Bab Iskender
Encyclopedia
Bab-el-Mandeb
The Bab-el-Mandeb meaning "Gate of Grief" in Arabic , is a strait located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, Djibouti and Eritrea, north of Somalia, in the Horn of Africa, and connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden...
straits, which separates Ras Menheli
Ras Menheli
Ras Menheli is a point in Yemen on the coast of Bab-el-Mandeb close to the island of Perim....
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, on the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
and Ras Siyan
Ras Siyan
Ras Siyan is a peninsula in the Obock Region of Djibouti. Located at , it lies on the coast of the Bab-el-Mandeb....
, Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, on the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
. The Yemeni island of Perim
Perim
Perim is a volcanic island strategically located in the Strait of Mandeb at the southern entrance into the Red Sea, off the southwestern coast of Yemen, at . It has a surface area of 13 square kilometers and rises to an altitude of 65 meters. The island has a natural harbour on its southwestern...
divides the strait into two channels, Bab Iskender and Dact-el-Mayun respectively.
The western section of the straits, Dact-el-Mayun, has a width of about 16 miles (25.7 km) and a depth of 170 fathoms (310.9 m).
Near the African coast lies a group of smaller islands known as the Seven Brothers
Seven Brothers (islands)
Seven Brothers are an island archipelago of Djibouti, situated approximately from its coast.-Overview:...
.
The straits are about 20 miles (32.2 km) wide in total.