GS Paper I and II

News Excerpt:
A US warship and multiple other commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea, deepening maritime tension in the Middle East.

About the Red Sea:

Geography:

• It is a narrow inland sea located between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.

• It extends southeast from the Gulf of Suez to the Bab el Mandeb, connecting with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. 

• It occupies part of a large rift valley in the continental crust of Africa and Arabia.

• It separates the coasts of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea from those of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
• The Gulf of Aqaba, a northeastern extension of the sea, reaches southern Israel and southwestern Jordan.

Ecology: 

• Colour: Its name is derived from the seasonal colour changes observed in its waters. 

• Usually, the Red Sea is of an intense blue-green colour; however, it is populated by extensive blooms of the algae Trichodesmium erythraeum, which, upon dying off, turn the sea reddish brown.
• Rainfall: No water enters the Red Sea from rivers, and rainfall is scant, but the evaporation loss is significant, making the water’s salinity and density high.
• Conservation: The world's largest independent conservation organization, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has identified the Red Sea as a "Global 200" ecoregion. Thus, it is considered a priority for conservation.

Economic:

• Trade Route: 

• During medieval times, the Red Sea was an important part of the Spice trade route.
• It connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Arabian Sea via the Suez Canal,  one of the most heavily travelled waterways in the world, carrying traffic between Europe and Asia. 
• It has global importance thanks to its role in global shipping, with as much as 10 percent of world trade passing through its waters.

• Hub of Innovation: 
• Saudi Arabia’s megacity projects, such as Neom, are located on the Red Sea. This presents an opportunity for the region to participate in sustainable urbanization through massive, renewables-focused initiatives integrating robotics and smart services into new economies designed to thrive on innovation and tourism.
• The “LINE” refers to the first urban linear living complex rather than the common round living complexes.