The
Bay of Bengal (
Bangla: বঙ্গোপসাগর)
IPA:ˈbɒŋɡopoʃɑːˈgoɽ), the
largest bay of the world, forms the northeastern part of the
Indian Ocean. It resembles a
triangle in shape, and is bordered by
Bangladesh and the
Indian state of
West Bengal to the north (where the name comes from),
India and
Sri Lanka to the west and
Myanmar and the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the east.
Its southern boundary extends as an imaginary line from
Dondra Head at the southern end of
Sri Lanka to the northern tip of
Sumatra.
The Bay of Bengal occupies an area of 2,172,000 km². A number of large rivers –
Padma (distributary of
Ganges),
Meghna (distributary of
Brahmaputra),
Jamuna (branch of
Brahmaputra,
Ayeyarwady,
Godavari,
Mahanadi,
Krishna and
Kaveri – flow into the Bay of Bengal. Among the important ports are
Cuddalore,
Chennai,
Kakinada,
Tuticorin,
Machilipatnam,
Vishakapatnam,
Paradip,
Kolkata,
Mongla,
Chittagong and
Yangon.
Etymology
In the 10th century the explosion of
Indianized kingdoms, led by the
Chola Empire, resulted in the Bay of Bengal being known as
the Chola Lake. It later came to be known as
Bangal ki Khadi in
Hindi after the region of
Bengal. Bengal comes from the
Sanskrit Banga or
Vanga which refers to the delta waters of the river
Ganga.
Rivers
The
Sunderbans, at the mouth of river
Ganges spreads across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
Many major rivers of India and Bangladesh flow west to east into the Bay of Bengal: in the north, the
Ganges River (or Ganga),
Meghna River and
Brahmaputra River rivers, and in the south
Mahanadi River through the
Mahanadi River Delta,
Godavari River,
Krishna River,
Irrawaddy and
Kaveri River (sometimes written as Cauvery) rivers. The shortest classified river which drains into the Bay of Bengal is
Cooum River at 64 km. Brahmaputra is the 28th
longest River in the World (2,948 km or 1,832 mi), and it discharges into the 'Bay of Bengal' and travels through
India,
P.R. China,
Nepal,
Bangladesh and
Bhutan. The
Sundarbans mangrove forest is formed at the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The
Ayeyarwady River of
Myanmar also flows into the bay.
Seaports
The
Vizag seaport in India is the busiest port in the Bay of Bengal region in terms of cargo handled.
Major Bangladesh ports on the bay include
Chittagong and
Mongla. Major Indian ports on the bay include
Krishnapatnam,
Chennai (formerly Madras),
Vishakhapatnam,
Kolkata (formerly
Calcutta), and
Pondicherry. Yangon, the largest city and former capital of Myanmar is also an important port in the bay.
Islands
The islands in the bay are very numerous, including the Andaman,
Nicobar and
Mergui groups. The group of islands, Cheduba and others, in the north-east, off the Burmese coast, are remarkable for a chain of mud volcanoes, which are occasionally active.
Great Andaman is the main archipelago or island group of the
Andaman Islands, whereas
Ritchie's Archipelago consists of smaller islands. Only 37 of the 572 islands and islets of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are inhabited, or 6.5%.
Beaches
Cox's Bazar, one of the longest stretches of beaches in the world.
Oceanography
The Bay of Bengal is a salt water
sea and is a part of the
Indian Ocean. It is also the largest bay in the world by area.
Plate tectonics
Floor of Bay of Bengal
The
lithosphere of the earth is broken up into what are called
tectonic plates. Underneath the Bay of Bengal is the
Indian Plate which is part of the great
Indo-Australian Plate and is slowly moving north east. This plate meets the
Burma Microplate at the
Sunda Trench. The
Nicobar Islands, and the
Andaman Islands are part of the
Burma Microplate. The India Plate subducts beneath the Burma Plate at the
Sunda Trench or Java Trench. Here, the pressure of the two plates on each other increase pressure and temperature resulting in the formation of volcanoes such as the
volcanoes in Myanmar, and a
volcanic arc called the
Sunda Arc.
Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and Asian Tsunami was a result of the pressure at this zone causing a
submarine earthquake which then resulted in a huge Tsunamai.
Marine geology
A zone 50 m wide extending from the island of Ceylon and the Coromandel coast to the head of the bay, and thence southwards through a strip embracing the Andaman and Nicobar islands, is bounded by the 100 fathom line of sea bottom; some 50 m. beyond this lies the Soo-fathom limit. Opposite the mouth of the Ganges, however, the intervals between these depths are very much extended by deltaic influence.
Swatch of No Ground is a 14 km-wide deep sea canyon of the Bay of Bengal. The deepest recorded area of this valley is about 1340 m.
