The
Gulf of Aden ( , ) is a
gulf located in the
Arabian Sea between
Yemen, on the south coast of the
Arabian Peninsula, and
Somalia in the
Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the
Red Sea through the
Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is more than 20 miles wide. It shares its name with the port city of
Aden in
Yemen, which forms the northern shore of the gulf. Historically the Gulf of Aden was known as "The Gulf of Berbera", named after the ancient Somali port city of
Berbera on the south side of the gulf. However, as the city of
Aden grew during the colonial era, the name of "Gulf of Aden" was popularised.