Sawu Sea
| Savu Sea | |
|---|---|
| Sawu Sea | |
Location of Savu Sea within Southeast Asia
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| Location | Southeast Asia |
| Type | Sea |
| Etymology | Savu Island |
| Part of | Indian Ocean |
| Basin countries | East Timor, Indonesia |
| Settlements | Kupang |
The Savu Sea (or the Sawu Sea) is a small sea within Indonesia named for the island of Savu (Sawu) on its southern boundary. It is bounded by Savu and Rai Jua to the south, the islands of Rote and Timor (split between East Timor and Indonesia) to the east, Flores and the Alor archipelago to the north/northwest, and the island of Sumba to the west/northwest. Between these islands, it flows into the Indian Ocean to the south and west, the Flores Sea to the north, and the Banda Sea to the northeast.
The Savu Sea reaches about 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) in depth. It spans about 600 km from west to east, and 200 km from north to south. The largest city on the sea is Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province on the island of Timor, with about 450,000 inhabitants.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defines the Savu Sea as being one of the waters of the East Indian Archipelago. The IHO defines its limits as follows:
On the North. By the Southern limits of Flores Sea [The North coasts of Flores, Komodo, Banta and a line to Tanjong Naroe the Northeast point of Soembawa, thence along its North coast to Tanjong Sarokaja (8°22′S 117°10′E / 8.367°S 117.167°E)] and Banda Sea [125° East ... [on] Alor Island, thence round the East point and along the North coasts of the Alor, Pantar, Lomblen and Adoenara Islands and thence across the Northern end of Flores Stait to Tanjong Serbete the Eastern extreme of Flores].
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