Is The Caribbean Classified As A Sea Or Ocean

By Rosella Campbell


The Caribbean Sea is encircled by Central and South America, the Virgin Islands, the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba. Caribbean classified as a sea, as opposed to an ocean, because it is partially enclosed by land. Many people typically use the terms "sea" and "ocean" interchangeably.

This particular sea, continuous with the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, is in the hurricane zone. These originate off the coast of West Africa during the months of June through November. Hurricanes usually either head straight to the Gulf via Hispaniola, Cuba and Puerto Rico. It is also not unusual for them to proceed up the eastern Atlantic coast, from where they either bounce back out to sea or wreak havoc anywhere from Florida to Nova Scotia.

The deepest point in the Cab' Sea is known variably as the Bartlett Deep, Bartlett Trough or the Cayman Trough. It has a maximum depth of more than 7,600 metres, or 25,000 feet. In 2010, a team of researchers from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, England, commenced mapping the Trench with the help of a robotic submarine. Among its findings was the discovery of hydrothermal vents, known as black smokers, in the surface of the Earth at a depth of five kilometres (a little more than three miles).

Two years after the British discovered the black smokers in the Cayman Trench, researchers measured the water temperature as it emerged from the black smokers; it was 450 deg C, or 842 degrees Fahrenheit. This qualifies them as some of the hottest thermal vents in the world. The scientists also found a new species of shrimp; the creature has no eyes, at least as we have come to define them. Instead, they bear special light-sensitive organs on the dorsal surface.

The Island nation of Cuba occupies the largest of the islands in the sea. Cuba was claimed for Spain by the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492. Despite all the bad press, Cuba is quite an awesome place. It ranks highly against other nations in terms of health and education and is, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature's criteria for sustainability, it is the only truly green (in the ecological sense) nation on the planet.

The second-largest of the islands is Hispaniola, part of a chain known as the Greater Antilles. This is where Christopher Columbus sought refuge on Christmas Day in 1492, when his ship, the Santa Maria, ran aground and sank. The island is home to two distinct nations, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Haiti is impoverished and troubled, while the Dominican Republic, which used to be known as Santo Domingo, is a wealthy tourist destination. The difference is most striking when the island is recovering from the fierce hurricanes that relentlessly batter it each year.

Puerto Rico, another big island, means "rich port" in the Spanish Language. It's formal name is the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Other islands under Puerto Rican influence are Culebra, Mona and Vieques. Like the rest of the area, Puerto Rico has a hot, tropical climate throughout the year. While Spanish is the main language, English is also considered a national language.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment