The Bay of Bengal is a part of the Indian Ocean. Its borders with Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the northern Malay Peninsula total 839,000 sq mi (2,173,000 sq km). Its width is over 1,000 miles (1,600 km), and its average depth is more than 8,500 feet (2,600 meters). It receives water from numerous sizable rivers, including the Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri (Cauvery), Ganges (Ganga), and Brahmaputra. The sole islands in the bay, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, divide it from the Andaman Sea in the southeast. Chinese marine business began in the 12th century, while Indian and Malaysian traders have long crossed it. The first European expedition into the bay was made by Vasco da Gama in 1498.
Economic aspects
Due to its economic and strategic significance, the Bay of Bengal has recently emerged as the focal point of world politics, but it also reaches Sri Lanka’s coast. It is the busiest shipping route between countries on the entire planet. Each year, some 40,000 ships use this route. This route is used by 50% of all fuel and cargo ships worldwide.
It is evident from the Bay of Bengal image that a parallel band has formed along its entire northern limit. A nation has extended its exterior and installed a water map in its tax system. Over time, the two sides on the outside grew until they reached Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
The Andaman Islands combine with Sumatra from Myanmar on the other side before turning right to join Sri Lanka. The Bay of Bengal is connected to and related to Cox’s Bazar, the largest beach in the world; the Sundarbans, the largest uninterrupted mangrove forest; and hilsa, one of the world’s most delicious fish species.
The political, religious, and economic tensions that have existed for many years are still visible at the ports that line the Bay of Bengal’s coast. Arab traders and missionaries flocked to the port on the coasts of the Bay of Bengal via the Arabian Sea from antiquity to the middle ages.
Resource exploitation
The Sea of Bengal has a unique tropical marine habitat, and the abundance of wetlands, marshes, and mangroves along with the numerous rivers that pour into the northern section of the sea improve the productivity of nearshore fish species. Small-scale fisheries are used to utilize these resources; Japan and countries bordering the bay mainly engage in commercial fishing in deeper waters. Despite increasing harvesting, the yearly catch of prawns, the main export crop, has remained steady. The bay contains several species of tuna that are significant as well. Due to the considerable influence of freshwater runoff from the major rivers on the nearshore waters, the tuna fishery is restricted to the actual oceanic region of the bay, south of latitude 15°N.
There have been discoveries of petroleum and natural gas in the Bay of Bengal, particularly offshore of the Godavari and Manandi deltas. The geology of the bay resembles that of the western edge of the Indian Peninsula and the basin of the Indus River. In contrast to those in the Arabian Sea, hydrocarbon resources in the Bay of Bengal are often found in deep regions. Titanium placer deposits can be found off the northeastern coasts of Sri Lanka and India, respectively. On the coast of southern India, near Chennai (Madras), and in the coastal regions near Vishakhapatnam, heavy mineral sands are found in the vicinity of Nagapatnam (in Tamil Nadu state). Ilmenite, garnet, sillimanite, zircon, rutile, and manganite are all present in them.
Fishing Ground of Bay of Bengal
Four major fishing grounds in Bangladesh’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) make up the Bay of Bengal, a significant fishing area:
- South Patches: With a size of 3,662 square kilometers, South Patches is the largest fishing area in the Bay of Bengal. It is situated off the coast of Bangladesh in the southernmost region of the Bay. Hilsa, shrimp, and prawn are just a few of the fish species that can be found in the South Patches.
- South of the South Patches: This fishing area is smaller and situated south of the South Patches. It is home to similar fish species as the South Patches.
- Middle Ground: Fish species like mackerel, tuna, and sardines can be found in abundance in this fishing area, which is in the middle of the Bay.
- Swatch of No Ground: This fishing ground is located in the northeastern part of the Bay, and is characterized by its shallow waters. It is home to a variety of fish species, including catfish, mullet, and tilapia.
Transportation
Large tankers traveling from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca via the main commercial routes pass south of the Bay of Bengal. Therefore, the only cargo that can be transported by the ocean is to and from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the east coast of India. Kolkata (Calcutta), Haldia, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Cuddalore, and Paradeep are India’s major ports. Colombo and Trincomalee are important ports in Sri Lanka. Bangladesh’s notable cities include Dhaka and Chittagong, and Myanmar’s main port on the Bay of Bengal is Akyab (Sittwe). Iron ore ports in Haldia, Vishakhapatnam, and Paradeep are extensively developed, demonstrating India’s successful raw material exportation.
The Bay of Bengal is significant economically because it serves as a major shipping route and has abundant fisheries, oil and gas reserves, tourism potential, and natural resources. It also benefits from regional cooperation. Together, these elements support trade, employment opportunities, the expansion of infrastructure, and economic expansion in the nations bordering the bay.
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Writer
Atika Afia Broty
Intern at Content Writing Department
YSSE