The marginal semi-enclosed sea of the Atlantic Ocean basin, from the west and south, is bounded by Central and South America, from the north and east - by the Greater and Lesser Antilles. In the northwest through the Yucatan Strait it is connected to the Gulf of Mexico, in the southwest - with the Pacific Ocean through the artificial Panama Canal.
Lies between 9 ° and 22 ° N. NS. and between 89 ° and 60 ° W. d., its area is approximately 2,753,000 km2. sq.
In the south, it washes Venezuela, Colombia and Panama, in the west - Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula, in the north - Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico; in the east - the states of the Lesser Antilles
Caribbean coastline
The coastline of the sea is strongly indented, the shores are mountainous in places, and low in places (Caribbean lowland). The shallow waters contain a variety of coral deposits and numerous reef structures. There are several bays on the continental coast, the largest of which are Honduran, Mosquito, Darien and Venezuelan. In the northern part are the Batabano, Ana Maria and Guacanayabo bays (southern coast of Cuba), as well as Gonave Bay (western Haiti).
There are several bays on the east coast of the Yucatan, including Asencion, Espiritu Santo and Chetumal. The Gulf of Honduras ends in Amatique Bay, located on the Belize-Guatemala border. The northern coast of Honduras is weakly indented, and several lagoons jut into the Mosquito coast, including the lagoons of Karataska, Bismuna, Perlas and Bluefields Bay. In the east of Panama is the large Chiriqui lagoon. Off the coast of South America, the Darien Gulf ends in the Uraba Gulf, and the Venezuelan Gulf fenced off by the Guajira Peninsula - by Lake Maracaibo. To the west of the island of Trinidad lies the Gulf of Paria, which is considered part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Islands
It is customary to include the Antilles and Bahamas in the West Indies concept. The Caribbean Sea is washed only by the Antilles, which are subdivided into the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles border the northern border of the sea and include four large islands: Cuba, Haiti (formerly called Hispaniola), Jamaica and Puerto Rico, as well as small nearby islands - the Los Canarreos archipelagos (the largest island of Juventud) and Jardines de la Reina, lying off the southern coast of Cuba.
The Lesser Antilles are subdivided into the Windward and Leeward Islands (South Antilles), so named in relation to the northwest trade wind. The first group lies on the eastern border of the sea and consists of about 50 islands, the largest of which are: Santa Cruz, Saint Thomas (Virgin Islands), Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint Kitts, Barbuda, Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda), Grand Ter and Basse Ter (Guadeloupe), Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Barbados, Grenada, Tobago and Trinidad. The South Antilles are located along the coast of South America and include the islands of Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire (the Netherlands), Margarita, the Las Aves and Los Roques archipelagos (Venezuela) and a number of others, smaller in area.
The western Caribbean has several archipelagos such as the Cayman Islands, Terneff Islands, Islas de la Bahia and Miskitos, as well as a number of individual islands (Providencia, San Andres) and reefs (Lighthouse, Glover, Media Luna and other).
Climate
The Caribbean Sea has a tropical climate influenced by trade winds. Average monthly air temperatures range from 23 to 27 ° C. Cloudiness is 4-5 points.
Average annual rainfall in the region varies from 250 mm on Bonaire Island to 9,000 mm in the windward parts of Dominica. Northeast trade winds prevail with average speeds of 16-32 km / h, however, tropical hurricanes occur in the northern regions of the sea, the speed of which can exceed 120 km / h. On average, 8-9 such hurricanes occur per year from June to November, and they are most frequent in September-October.
Vegetation of the Caribbean
The vegetation of the region is predominantly tropical, but differences in topographic, soil and climatic conditions increase the species diversity. The islands' porous limestone terraces are generally poor in nutrients. There are an estimated 13,000 plant species in the Caribbean, of which 6,500 are endemic, such as the guaiac tree and mahogany rolls. In coastal areas, the coconut tree is widespread, lagoons and river estuaries are overgrown with dense mangroves (red and black mangroves).
Animal world
The marine biota of the region originated from the representatives of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, which entered the Caribbean Sea before the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama about 4 million years ago. The Caribbean Sea is home to approximately 450 species of fish, including sharks (bull shark, tiger shark, silk shark and Caribbean reef shark), flying fish, sea devils, orange fin surgeon, angel fish, ocellated butterfly fish, parrotfish, giant perch, tarpon and moray eels. All over the Caribbean region there is an industrial harvest of lobsters, sardines (off the coast of the Yucatan) and some types of tuna. Albuleds, barracudas, marlins and wahoo are popular with hobby fishermen.
