Caribbean
Sea, pronounced kar uh BEE uhn or pronounced kuh RIHB ee uhn, is a part of the
Atlantic
Ocean between the West Indies, and bounded on the south by
South America and Panama, and on the west by Central America.
The name of the sea is derived from the Carib people, who
inhabited the area when Spanish explorers arrived there in the
15th century. The Caribbean is approximately 2415 km
(approximately 1500 mi) long east and west and between about 640
and 1450 km (about 400 and 900 mi) wide. It has an area of about
1,942,500 sq km (about 750,000 sq mi). The widest entrance is the Yucatan Channel, between Mexico and Cuba. Ships sail the Caribbean carrying sugar from the West Indies; petroleum from Venezuela and Colombia; coffee from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala; and bananas from Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador.
The Windward
Passage between Cuba and Haiti is a major shipping route between
the United States and the Panama Canal. Many gulfs and bays
indent the coastline of South America, "Guyana"
and notably the Gulf
of Venezuela, which carries tidal waters to Lake Maracaibo in
Venezuela. With a few exceptions the entire Caribbean Basin is
more than 1830 m (more than 6000 ft) deep. Large areas of the
sea exceed 3660 m (12,000 ft) in depth; the greatest depth
measured thus far is Cayman Trench (7535 m/24,720 ft) between
Jamaica and Cayman Islands. Navigation is open and clear, making
the Caribbean a major trade route for Latin American countries.
The main oceanic current in the Caribbean Sea is an extension of
the North Equatorial and South Equatorial currents, which enter
the sea at the southeastern extremity and flow in a generally
northwestern direction.
Geology
and Climate: Geologically, the Caribbean Sea consists of two
main basins separated by a broad, submarine plateau. Cayman
Trench, a trench between Cuba and Jamaica, contains the
Caribbean's deepest point (24,721 ft/7,535 m below sea level).
The Caribbean's water is clear, warm (75°F/24°C), and less
salty than the Atlantic; the basin has a very low tidal range
(c.1 ft/.3 m). The Caribbean Sea has a counterclockwise current;
water enters through the Lesser Antilles, is warmed, and exits
via the Yucatán Channel, where it forms the Gulf Stream.
Volcanic activity and earthquakes are common in the Caribbean,
as are destructive hurricanes that originate over the sea or in
the Atlantic.
The United States has military bases in Panama and Puerto Rico. In the 1500's and 1600's, many pirates and privateers sailed the Caribbean, plundering cargo ships on the Spanish Main.
Spanish Main was the name English traders and pirates gave to the northern coast of South America and to the Caribbean Sea and its islands. Spain had gained control of the entire Caribbean region by 1550. Spanish Main comes from the term Spanish mainland, which referred to what are now Colombia and Venezuela. English sailors later shortened the name to Spanish Main.
The
Caribbean a popular resort area, the Caribbean Sea is noted for
its mild tropical climate. Have
a good Lime!!! |
