About Arafura Sea, facts and maps

The Arafura Sea name is therefore from the indigenous name for “the people of mountains” in the Moluccas (part of Indonesia) as identified by Dutch Lieutenants Kolff and Modera in the 1830’s. The Arafura Sea is a rich fishery resource, particularly for shrimp and demersal fish. Economically important species include Barramundi, grouper, Penaeid shrimp, and Nemipteridae fishes, among others.

Arafura Sea is a sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Australia and the southern coast of New Guinea. The Arafura Sea is the name of the sea abutting the north coast of the Northern Territory between Cape Don and Cape Arnhem. The name first appeared in use in GW Earl’s 1837 “Sailing Directions for the Arafura” in which he compiled translations from earlier Dutch mariner explorations. Arafura Marine Park is about 250 kilometres north-east of Darwin.

It has been suggested that the name Arafura is of Portuguese origin, being the corruption of the word “Alfours” meaning “free men”, but recent research at the Dutch National Archives has revealed AJ van der Aa’s 1939 Toponymic Dictionary records “the inhabitants of the Moluccas called themselves “haraforas”, translating “Anak anak gunung” as “children of the mountains”.”

What is the difference between Arafura Sea and Tasman Sea?
The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf between Australia and Indonesian New Guinea. The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand.

The Arafura Sea is bordered by the Gulf of Carpentaria and the continent of Australia to the south, the Timor Sea to the west, the Banda and Seram seas to the northwest, and the Torres Strait to the east. (Just across the strait, farther to the east, lies the Coral Sea). The Arafura Sea is 1,290 kilometres (800 mi) long and 560 kilometres (350 mi) wide. The depth of the sea is 50–80 m (160–260 ft) in most places, with the depth increasing to the west.

The sea lies over the Arafura Shelf, which is a section of the Sahul Shelf. When sea levels were low during the last glacial maximum, the Arafura Shelf, the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Torres Strait formed a large, flat, land bridge that connected Australia and New Guinea and eased the migration of humans from Asia into Australia. The combined landmass formed the continent of Sahul.

Are there pirates in Australian waters?

In Australia, being an island nation, you could be forgiven for believing in the existence of pirates within Australian waters. We did have pirates, however, our best-known pirates are not how we would traditionally think of them.

What countries surround the Arafura Sea?

At the regional scale, the ecosystems of both seas are important players economically and ecologically for the four littoral nations bordering the Arafura and Timor Sea: Australia, Indonesia, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea.

How big is the Arafura Sea?

650,000 km²

What are the 3 seas in Australia?

Australia’s oceans and seas include those off the mainland and its offshore territories in the Pacific, Southern and Indian Oceans as well as the Timor, Tasman and Coral Seas.

What is the deepest sea in Australia?

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The Dordrecht Deep is located in the Diamantina Trench southwest of Perth, Western Australia.

What is the ocean under Australia called?

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the Pacific Ocean

Most of Australia and Oceania is under the Pacific, a vast body of water that is larger than all the Earth’s continental landmasses and islands combined. The name “Oceania” justly establishes the Pacific Ocean as the defining characteristic of the continent. Oceania is dominated by the nation of Australia.