Mammals in the Caribbean are represented by 90 species, including sperm whales, humpback whales and dolphins. Seals and American manatees live off the island of Jamaica. The Caribbean monk seal, which previously dwelt in the region, is considered extinct; representatives of the family of snipes, native to the region, are under the threat of extinction.
All 170 amphibian species found in the region are endemic. The habitats of almost all representatives of the families of toads, poison dart frogs, tree frogs and whistlers are limited to any one island.
There are 600 bird species recorded in the Caribbean, of which 163 are endemic to the region, such as the Todi, the Cuban Awl-billed woodpecker and the Cossack. Of the endemics, 48 species are threatened with extinction: the Puerto Rican Amazon, Cuban ratchet, Cuban wren, etc. The Antilles, along with Central America, lie on the migration route of birds from North America, so the size of bird populations is subject to strong seasonal fluctuations. Parrots, sugar birds and toucans are found in the forests, frigates and phaetons can be found over the open sea.
Tourism
Thanks to its warm climate and magnificent beaches, the Caribbean region is one of the main resort areas in the world. The rich marine fauna attracts divers; in addition to natural beauty, the region is rich in cultural monuments of pre-Columbian civilizations and the colonial era. The tourism industry is an important part of the economy of the Caribbean region, serving mainly travelers from the USA, Canada, Brazil and Argentina. Air traffic between North America and the Caribbean is better developed than within the region.
CARIBBEAN SEA, Caribbean Sea, semi-enclosed marginal sea in the western part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. In the west and south, it is limited by the mainland coasts of Central and South America, in the north and east - by the Greater Antilles ridge (Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico) and the Windward Islands from the Lesser Antilles group. It is communicated by the Yucatan Strait with the Gulf of Mexico, numerous straits in the archipelagos of the Greater and Lesser Antilles - with the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal - with the Pacific Ocean. The area is 2777 thousand km 2, the volume is 6745 thousand km 3. Maximum depth 7090 m (Cayman trench).
The shores of Central America are low, wooded, South America is mostly high, steep, with some low areas covered with mangrove thickets. Most of the islands have mountainous and steep shores. The western and partly southwestern coasts of the sea are bordered by reefs. The main large bays are located in the western and southern parts of the sea: Honduran, Mosquito, Darien, Venezuelan Gulf with Lake Maracaibo, Paria. Of the large islands - Jamaica; many small islands, most of them in the western and southeastern parts of the sea.
The shelf is well expressed only off the coasts of Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela (100-240 km), the continental slope is steep, on average about 17 °, in some parts of the slope there is a steepness of up to 45 °. On the bottom, strongly dissected by underwater ridges, there are deep depressions: Yucatan (4800 m), Columbia (4259 m), Venezuelan (5420 m), Grenada (4120 m). In the north of the Caribbean Sea, from west to east along the southern foot of the underwater ridge of the same name, the Cayman deep-water trench is stretched. Most of the underwater ridges (Aves, Beata, the Marcelino rapids, etc.), apparently, are submerged island arcs. Bottom sediments are mainly represented by calcareous foraminiferal silts. Mud flows are an important factor of sedimentation for the flat relief of the basins; the most powerful precipitation was found in the north of the Venezuelan basin (up to 12 km).
The climate is maritime, warm, with low seasonal variability, determined by the location of the Caribbean Sea in the zone of trade wind circulation of the atmosphere. Average air temperatures in February are 24-27 ° С, in August 27-30 ° С. The amount of precipitation increases from east to west from 500 to 2000 mm per year. The greatest average monthly precipitation falls in summer off the coast of Panama (up to 400 mm), the least - in winter off the coast of Cuba (about 20 mm). Northeast trade winds with speeds of 5-7 m / s prevail over the sea. Stormy conditions are usually associated with tropical hurricanes, in which wind speeds reach 40-60 m / s. Hurricanes cross the Caribbean Sea in the western and northwestern directions at a speed of 10-20 km / h with an average recurrence rate of 3 times a year (in some years more than 10).
Water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean is carried out mainly through deep straits: Windward, Sombrero, Dominica, etc .; with the Gulf of Mexico - through the Yucatan. The excitement is predominantly of the eastern and northeastern directions, on average 3-4, rarely 5 points. The magnitude of the annual level fluctuations is small and usually ranges from 8 to 30 cm. Short-term level fluctuations are observed during the passage of tropical hurricanes. Irregular semi-daily tides, off the coast of Venezuela - irregular daily tides, up to 1 m.
