Indian Ocean explained to kids

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world, after the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It covers an area of about 73 million square kilometers (28 million square miles). The Indian Ocean is located between Asia and Africa, and is bounded by the Indian subcontinent on the north, the Arabian Peninsula on the west, and Australia on the east. The Indian Ocean is home to a great diversity of marine life, including many endangered species. The coral reefs of the Indian Ocean are some of the most beautiful and diverse in the world. The Indian Ocean has a long history of human use and settlement. The first humans to settle in the region were the Austronesian peoples, who began migrating to the area from Southeast Asia around 5,000 years ago. Since then, the Indian Ocean has been an important route for trade and cultural exchange. Today, the Indian Ocean is an important economic region. The countries of the Indian Ocean Rim (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, and Somalia) are among the fastest growing in the world. The Indian Ocean is also an important source of oil and gas.