Andaman Sea
News •
-
What is the Andaman Sea?
The Andaman Sea, situated in the northeastern Indian Ocean, is bordered by Myanmar and the Irrawaddy River delta to the north, peninsular Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia to the east, Sumatra and the Strait of Malacca to the south, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the west. It covers an area of 308,000 square miles (798,000 square km) and is named after the Andaman Islands.
The sea is a crucial maritime link for Myanmar and a major shipping route between India and China via the Strait of Malacca. The Strait of Malacca connects the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea. The climate of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is tropical but is moderated by sea breezes.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where is the Andaman Sea located?
The Andaman Sea, a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean, is situated east of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are a union territory of India. It is bordered to the north by the Irrawaddy River delta of Myanmar, with peninsular Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia to the east. To the south, it meets the Indonesian island of Sumatra and the Strait of Malacca. The sea acts as a crucial maritime link between Myanmar and other nations, also forming part of a significant shipping route between India and China via the Strait of Malacca.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which countries border the Andaman Sea?
The Andaman Sea is bordered by Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. To the west, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India, form its boundary. The Strait of Malacca connects it to the South China Sea. The sea also links Myanmar to other countries via ports like Bassein, Mawlamyine, Tavoy, and Mergui, and it is part of a major shipping route between India and China.
5 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What islands are found in the Andaman Sea?
The Andaman Sea is bordered to the west by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India. The Andaman Islands consist of more than 300 islands, including North Andaman, Middle Andaman, South Andaman (collectively known as Great Andaman), Landfall Island, Interview Island, the Sentinel Islands, Ritchie’s Archipelago, and Rutland Island. The Nicobar Islands consist of 19 islands, including Car Nicobar, Camorta, Katchall, Nancowry, and Great Nicobar.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is the Andaman Sea important for shipping and transportation?
The Andaman Sea is crucial for shipping and transportation because it forms a key sea link between Myanmar and other countries through ports like Bassein, Mawlamyine, and Mergui. It also serves as a significant part of a major shipping route between India and China, utilizing the Strait of Malacca. Trading vessels have navigated the Andaman Sea since ancient times, marking it as part of the early coastal trade route connecting India and China.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What kinds of marine life live in the Andaman Sea, and why is this region important for the environment?
The Andaman Sea is home to about 250 edible species of fish, and its waters along the Malay Peninsula promote molluscan growth. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands support diverse flora and fauna, including endemic species like the Andaman wild pig. Other marine life includes fish, turtles, sea snakes, whales, dolphins, and dugongs.
This region is important because it forms a major shipping route between India and China. The islands serve as a boundary between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The sea also has mineral resources, including tin deposits off the coasts of Malaysia and Thailand.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Andaman Sea, marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean. It is bounded to the north by the Irrawaddy River delta of Myanmar (Burma); to the east by peninsular Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia; to the south by the Indonesian island of Sumatra and by the Strait of Malacca; and to the west by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which constitute a union territory of India. Through such ports as Bassein, Mawlamyine, Tavoy, and Mergui—as well as Yangon (Rangoon) itself—it forms the most important sea link between Myanmar and other countries; it also forms part of a major shipping route between India and China, via the Strait of Malacca. The sea, which has an area of 308,000 square miles (798,000 square km), takes its name from the Andaman Islands.
The Andaman Sea is 750 miles (1,200 km) long from north to south and 400 miles (645 km) wide. Less than 5 percent of the sea is deeper than 10,000 feet (3,000 metres), but, in a system of submarine valleys east of the Andaman-Nicobar Ridge, depths exceed 14,500 feet (4,400 metres). The sea’s northern and eastern third is less than 600 feet (180 metres) deep, in part because vast quantities of silt have been deposited by the Irrawaddy River at its delta. The western and central half of the sea is 3,000 to 10,000 feet (900 to 3,000 metres) deep.
Southeast Asia’s monsoonal regime governs the sea’s climate and water chemistry. In the winter the regional humidity is low, the sea receives little rainfall or runoff, and hence its surface salinities are high. Huge volumes of runoff water from Myanmar flow into the Andaman Sea during the summer monsoon, however, forming a marked pattern of low surface salinity in its northern third.
Neither the Andaman’s surface waters nor its bottom are rich in marine life. Its waters along the Malay Peninsula, however, favour molluscan growth, and there are about 250 edible species of fish in those intensively fished coastal waters. The sea’s mineral resources are similarly limited but include tin deposits off the coasts of Malaysia and Thailand.
Trading vessels have plied the Andaman Sea since ancient times. It was part of the early coastal trade route between India and China and, from the 8th century, formed a link in a thriving trade between India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to the west and the Myanmar ports of Thaton, Martaban, and Tavoy to the east. The two largest modern ports on the sea are George Town (Malaysia) to the southeast and Yangon (Myanmar) to the north. In 2004 a severe earthquake (magnitude 9.1) off the west coast of Sumatra triggered a large tsunami that inundated coastal areas throughout the Andaman Sea region. The initial quake was followed by a series of aftershocks along the arc of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.