Everything about Bab El Mandeb totally explained
The
Bab-el-Mandeb, alternatively
Bab el Mandab,
Bab al Mandab,
Bab al Mandib, or
Bab al Mandeb meaning "Gate of Tears" in
Arabic (باب المندب), is a
strait located between
Yemen on the
Arabian Peninsula and
Djibouti, north of
Somalia in the
Horn of Africa, and connecting the
Red Sea to the
Gulf of Aden. It is sometimes called the
Mandab Strait in English.
Overview
The strait derives its name from the dangers attending its navigation, or, according to an Arab
legend, from the numbers who were drowned by the
earthquake which separated
Asia and
Africa. In the Arabic translation of
Jules Verne's book
Around the World in Eighty Days (page 30), it's referred to as the "Bridge of Tears".
Bab el-Mandab acts as a strategic link between the Indian Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea, via the Red Sea and the
Suez Canal. In 2006, an estimated of oil passed through the strait per day, out of a world total of about moved by tankers.
The distance across is about 20 miles (30 km) from
Ras Menheli in Yemen to
Ras Siyan in Djibouti. The island of
Perim divides the strait into two channels, of which the eastern, known as the
Bab Iskender (Alexander's Strait), is 2 miles (3 km) wide and 16
fathoms (30 m) deep, while the western, or
Dact-el-Mayun, has a width of about 16 miles (25 km) and a depth of 170 fathoms (310 m). Near the coast of Djibouti lies a group of smaller islands known as the "
Seven Brothers." There is a surface current inwards in the eastern channel, but a strong undercurrent outwards in the western channel.
According to the
recent single origin hypothesis, the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb were probably witness to the earliest migrations of
modern humans out of Africa, which occurred roughly 60,000 years ago. At this time, the oceans were much lower and the straits were much shallower or dry, allowing a series of emigrations along the southern coast of Asia.
According to
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church tradition, the straits of Bab-el-Mendeb were witness to the earliest migrations of Semitic
Ge'ez speakers into Africa, occurring roughly around the same time as the Hebrew patriarch
Jacob.
On February 22, 2008, it was revealed that a company owned by
Tarek bin laden was planning to build a bridge across the strait, linking
Yemen with
Djibouti
Prehistory
It has been conjectured that sometime during the
Tertiary period, the Bab el Mandeb closed and the Red Sea dried to an empty, salt-floored sink.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Bab El Mandeb'.
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