Marine biology, flora and fauna
The sunderbans bordering the Bay of Bengal is the largest single block of tidal
halophytic mangrove forest in the world.
The Bay of Bengal is full of biological diversity, diverging amongst
coral reefs,
estuaries, fish spawning and nursery areas, and
mangroves. The Bay of Bengal is one of the World's 64
largest marine ecosystems.
Kerilia jerdonii is a sea snake of the Bay of Bengal. Glory of Bengal Cone (Conus bengalensis) is just one of the seashells which can be photographed along beaches of the Bay of Bengal. An
endangered species, the
Olive Ridley sea turtle can survive because of the nesting grounds made available at the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary,
Gahirmatha Beach,
Orissa,
India.
Marlin,
barracuda,
skipjack tuna, (Katsuwonus pelamis),
yellowfin tuna,
Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin (Sousa chinensis) , and
Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) are a few of the marine animals. Bay of Bengal Hogfish (Bodianus neilli) is a type of
Wrass which live in turbid lagoon reefs or shallow coastal reefs. Schools of
dolphins can be seen, whether they are the
bottle nose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus),
Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) or the
spinner dolphin (stenella longirostris) .
Tuna and
dolphins are usually residing in the same waters. In shallower and warmer coastal waters the
Irrawaddy Dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) can be found.
The
Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve proides sanctuary to many animals some of which include the
saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) , giant
Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) , and
Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis kamaroma) to name a few.
Another endangered species
Royal Bengal Tiger is supported by
Sundarbans a large estuarine delta that holds a mangrove area in the
Ganges River Delta.
Chemical oceanography
Coastal regions bordering the Bay of Bengal are rich in minerals. Sri Lanka,
Serendib, or
Ratna – Dweepa which means Gem Island.
Amethyst,
beryl,
ruby,
sapphire,
topaz, and
garnet are just some of the
gems of Sri Lanka. Garnet and other precious gems are also found in abundance in the
Indian states of
Orissa and
Andhra Pradesh.
Physical oceanography - Climate of the Bay of Bengal
From January to October, the current is northward flowing, and the clockwise circulation pattern is called the "East Indian Current." The Bay of Bengal
monsoon moves in a northwest direction striking the
Nicobar Islands, and the
Andaman Islands first end of May, then the North Eastern Coast of India by end of June.
The remainder of the year, the counterclockwise current is southwestward flowing, and the circulation pattern is called the East Indian Winter Jet. September and December see very active weather, season varsha (or monsoon), in the Bay of Bengal producing severe Cyclones which affect Eastern India. Several efforts have been initiated to cope with
Storm surge.
Tropical storms and cyclones
A tropical storm with rotating winds blowing at speeds of 74 miles (119 kilometres) per hour are called
cyclones when they originate over the Bay of Bengal; they are
hurricanes in the Atlantic. Between 100,000 and 500,000 residents of East Pakistan (Bangladesh) were killed because of the
1970 Bhola cyclone.
- 2002, May Tropical Cyclone 2B
- 1985, May Tropical Storm One (1B)
- 1982, April Cyclone One (1B)
- 1982, May Tropical Storm Two (2B)
- 1982, October Tropical Storm Three (3B)
- 1981, December Cyclone Three (3B)
- 1980, October Tropical Storm One (1B)
- 1980, December Unknown Storm Four (4B)
- 1980, December Tropical Storm Five (5B)
Historic sites
- Kumari Kandam, an antediluvian civilization, (South India) is also held in myth to be under the Bay of Bengal. Fisherman claim their nets have snagged, and on dives to free them they find pagodas, doorways, and temples to reinforce their belief of this ancient time.
- The remains of Sri Vaisakheswara Swamy temple lies under the Bay of Bengal. Spokespersons from Andhra University Centre for Marine Archaeology say the temple may be located opposite the Coastal Battery.
- Another historic site which has been preserved is Vivekanandar Illam. It was constructed in 1842 by the Ice King Frederic Tudor to store and market ice year round. In 1897, Swami Vivekananda famous lectures were recorded here at Castle Kernan. The site is an exhibition devoted to Swami Vivekananda and his legacy.
- Konark is the home of the Sun Temple or Black Pagoda. This Brahman sanctuary was built of black granite mid 1200 AD and has been declared a World Heritage Site.
- Ramanathaswami Temple located at Dhanushkodi, where the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean come together.
Economy
One of the first trading ventures along the Bay of Bengal was The Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies more commonly referred to as
British East India Company.
Gopalpur was one of their main trading centers. Other trading companies along the Bay of Bengal shorelines were
English East India Company and
French East India Company.
BIMSTEC Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) supports free trade internationally around the Bay of Bengal between
Bangladesh,
Bhutan,
India,
Myanmar,
Nepal,
Sri Lanka, and
Thailand.
