Consider the following statements: 1. The Red Sea receives very little precipitation in any form. 2. No water enters the Red Sea from rivers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: C. Both statements about the Red Sea are correct. Statement 1 is CORRECT. The Red Sea region is arid, surrounded by deserts (Sahara, Arabian, Nubian). Annual precipitation over the sea is minimal, typically less than 100 mm. This makes evaporation greatly exceed precipitation, resulting in higher salinity (around 40 PSU vs world ocean 35 PSU). Statement 2 is CORRECT. No major permanent rivers drain into the Red Sea. The Nile flows north into the Mediterranean, not the Red Sea. Wadis (dry valleys) in Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen carry only ephemeral flow after rare rain events; no permanent river contributes. Both factors (no rain, no river input) make the Red Sea unique in lacking significant freshwater input. Hence its high salinity and warm surface waters. Source: NCERT Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography / NOAA oceanographic data.