Bab-el-Mandeb Map

Description: This map shows countries, capitals, provinces, islands, and cities in the Bab-el-Mandeb Area.

Description: This map shows countries, cities, towns, ports, roads, and airports in the Bab-el-Mandeb Area.

Description: This map shows where Bab-el-Mandeb is located on the Asia Map.

Description: This map shows where Bab-el-Mandeb is located on the Africa Map.

Bab-el-Mandeb (Arabic: باب المندب, meaning "Gate of Tears" or "Gate of Grief") is a strait located between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The strait lies between Yemen to the northeast and Djibouti and Eritrea to the southwest. Its coordinates are approximately 12°35′N 43°20′E. The total width of the strait at its narrowest point is approximately 26 kilometres (16 miles).

Perim Island (also known as Mayyun Island), administered by Yemen, divides the strait into two channels. The eastern channel, known as Bab Iskender (Alexander's Strait), is approximately 3 km wide and 30 metres deep. The wider western channel, Dact-el-Mayun, measures approximately 25 km wide and reaches depths of up to 310 metres. Commercial shipping predominantly uses the western channel.

Bab-el-Mandeb is considered one of the world's most strategically significant chokepoints. Approximately 21,000 vessels transit the strait annually, carrying an estimated 6 million barrels of oil per day, along with substantial volumes of liquefied natural gas and general cargo. It serves as a critical link on the route between Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal.

The strait has historical significance as a maritime route dating back to ancient times. Control over Bab-el-Mandeb has been contested by various powers throughout history, including the Ottoman Empire and later Great Britain, which held Perim Island from 1799 and maintained a presence there until the late 20th century.

Due to ongoing instability in Yemen and the activities of Houthi forces since 2023, the strait has experienced significant disruptions to commercial shipping, prompting major shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.