| Quick Facts: | Arafura Sea |
|---|---|
| Countries: | Australia Indonesia Papua New Guinea |
| Major Islands: | Aru Islands Croker Island Goulburn Islands Howard Island |
| Max. depth: | 50–80 meters (165-265 ft) |
| Temperature: | Winter: 26.1°C Summer: 28.4°C |
| Salinity: | 33.6 – 35% |
| Area: | 650.087 km² (250.966 mi²) |
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. It merges on the west with the Timor Sea and on the east it is connected by the Torres Strait with the Coral Sea.
Arafura Sea is 800 miles (1,290 km) long by 350 miles (560 km) wide. There aren’t many major rivers that directly feed the Arafura Sea, a notable exception being Digul River.
The Arafura Sea hosts some inhabited islands, the biggest group of islands being the Aru Islands, that have a population of over 80,000 people. Other notable islands include the Croker Island and the Howard Island that belongs to the Australian province of Northern Territory.
