The Red Sea is a vital, narrow sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, geographically situated between Africa and Asia, making it a crucial global waterway. It is one of the world's most saline bodies of water, with salinity ranging between 3.6 and 3.8 percent, and is part of the Great Rift Valley system where the African and Arabian tectonic plates are slowly separating. The sea's name is a direct translation of the ancient Greek Erythra Thalassa and may originate from seasonal blooms of the reddish-brown cyanobacteria Trichodesmium erythraeum near the water's surface.
The Red Sea has been a critical trade route since ancient times, with the earliest known exploration expeditions conducted by Ancient Egyptians around 2500 BCE to establish commercial routes to Punt. Its modern significance is defined by its connection to the Suez Canal in the north and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden in the south. The Suez Canal, opened in 1869, links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, creating a shortcut that saves ships up to two weeks of travel time compared to the route around the Cape of Good Hope. This mechanism makes the Red Sea a critical maritime chokepoint, facilitating approximately 12% of global trade and 30% of container traffic annually.
Recently, the security of the Red Sea has been severely disrupted since late 2023 by attacks from Houthi militants in Yemen. This instability has forced major shipping lines, including Maersk and CMA CGM, to suspend operations and reroute vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. This change has caused container ship transits through the Suez Canal to plummet by as much as 90% between December 2023 and March 2024, leading to increased freight costs and longer transit times for trade between Asia and Europe.