Indian Ocean

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Maldives: island resort

Dive deep into the depths of the ocean.

Great Australian Bight Marine Park

Réunion: volcano

Puducherry, India: beach

flooding on Bhola Island

Cousine and Cousin islands

Kuwait: oil rig

For Students

Indian Ocean summary

Read Next

World map. Continents. Oceans. Mendel thumb ok

Just How Many Oceans Are There?

Sailboat against a beautiful landscape

Which Waters Do You Pass Through When You “Sail the Seven Seas”?

Small canyon underwater carved by the swell into the fore reef with sunlight through water surface, Huahine island, Pacific ocean, French Polynesia.

A Tale of Two Submerged Continents

Town of Sisimiut located on the coast of the Davis Strait on Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay, Greenland

The Largest Islands in the World

Discover

New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.

Why Is It Called Black Friday?

African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

Paul Revere. "The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.," engraved by Paul Revere. Boston Massacre.

There’s a Riot Goin’ On: Riots in U.S. History (Part One)

airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)

7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances

Estimated battle casualties, Normandy invasion, World War II. WWII, D-Day

Estimated Battle Casualties During the Normandy Invasion and Campaign to Liberate Paris (June–August 1944)

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Artist interpretation of space asteroids impacting earth and moon. Meteoroids, meteor impact, end of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Doomsday Predictions, comet

Major Mass Extinctions

Indian Ocean: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2025

News •

A one-man war against plastic pollution in Indian Ocean • June 11, 2025, 6:39 AM ET (Nation.Africa)

Watch China’s Power Play In the Indian Ocean • June 6, 2025, 3:30 AM ET (Bloomberg)

SpaceX Starship breaks up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test • May 28, 2025, 6:30 AM ET (The Guardian)

SpaceX launches Starship megarocket again, it blows up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test • May 27, 2025, 5:18 PM ET (The Hindu)

UK agrees to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal it says protects a key US base • May 22, 2025, 8:49 PM ET (AP)

Photos and Videos

Maldives: island resort

Great Australian Bight Marine Park

Réunion: volcano

Puducherry, India: beach

flooding on Bhola Island

Cousine and Cousin islands

Kuwait: oil rig

Andaman Sea: coral

Ecological conservation efforts on La Digue island

See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Topics

Southern Ocean Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Arctic Ocean

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

climate change: Amplification of the Indian Ocean monsoon

Quiz

1:116 Aquanauts: Underwater Treasure, divers searching for treasure underwater

International Waters

water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)

Water and its Varying Forms

wave. ocean. Cresting ocean wave. Large sea waves. storm, hurricane, tropical cyclone

All About Oceans and Seas Quiz

Cross section of Earth showing the core, mantle, and crust

Everything Earth

Demystified

World map. Continents. Oceans. Mendel thumb ok

Just How Many Oceans Are There?

Sailboat against a beautiful landscape

Which Waters Do You Pass Through When You “Sail the Seven Seas”?

Sailboat against a beautiful landscape

Which Waters Do You Pass Through When You “Sail the Seven Seas”?