Arabian Sea, part of the Indian Ocean, lies between the Arabian Peninsula and India. Iran and Pakistan border it on the north. The Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, and Gulf of Oman are arms of the Arabian Sea. Along the Indian coast are the gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat. The Indus, Narmada, and Tapi (or Tapti) rivers empty into the Arabian Sea. The chief islands in the sea are the Laccadive Islands, off the west coast of India; Socotra, northeast of Somalia; and Masira and the Kuria Muria Islands, off Oman’s coast. In ancient times, the Arabian Sea was an important shipping route. Goods from the Far East were brought by ship to its western shores and carried inland by camel caravans. Today, tankers pass through the sea to and from the Persian Gulf, where they take on cargoes of crude oil and petroleum products.
