g importance to the bordering countries for domestic
consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, South
Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp
and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the
offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western Australia.
An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the
Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer
deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly
India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Transportation Indian Ocean

Ports and harbors: Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban
(South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne
(Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa)

Transnational Issues Indian Ocean

Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Arctic Ocean

Introduction

Arctic Ocean

Background: The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans
(after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently
delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and
Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal
waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes
circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

Geography Arctic Ocean

Location: body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly
north of the Arctic Circle

Geographic coordinates: 90 00 N, 0 00 E

Map references: Arctic Region

Area: total: 14.056 million sq km note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents
Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea,
Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage,
and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US

Coastline: 45,389 km

Climate: polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively
narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous
darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers
characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak
cyclones with rain or snow

Terrain: central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack
that averages about 3 meters in thickness,