The circulation of water is set by the branches of the Antilles Current and the Guiana Current entering the Caribbean Sea through the northern and eastern inter-island straits. These waters spread westward under the name of the Caribbean Current. In the eastern part of the sea, the current moves in two streams at a distance of 200-300 km from each other. At about 80 ° West longitude, both streams merge into one. The current velocity in the western part of the sea reaches 70 cm / s. Off the coast of Cuba and Jamaica, the current forms several anticyclonic gyres, cyclonic eddies are observed along the coasts of Venezuela, Panama and Costa Rica. The waters of the Caribbean Current through the Yucatan Strait are carried into the Gulf of Mexico. In the strait, the highest surface current velocities from the mainland coast are up to 150 cm / s.
The surface water temperature during the year varies from 26 ° C in winter to 29 ° C in summer. Deep-sea basins are filled with Atlantic waters with a temperature of about 4.3 ° C. The average salinity of water on the surface is from 35.5 to 36.5 ‰. By the end of the summer season, due to the abundance of precipitation and fresh river runoff, salinity decreases by 0.5-1.0 ‰, its lowest values (33-34 ‰) near the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are explained by the large fresh runoff of the Orinoco River. The highest salinity of surface waters is in a narrow strip off the coast of South America and the coasts of Haiti and Cuba (over 36 ‰).
There are about 800 fish species in the Caribbean, of which more than half are edible. Of the commercial fish, the most important are representatives of the families of snapper, serranaceae, sea carp, several species of mullet, croaker, as well as sardinella, horse mackerel, mackerel, tarpon, anchovies. Fish of the open ocean are widespread - tuna, marlins, sailboats, common coryphane, sharks.
The Caribbean coast is known for its beautiful beaches and is the largest recreational area with numerous resorts. Busy shipping; runs the sea route through the Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The main ports are Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Maracaibo (Venezuela), Barranquilla and Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama).
Lit .: Zalogin B.S., Kosarev A.N. Morya. Moscow, 1999, M.G. Deev.
The fact that somewhere on Earth there are Caribbean islands today knows not that every schoolboy, but also a preschool child. But not every adult will answer the question of where exactly these Caribbean islands are located. Today we will try to restore this gap and go on a virtual trip to the islands of the Caribbean Sea.
How to get to the Caribbean Islands?
The Caribbean Sea, as well as the Caribbean islands, are nestled between the two Americas - South and North. Getting here is quite simple - you just have to buy an air ticket and a ticket to a piece of paradise is already in your hands. Flights here are regularly operated by airlines such as Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Some of the Caribbean islands can only be reached with transfers, having first purchased an air ticket to Canada or the United States.
The Caribbean Islands - What Country Is It?
Tourists who are constrained by visa restrictions, of course, cannot but be interested in which state the Caribbean islands belong to. In total, the Caribbean includes more than fifty islands, some of which are separate independent states, while others are the property of England, America, France. But tourists can be calm - to enter the territory of most of the Caribbean islands, a visa is simply not needed.
Where is the capital of the Caribbean?
Considering the diversity of the political map of the Caribbean Islands, it is naturally not necessary to speak of their single capital.
Caribbean islands - names
All islands that make up the Caribbean are usually divided into three groups:
- Greater Antilles... These include Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
- Lesser Antilles, which includes about 50 islands, such as Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua, Martinique, Saint Thomas, Tobago, Trinidad, etc.
- Bahamas, which include about 30 inhabited islands and more than 2000 coral reefs.
Before you know where the Caribbean islands are on the world map, you need to get some general information about them. They include the Antilles, which rise significantly above sea level, as well as the Bahamas from coral reefs. Most of them are of volcanic origin. Some islands are surrounded by large coral reefs, the tops of which protrude from the water and are overgrown with palm trees. The Greater Antilles includes four large land areas that stretch from the mainland, among them Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba. The Lesser Antilles includes a scattering of small lands, which include the Bahamas, Caicos, Turks, Bourbuda, Antigua, Virginia Archipelago, Guadeloupe, Barbados, and so on.
Hard to say, which country is the Caribbean, since they include all the land areas washed by the Caribbean Sea. Moreover, parts of the archipelago territorially belong to different states. Previously, they were known to the world as the legendary Antilia, then as the West Indies and only then as the Caribbean, nestled inside a kind of geographical depression between South and North America. Some of the islands are not inhabited, but most of them still have a developed resort network. Today, about fifty islands are the places where guests from all over the world come.
The popularity of these latitudes is due to the harmonious combination of a mild climate, rich historical heritage, and picturesque natural landscapes.
