Bay of Bengal

1. Bay of Bengal Bay of Bengal is a triangular shaped bay in the Indian Ocean, and has derived its name from West Bengal, which lies on the north. Bay of Bengal lies in the north eastern part of the Indian Ocean. It is in fact a triangular shaped salt-water sea. The bay is surrounded by the Malay Peninsula on the east, and by the Indian subcontinent on the west. The northern section of the bay borders the Bengal region, comprising the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh. As it surrounds the Bengal region, the bay has derived the name Bay of Bengal. The southern tips margin the island country of Sri Lanka, and the Indian Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Climate of Bay of Bengal The monsoon currents regulate the climate of the Bay of Bengal and the regions around it. During the months of January to October, the current flows towards the north in a clockwise circulation pattern and is called the East Indian Current. The Bay of Bengal monsoon moves in a northwest direction hitting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the end of May and then the North Eastern Coast of India by the end of June. Throughout the remaining part of the year, a counter-clockwise current flows towards the southwest direction, and is called the East Indian Winter Jet. During the months of September and December the weather is very active. The monsoon season often brings in severe cyclones, which affect Eastern India as well as parts of other countries. The 1971 Orissa cyclone is one of the worst. Rivers of Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal spreads over an area of 2,172,000 sq km. Many large rivers like the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Irrawaddy, the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Krishna and the Kaveri drain their water into the Bay of Bengal. The shortest river, which flows into the bay, is the Cooum River. It has a length of 64 km. The Sundarban mangrove forest lies at the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The Ayeyarwady River of Myanmar also drains its water into the bay. Rivers of Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal spreads over an area of 2,172,000 sq km. Many

2. large rivers like the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Irrawaddy, the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Krishna and the Kaveri drain their water into the Bay of Bengal. The shortest river, which flows into the bay, is the Cooum River. It has a length of 64 km. The Sundarban mangrove forest lies at the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The Ayeyarwady River of Myanmar also drains its water into the bay. Sea Ports and Islands on Bay of Bengal The significant ports include, Kolkata, Cuddalore, Kakinada, Vizag, Machlipatnam, Chennai, Paradip and Vishakapatnam. There are also many islands in the Bay of Bengal. The important ones are the Andaman, Nicobar and the Mergui groups of islands. Great Andaman is the chief archipelago of the Andaman Islands, whereas another group of islands, called the Ritchie's Archipelago, is made up of much smaller islands. Out of the 572 islands and islets of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, only 37 are peopled.