| an arm of the Indian Ocean, extending NW between Africa and Arabia: connected to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. 1450 mi. (2335 km) long; 170,000 sq. mi. (440,300 sq. km); greatest depth, 7254 ft. (2211 m). |
Narrow sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Note: Probably named for the red algae that are sometimes present in its waters.
Note: According to the Bible, the Red Sea's waters parted to allow the Israelites, led by Moses, to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. The “Red Sea” of the biblical account, however, seems more likely to have been the marshy Sea of Reeds than the present-day Red Sea.