Indian Ocean

The warmest ocean, cradled between Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceans & Seas

The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean, covering about 70.6 million square kilometers. It is bounded by Africa to the west, Asia to the north, Australia to the east, and the Southern Ocean to the south. Its average depth is 3,741 m, with the maximum depth of 7,258 m in the Sunda Trench (Java Trench) off Indonesia. The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean and is home to the monsoon wind system that has governed trade routes and agriculture in South Asia for thousands of years.