The
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project is a new venture proposed which would create a channel for a shipping route to link the Gulf of Mannar with the Bay of Bengal. This would connect India east to west without the necessity of going around Sri Lanka.
Thoni and catamaran fishing boats of fishing villages thrive along the Bay of Bengal shorelines. Fishermen can catch between 26-44 species of marine fish. In one year, the average catch is 2 million tons of fish from the Bay of Bengal alone.
Strategic importance
To Bangladesh
Being Bangladesh's only sea boundary, Bay of Bengal is high imporatant for the country. Bangladesh navy performs annual exercise in the bay and exercise with international navy is also frequent. Bangladesh navy's last joint exercise with US navy held on early 2009.
To China
Rumour exis that China possibly has a naval base in Mayanmar's Coco island of Bay of Bengal.
To India
Indian Navy's
Presidential Fleet review held in Vizag in 2006. It was the first time the fleet was held outside of Mumbai, signifying the growing strategic importance of Bay of Bengal for India.
The Bay of Bengal is strategically crucial for India because of the presence of outlying islands, namely
Andaman islands and
Nicobar islands and several major ports such as
Kolkata and
Vizag along its coast with the Bay of Bengal. Much of the naval operations of the
1971 Indo-Pakistani War took place in the Bay of Bengal.
The growing influence of China, due to support provided by Myanmar, has created geo-political implications for India. India has held several major naval exercises with friendly countries, especially
United States, to counter increasing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean.
[http://www.globalpolitician.com/23382-india] The largest ever
wargame in Bay of Bengal, known as
Malabar 2007, was held in 2007 and naval warships from India, US, Singapore, Japan and Australia took part in it. This exercise was widely viewed as "strategic encirclement of China".
India has forged naval cooperation agreements with Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia to increase its strategic reach in the region.
[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GA25Df05.html] India also established
Far Eastern Naval Command off
Port Blair to increase surveillance in the adjoining
Andaman Sea.
The potential of
natural gas exploitation also makes the Bay of Bengal important for India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Disputes over rights of some oil and gas blocks have caused brief diplomatic spats between India and Bangladesh.
Environmental hazards
Pollution
The
Asian brown cloud, a layer of air pollution that covers much of South Asia and the Indian Ocean every year between January and March, and possibly also during earlier and later months, hangs over the Bay of Bengal. It is considered to be a combination of vehicle exhaust, smoke from cooking fires, and industrial discharges.
History
Northern Circars occupied the western coast of the Bay of Bengal and is now considered to be India's Madras state. The
Kakatiya dynasty reached the western coastline of the Bay of Bengal between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers.
Kushanas about the middle of the
1st century AD invaded northern India perhaps extending as far as the Bay of Bengal.
Chola dynasty (9th century to 12th century) when ruled by
Rajaraja Chola I occupied the western coastline of the Bay of Bengal
circa AD 1014 Chandragupta Maurya extended the
Maurya Dynasty across Northern India to the Bay of Bengal.
Hajipur was a stronghold of Portuguese Pirates. In the 1500s the Portuguese built trading posts in the North of the Bay of Bengal at Chittagong (Porto Grande) and
Satgaon (Porto Pequeno).
British penal colony
Cellular Jail or "Black Waters" built in 1896 on
Ross Island, a part of the
Andaman Island Chain. As early as 1858 this island was used as a British penal colony for political prisoners facing life imprisonment.
Marine archeology
Maritime archaeology or marine archaeology is the study of material remains of ancient peoples. A specialized branch,
Archaeology of shipwrecks studies the salvaged artifacts of ancient ships. Stone
anchors, amphorae shards, elephant tusks, hippopotamus teeth, ceramic pottery, a rare wood mast and lead ingots are examples which may survive the test of time for archaeologists to study and place the salvaged findings into a time line of history. Coral reefs, tsuanamis, cyclones, mangrove swamps, battles and a criss cross of sea routes in a high trading area combined with pirating have all contributed to shipwrecks in the Bay of Bengal.
Famous ships and shipwrecks
- c1816 Mornington Ship burned in the Bay of Bengal
- 1850 American clipper brig Eagle is supposed to have sunk in a Bay of Bengal
- 1855 The Bark "Incredible" struck on a sunken rock in the Bay of Bengal
- 1865, a gale dismasted the Euterpe while traversing the Bay of Bengal typhoon.
- 1875 Veleda 76 m (250 ft) long and 15 m (50 ft) wide is a part of a current salvage operation.
- 1942 Japanese cruiser Yura of the Second Expeditionary Fleet, Malay Force attacked merchant ships in the Bay of Bengal.
- 1971 December 3 - It was claimed that Indian Navy destroyer INS Rajput sunk the Pakistan Navy submarine PNS Ghazi off of Vishakapatnam, in Bay Of Bengal List of naval battles
See also
