Bab el-Mandeb Strait: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 5, 2026

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Map showing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, with surrounding countries Yemen to the northeast, Djibouti to the south, and Eritrea to the northwest. The map labels key locations including Mokha, Dhubab, Ta'izz, and Aden in Yemen; Djibouti city in Djibouti; Assab in Eritrea; and features islands such as Perim (Mayun), Greater Hanish, Lesser Hanish, and Jabal Zuqar. A small inset globe shows the strait's location at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

Map highlighting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in Africa. Surrounding countries and key bodies of water, including the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, and Mediterranean Sea, are labeled for regional context. An inset globe in the upper right shows the strait's location within the larger region.

World map comparing two shipping routes from Dalian, China, to Rotterdam, Netherlands: the Suez Canal route, shown in blue, passing through the Strait of Malacca, Red Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, covering about 11,000 nautical miles and taking 48 days; and the alternate route, shown in red, traveling around the Cape of Good Hope at Africa's southern tip, covering about 14,500 nautical miles and taking 57 days.

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English Channel Bosporus Dardanelles Bering Strait Strait of Hormuz Strait of Gibraltar Strait of Magellan Strait of Malacca Drake Passage Kattegat

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