The Agulhas Current is one of the major currents of the world ocean. In the network of currents that connect the major ocean basins, it forms a key link. This linkage may be of critical importance in the way the ocean affects the earth's climate and climate change. Based on the research findings of 60 years, the author describes the origins of the Agulhas Current, its behaviour, its influence on the adjacent continental shelf, its effect on local weather as well as its role in linking the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean. The text is well-illustrated and includes small asides on the history of research on the Agulhas Current. An exhaustive bibliography gives easy access to present knowledge on this important current system.

Large-scale circulation of the South West Indian Ocean.- Sources of the Agulhas Current.- The northern Agulhas Current.- The southern Agulhas Current.- The Agulhas Current retroflection.- The Agulhas return flow.- The greater Agulhas Current: some reflections.