Also: Bab al-Mandab, Gate of Tears, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
Definition
Bab-el-Mandeb is the strait between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, and forming the southern gateway of the Suez Canal route between Asia and Europe.
The Red Sea is a narrow arm of the Indian Ocean formed by rifting as the Arabian plate pulled away from Africa, part of the larger East African Rift system. At its southern end, the sea narrows at Bab-el-Mandeb, where the Yemeni coast approaches the African coast of Djibouti and Eritrea. Perim island, belonging to Yemen, splits the passage into a narrow eastern channel and a wider western channel used by most large ships. The name is usually translated from Arabic as "Gate of Tears", reflecting the danger of navigation in earlier times.
The strait gained global importance when the Suez Canal opened in 1869, making the Red Sea the shortest sea route between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. Britain held Aden as a coaling station and naval base, partly to guard this route to India. In modern times, a large share of trade between Europe and Asia, including oil and container cargo, passes through it. Instability in Yemen and Somalia has made the area risky: Somali piracy peaked around 2008–2011, and from late 2023 Houthi attacks on merchant ships forced many shipping lines to divert around the Cape of Good Hope.
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