Mozambique Channel 101 - How Big Is It Actually?

Situated In The Western Part Of The Indian Ocean, Separating The Southeastern Coast Of Africa From The Island Nation Of Madagascar lies The Mozambique Channel, A Major Water Passage In The Indian Ocean. The Channel Covers A Surface Area Of Roughly 700,000 Square Kilometres. Named After The Country Of Mozambique, Which Borders It To The West, The Channel Is Approximately 1,600 Kilometers Long And It's Width Varies From 400 To 1200 Km. It Has A Average Depth Of 2700 Meters And A Maximum Depth Of 3,292 Meters.


There Are Several Countries Bordering The Mozambique Channel, Madagascar And Mozambique Borders It To The West And East, While The Island Nation Of Comoros Lies At Its Northern Entrance.

France Also Possesses Some Islands In The Mozambique Channel, Including The Disputed Mayotte Island, Banc Du Geyser, Juan De Nova Island, Bassas Da India, And Europa Island.


The Mozambique Channel Was Formed Due To The Breakup Of The Supercontinent Gondwana, A Supercontinent That Existed Around 200 Million Years Ago. At That Time, Madagascar, Africa, India, Antarctica, And South America Were All Joined Together. Madagascar Was Connected To Africa’s East Coast, With No Ocean Between Them.

Around 180 Million Years Ago, Tectonic Forces Caused Gondwana To Split. Madagascar Began Drifting Eastward, Separating From Africa. As It Moved, A Gap Formed, And Ocean Water Filled The Space, Creating The Mozambique Channel. By 100 Million Years Ago, Madagascar Had Settled In Its Current Position.


Mozambique Channel Serves As An Important Shipping Route Within The Indian Ocean, Facilitating Trade Between Eastern Africa, The Middle East, And Asia. The Channel Has Been Used Historically For Trade And Exploration. It Was Part Of The Maritime Trade Routes Used By Arab And Indian Traders As Early As The 6th Century. Before The Opening Of The Suez Canal, Mozambique Channel Was An Critical Trade Route Between Europe, The Indian Subcontinent And Southeast Asia. Europe. It Still Remains Remains An Important Maritime Route For East African Countries.



_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Divider by Chris Zabriskie chriszabriskie.com/ Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_divider Music promoted by Audio Library    • Divider – Chris Zabriskie (No Copyrig...   ––––––––––––––––––––––