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Caribbean Sea

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General Geography

   Map of Central America and the Caribbean
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   Map of Central America and the Caribbean
   A Caribbean beach in Isla Margarita, Venezuela.
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   A Caribbean beach in Isla Margarita, Venezuela.

   The Caribbean Sea ( pronounced /kəˈɹɪbiən/ or /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/) is a
   tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean,
   southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. A mediterranean sea, it covers most of
   the Caribbean Plate and is bounded on the south by South America, on
   the west and south by Mexico and Central America, and on the north and
   east by the Antilles: the Greater Antilles islands of Cuba, Hispaniola,
   Jamaica, and Puerto Rico lie to the north, and a plethora of Lesser
   Antilles bound the sea on the east. The entire area of the Caribbean
   Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts, are
   collectively known as the Caribbean.

   The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest salt water seas and has an area
   of about 2,754,000 km² (1,063,000 square miles). The sea's deepest
   point is the Cayman Trough, between Cuba and Jamaica, at 7,686 m
   (25,220 feet) below sea level. The Caribbean coastline has many gulfs
   and bays: the Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Darien, Golfo de los Mosquitos
   and Gulf of Honduras.

History

   The name "Caribbean" is derived from the Caribs, one of the dominant
   American Indian groups in the region at the time of European contact
   during the late 15th century. After the discovery of the West Indies by
   Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Spanish term Antillas was commonly
   assigned to the lands; stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" is a
   common alternate name for the Caribbean Sea in various European
   languages. During the first century of development the Spanish
   dominance was undisputed.

   The Caribbean Sea was a relatively unknown body of water to Europe and
   Asia until 1492 when Christopher Columbus first sailed into Caribbean
   waters while trying to find a route to India. At the time the area of
   the Caribbean Sea and the Western Hemisphere in general was unknown to
   Europeans. Following the discovery of the islands by Columbus, the area
   was quickly colonized by Western Civilizations. Following the
   colonization of the Caribbean islands, the sea became a common ground
   for European trading and transport eventually attracting piracy.

   Today the area is home to 22 island territories and borders 12
   continental countries. Due to year-round high temperatures the
   Caribbean has become a common place for tourism which has helped grow
   the cruise industry in the area ( see Cruising and Cruise ship).

Geology

   The Caribbean Sea is a mediterranean sea largely situated on the
   Caribbean Plate. Estimates of the sea's age range from 20,000 years to
   570 million years. The Caribbean sea floor is divided into five basins
   separated from each other by underwater ridges and mountain ranges.
   Atlantic Ocean enters the Caribbean through the Anegada Passage lying
   between the Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands and the Windward Passage
   located between Cuba and Haiti. The deepest points of the sea lie in
   Cayman Trough with depths reaching approximately 7,686 m (25,220 feet).
   Despite this, the Caribbean Sea is considered a relatively shallow sea
   in comparison to other bodies of water.

   The Caribbean sea floor is also home to two oceanic trenches: the
   Hispaniola Trench and Puerto Rico Trench, which put the area at a
   higher risk of earthquakes. Underwater earthquakes pose a threat of
   generating tsunamis which could have a devastating effect on the
   Caribbean islands. Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years
   the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude.

Ecology

   A view of the Caribbean Sea from the Dominican Republic coast
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   A view of the Caribbean Sea from the Dominican Republic coast

   The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the worlds coral reefs covering
   about 20,000 square miles, most of which are located off the Caribbean
   Islands and the Central American coast. Currently, unusually warm
   Caribbean waters are endangering the Caribbean coral reefs. Coral Reefs
   support some of the most diverse habitats in the world, but are fragile
   ecosystems. When tropical waters exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit for an
   extended period of time, microscopic plants called zooxanthellae die
   off. These plant provide food for the coral and give them their colour.
   The resultant bleaching of the coral reefs kills them, and ruins the
   ecosystem. Up to 42% of the coral colonies have gone completely white,
   while 95% have undergone at least some bleaching. The habitats
   supported by the reefs are critical to such tourist activities such as
   fishing and diving, and provide an annual economic value to Caribbean
   nations of $3.1-$4.6 billion. Continued destruction of the reefs could
   severely damage the region's economy. A Protocol of the Convention for
   the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider
   Caribbean Region came in effect in 1986 to protect the various
   endangered marine life of the Caribbean through forbidding human
   activities that would advance the continued destruction of such marine
   life in various areas. Currently this protocol has been ratified by 15
   countries. Also several charitable organization have been formed to
   preserve the Caribbean marine life, such as Caribbean Conservation
   Corporation which seeks to study and protect sea turtles while
   educating others about them.

Weather

   The Caribbean weather is influenced by the Gulf Stream and Humboldt
   Current ocean currents. The tropical location of the sea help the water
   to maintain at a warm temperature ranging from the low of 70 to mid-80
   degrees Fahrenheit by the season.

   The Caribbean is the birth place of some hurricanes in the western
   hemisphere. The Caribbean hurricane season lasts from June to December
   with most occurring in August and September. On average around 9
   tropical storms form each year with 5 reaching hurricane strength.
   According to the National Hurricane Centre 385 hurricanes occurred in
   the Caribbean between 1494 and 1900. Storm systems that develop off the
   West coast of Africa make their way across the Atlantic Ocean. While
   most of these systems do not become tropical storms, some do. These
   tropical storms can then develop into Atlantic Hurricanes, sometimes in
   the low pressure areas of the eastern Caribbean. Hurricanes pose an
   annual problem for the islands of the Caribbean due to their
   destructive nature. Coral reefs are also in great danger of being
   destroyed from hurricanes dumping sand, mud and other debris onto the
   coral reefs.

Economy and human activity

   The Caribbean region has seen a significant increase in human activity
   since the colonization period. The sea is one of the largest oil
   production areas in the world, producing approximately 170 million tons
   per year. The area also generates a large fishing industry for the
   surrounding countries, accounting for half a million metric tons of
   fish a year. Human activity in the area also accounts for a significant
   amount of pollution, Pan American Health Organization estimating in
   1993 that about 10% of the sewage from the Central American and
   Caribbean Island countries is properly treated.

   The Caribbean region has a spanned a large tourist industry. Caribbean
   Tourism Organization estimates that about 12 million people a year
   visit the area. The area is a main destination for cruise ships. The
   Caribbean Tourism Organization also estimated that from 1991 and 1992
   the area has seen about 8 million tourists from Cruise Ship visitors.

Popular culture

   The Caribbean is the setting for countless literary efforts often
   related to piracy and swashbuckling. One memorable work of pulp fiction
   has in its title a geographic feature unique in its way to the islands:
   Fear Cay, the eleventh Doc Savage adventure by Lester Dent. Many James
   Bond adventures were set there.

   The area is also the setting for the well-known Disneyland and Disney
   World attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean, which among other things is
   notable for cementing the alternative pronunciation (with the stress
   placed on the first and third syllables instead of the second) in many
   people's minds. The ride has been adapted into a series of films, which
   so far includes Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
   (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates
   of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (to be released in 2007).

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
