The Gulf of Aden is located in the Middle East with the country Yemen to the north, Somalia to the south and the Arabian Sea to the east. It is connected to the Red Sea by the Bab_el_Mandeb Bab el Mandeb strait. The Gulf of Aden is integral to global shipping routes, specifically the transport of petroleum from the Middle East. The Gulf of Aden is also an area of intense pirate activity.
In June 2009 an Antiguan ship was seized by pirates off the coast of Oman. This was the first reported incident of armed robbery by pirates in the waters of Oman.AFP: Antiguan ship seized by pirates... (June 12, 2009)
Pirates
The area of Gulf of Aden has been the target of several actual and attempted pirate attacks in recent years. In December 2008, pirates tried to seize a luxury cruise ship in the area, but the vessel speed to safety.msnbc: Pirates chase, open fire on U.S. cruise ship (December 2, 2008) In November 2008, pirates hijacked a Saudi oil ship. The crew and ship was released in January 2009, reportedly after the payment of a $3 million ransom.CNN: Somali pirates free tanker after ransom (January 10, 2009)
Greek Ship Seized
On March 19, 2009, pirates seized a Greek cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. The ship was on its way from the Black Sea to Korea with metal. There were 24 crew members on board.Three crew members were Greek.msnbc: Pirates seize Greek cargo ship in Gulf of Aden (March 20, 2009)The ship was sailing under a Grenada and St. Vincent flag.Azstarnet: Somali pirates seize Greek freighter (March 20, 2009)
References
Fast Facts
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Located between Africa and Asia
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Temperatures of about 21.5*C throughout the water column
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Important waterway for shipping Persian Gulf oil
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Piracy committed regularly
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Yachts advised to sail in a convoy to minimize threat of attacks
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Home to many fish and coral reefs
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Under constant threat from oil spills
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Where the USS Cole bombing took place
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The main ports along the Gulf are Aden in Yemen and Zeila, Berbera and Bosaso in Somalia
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Has unique biodiversity that contains many varieties of fish, coral, seabirds, and invertebrates