An important advantage of the Caribbean is the opportunity to have a rest all year round, because it is never cold here, there is an eternal summer and sunny weather. The need for visas is becoming a big question. It is the tourists who are constrained by visa restrictions who are most interested in Caribbean Islands is where what countries they belong to. The Caribbean includes more than fifty islands, some of which are separate states, while others are considered the territorial property of France, America and England. However, most areas of the Caribbean do not require a visa from their guests. All cruises are operated from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States, so you still have to get to the city of departure by plane, so cruise travelers cannot do without a visa. The most common cruise lines are the Eastern, Southern and Western Caribbean. It is also worth noting that the cost of the tour depends on the number of islands included in the route.
Which Caribbean Islands to visit
Among the huge list of sites in the Caribbean, there are several areas that are most popular. After the tourist understands where the Caribbean islands are, he needs to make a specific choice where he goes to rest. To do this, you should familiarize yourself with the basic information known about most resorts. Some of them are distinguished by a developed tourist network, others make travelers fall in love with their remoteness from the usual civilization. Domestic tourists, as a rule, choose among such offers:
The list can be continued for a very long time. It is noteworthy that before you go to travel, you must also view the weather in the Caribbean by months, which will allow you to make the right choice.
Caribbean weather
Weather conditions for different land areas belonging to the same archipelago may vary slightly. However, in general, the climate ranges from humid to tropical temperate. It should be noted that the moisture index for any island will remain consistently high, which contributes to the excellent growth of various types of vegetation. Cleaner and drier air is always in mountainous areas. The air temperature here does not drop below +25 degrees. The water near the coast remains warm all year round, its temperature does not drop below +22 degrees. Care should be taken when planning a vacation in these latitudes from September to November. Since this period is characterized by increased rainfall with possible hurricanes.
The local summer is characterized by moderate heat, which is relieved by the trade winds blowing from the sea. The peak of tourism falls on the period from December to April, so domestic travelers often celebrate the New Year here. From August to November, the so-called "Off Season" begins in the Caribbean. It is worth noting that it is quite difficult to predict a Caribbean holiday, because on one part of the land there can be a torrential downpour, and on the other the sun is shining brightly. Thus, it is important not only to view photos of the beaches of the Caribbean islands on the Internet, but also to read reviews of tourists who have already had a rest here.
The Caribbean Sea is a tropical sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean basin.
The Caribbean Sea, located between the Americas, has a long history. There is a splendid nature and excellent conditions for the development of tourism.
Origin
The ancient age of the sea has not been precisely established by science. It is believed that it began with a small reservoir, which in the Cretaceous period acquired the features of a modern sea.
The rising waters connected it to the Atlantic Ocean. It received its modern name from the Caribbean, who displaced after the first millennium AD. Indians of the Antilles. Therefore, the Europeans, who discovered the sea in the middle of the last millennium, named it after this people.
Historical events
In the Middle Ages, the first Spanish settlement was founded in present-day Haiti. Then Cuba and Hispaniola were conquered. Local Indians became slaves. Mexico was later conquered and colonized. British, French, Dutch and Danish colonies appeared. The mining of gold and silver, the production of dyes, tobacco and sugar were organized. For this, slaves were brought from Africa.
Caribbean Sea. about Haiti photos
Active trade with the metropolises caused the emergence of piracy in the 17th century, which flourished in the 1700-1730s. Pirates hunted in this sea until the beginning of the 19th century. Since that time, the process of decolonization begins, which ended in the twentieth century. In place of the colonies, independent states were formed.
The United States began to play a dominant role in the region. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Sea was recognized by the Association of Caribbean States as a common heritage and a valueless asset driving cooperation in tourism, trade, transport and disaster management.
Currents
The sea has several currents. So, from the southeast, the currents drive cold water to the northwest at depths from 500 to 3000 m. Warmer subtropical currents go from above and continue the movement created by winds in a westerly direction.
Passing the coast of Central America, these waters enter the bay off the Mexican coast, raising its level above the Atlantic Ocean. It is characteristic that if it usually flows at a speed of up to 2.8 km / h, then at the entrance to the strait near the Yucatan Peninsula it reaches 6 km / h.
The result is a head called hydrostatic. It is believed that it is he who makes the Gulf Stream move. On the southern side of the sea, for almost a year, there is a circular rotation of the water.
What rivers flow
The largest river in the region is the Colombian Magdalena, 1,500 kilometers long. In the same country, Atrato, Leon and Turbo flow into the sea. The rivers Dike, Sinu, Katatumbo and Chama flow into Lake Maracaibo connected to the sea.
