is strategically important to the rest of the world as it provides availability and development of crucial oil resources. The Gulf of Aden controls entry into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Malacca in the Bay of Bengal serves as the Gateway to the Indian Ocean from the East. Because of its natural resources and geostrategic location, the Indian Ocean has economic and political significance for the rest of the world. The region is a hub of several important minerals and accounts for 80 percent of the world extraction of gold, 52 percent of tin, 28 percent of manganese, 25 percent of nickel, 18 percent of bauxite, 12 percent of zinc, and 77 percent of the world's natural rubber production.2 In addition to minerals, more than