Several rivers (Belen, Cricamola, Teribe, etc.) flow into the sea from the North American continent. Bambana, Indio, Coco, Curinoas, Kukalaya, Prinzapolca, Rio Escondido and others flow through Nicaragua.
From the territories of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, the sea receives the waters of ten rivers of these countries. On the largest islands of the sea rivers flow: in Haiti - the Yaque del Sur and Artibonite; in Cuba - Kauto and Sasa; in Jamaica - Milk River and Black River.
Relief
There are several significant depths in the sea, called hollows, with a depth of 4120 to 7680 m. Among them:
- Venezuelan (5420m)
- Grenada (4120m)
- Caymanova (7090m)
- Colombian (4532m)
- Yucatan (5055m)
They are separated by underwater ridges and straits. The highest of these ranges is off the coast of Venezuela. From its summit to the sea surface over 2100 m. The straits have a depth of more than one and a half kilometers. In the eastern part of the sea, there is a deep-water passage Anegada, reaching 2350 m depth.
coral caribbean photos
The deep-sea bottom of the Caribbean Sea is calcareous or slightly manganese silt. In shallow waters, sand or coral thickets.
Cities
There are dozens of cities on the North American and South American coasts and islands. Most of them have a long history of colonization. Thus, the Colombian port of Cartagena is conveniently located at the exit from the Darien Bay and was one of the key ports of the sea. He retained this meaning today.
Havana photo
Venezuelan Cumana was the stronghold of the Spanish colonialists who explored the mainland. Founded in 1511, Havana has turned from a once small settlement into a powerful fortress. Today it is the capital of the Republic of Cuba.
Santo Domingo photos
The current capital of the Dominican Republic, the city of Santo Domingo, had the status of the most beautiful city in the New World. Today it is one of the centers of Caribbean tourism. Costa Rican Lemon, Colombian Barranquilla, Maracaibo in Venezuela, Port-au-Prince in Haiti, Cienfuegos in Cuba have become modern port cities. Many coastal towns are centers of tourism.
Flora and fauna
The rich and varied fauna is represented here by hundreds of species of fish and birds, many mammals. Only local sharks here are four species, which include: bull sharks tiger silk sharks sharks that live in the Caribbean reefs.
shark in the caribbean
There are such fish as: flying fish and angel fish, sea devil, parrot fish and butterfly fish, tarpon, moray eels. Commercial marine animals include sardines, lobsters and tuna. Divers and fishermen are attracted by marlins and barracudas.
Among mammals, dolphins, sperm whales, humpback whales, as well as American manatees and groups of seals live here. On the islands you can find various crocodiles and turtles, rare species of amphibians.
underwater world of the caribbean
Of the 600 bird species, many are not found elsewhere. The forests are home to toucans, parrots and other land birds. Phaetons and frigates can be seen above the water.
The vegetation of the Caribbean Sea, mainly tropical, here you can see fields of underwater macroalgae, there are several dozen of them here. Around corals, the flora is more diverse: sea rupee, tortoiseshell alassia, cymodocea algae. Coastal mangroves attract many marine life.
beauty of the caribbean
Characteristic
The sea has an area of over 2.7 million square meters. km, average depth 1225m, maximum depth 7686m. It washes the shores of such continental countries: Venezuela and Honduras, Colombia and Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua, Panama and Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.
There are also small island countries on fifty islands. The islands, called the Lesser Antilles, are located in the eastern part of the sea.
turtle in the caribbean
The South Antilles are scattered along the South American coast. Several archipelagos and many small islands lie on the western side of the sea.
The salinity of the water is about 35 ppm.
Climate
The climate is tropical with significant rainfall depending on the region and season. It is influenced by the circulation of air currents, the average speed of which can reach 30 km per hour. And there are also winds with a speed of 120 km / h, which causes hurricanes and storms. Such cataclysms are found in the northern part of the sea. They can destroy homes, ruin crops, take lives. The average monthly temperature ranges from 21 to 29 degrees Celsius. In the east, about 500mm falls, in the west, about 2000mm.
- the northern hemisphere's largest coral barrier reef is located off the coast of Belize
- a third of the sea's reefs have been destroyed or in serious danger by human activities
- important for tourism, diving and fishing bring the Caribbean countries up to $ 4 billion annually
- coffee, bananas, sugar, rum, bauxite, oil, nickel produced in the countries of the region are exported mainly to the USA and Canada
- on the islands of the sea, the number of people employed in the tourism sector, the volume of investments in it is two times higher than the world average. Port Royal was the largest English colony and the pirate capital in the region. In 1692, it was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami.
