Information about the Caribbean. Beauty of the Caribbean. The sea is a paradise on earth

Located in the west Atlantic Ocean. From the west and south it borders on the coast of Central and South America, from the north and east by the Greater and Lesser Antilles. To the west and southwest are reefs. Most large bays: Honduran, Venezuelan, Darien. Largest: Jamaica.

Map caribbean satellite from Bing
(the map can be moved with the mouse, zoomed in and out)

The climate here is warm maritime. In February it is +24, and in August +30. Most precipitation falls off the coast of Panama, and the least off the coast of Cuba. Hurricanes hit the sea three times a year.
Water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean occurs through the straits of Windward, Sombrero and Dominica.
The water temperature during the year ranges from 26 to 29 degrees.
There are 800 species of fish here (mullet, croaker, sardinella, horse mackerel, mackerel).
The Caribbean coast is known for its beaches. Main ports: Santiago de Cuba in Cuba, Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic, Maracaibo in Venezuela, Barranquilla and Cartagena in Colombia. Cote d'Azur, beautiful beaches, girls in bikinis. caribbean is a unique, magical place for rest and complete relaxation.
And so that your feet do not freeze upon returning to our cool lands, you just need to purchase warm and very beautiful ugg boots. You can buy wonderful ugg boots in the UGG online store, where you will find a wide selection of shoes for every, the most demanding taste.

The Caribbean Sea, or the Central American Sea, is the marginal sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. Its northern border runs from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Greater Antilles, further along the Greater Antilles(Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico and Jamaica). Virgin Islands, located east of the island Puerto Rico is part of the Lesser Antilles. The latter are made up of a large number small islands that form an arc directed southeast from the Anegada Strait and further south, where the arc adjoins the shelf of South America, forming the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea. Major islands this volcanic arc—Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Lucia, and others. mountain ranges Venezuela. The southern border of the Caribbean is northern shores three countries - Venezuela, Colombia and Panama. Eastern Shores Central America form the eastern stepped border of the Caribbean Sea, the first step of which is Honduras, the second Yucatan Peninsula. The Yucatan Strait, 220 km wide, connects the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico.

Numerous straits up to 2000 m deep between the Greater and Lesser Antilles connect the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. total area Caribbean Sea 2640 thousand km2. Greatest depth The Caribbean Sea slightly exceeds 7100 m. In the Cayman Trench From east to west, the following main basins are located: Grenada (3000 m), Venezuelan (5000 m), Columo (4000 m), Cayman (6000 m) and Yucatan (500 m). Minor hollows - hollow Virgin Islands, Dominican Trench and Caryaco Basin. Average depth basins of about 4400 m. From east to west stretch the main underwater ridges: Aves, Beata, Jamaica and Cayman. The Caribbean Sea is located in the trade wind zone, and therefore the winds blowing from the east and NNE are very stable here. Intense precipitation occurs during the summer months when tropical weather conditions prevail. The most abundant precipitation falls east of the Isthmus of Panama - more than 2000 mm for 6 months, from June to November. Few hurricanes originate directly in the Caribbean, but many hurricanes come through the Lesser Antilles in late summer and early autumn.

Hydrological regime

The direction of the main flow of the Caribbean Sea in the upper 1500-meter layer is from east to west. Below this depth, the waters of the Caribbean Sea are isolated from the ocean, so there is a very slow and variable current. In the Caribbean Sea, water comes from the Atlantic Ocean, brought by the drifting Guiana Current, which runs along the coast of South America to the northwest. Having reached the Lesser Antilles, the Guiana Current forks. The main branch passes into the Caribbean Sea through the central straits of this island arc, mainly through the straits to the north and south of the island Saint Lucia; the other branch merges into the North Equatorial Current and goes along the eastern and northern borders Caribbean towards Bahamas. The waters of the Guiana Current form in the Caribbean Sea, after they pass the Grenada Basin and the Aves Ridge, a well-developed zonal circulation with maximum speed flow in 200-300 km north of the coast South America. A branch of the Guiana Current joins the Caribbean Current and continues westward through the Aruba Passage into the Columbia Basin. In the western part of the basin, it turns north, crosses the Jamaica Range, and then goes along the Cayman Basin to 85-86° W. where it turns north again and exits the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Strait.

The axis of the Caribbean current usually passes over the most great depths from the Lesser Antilles to the Yucatan Strait To the north and south of the axis of the Caribbean current, the flows are mostly parallel. Their direction slightly changes with depth, while the speed decreases continuously with increasing depth, for example, to<5 см/с на глубинах свыше 1500 м в Венесуэльской и Колумбийской котловинах. В Кайманской и Юкатанской котловинах глубинное течение проявляется лучше, но его все же можно считать медленным.

The speed of the surface currents of the Caribbean Sea is determined by seasonal changes in the speed of the trade winds. The highest velocity of the Caribbean current on the surface is observed at the end of winter (39.1 cm/s) and at the beginning of summer (41.2 cm/s). The average speed of the Caribbean Current on the surface during the year is 0.7 knots, or 38 cm/s. During observations from ships, higher velocities were noted, reaching 138.9 cm/s on the main axis of the Caribbean Current. Estimated velocities can be calculated from density measurements. The calculation shows that the main axis of the current is preserved in the upper 300–400 m layer, and its velocity rapidly decreases from 40–60 cm/s at the surface to 10 cm/s at a depth of 300 m. depth 1000-1500 m; below this depth, the current is too slow to be calculated by the geostrophic method. There are counter currents along the coasts of Cuba, Haiti and South America (to the east). In the western regions of the Columbia, Cayman and Yucatan basins, the countercurrents are directed towards the center of the Caribbean Sea. The zonal current is disturbed by meridional transport, which is caused by the deviation of the flow at the border with the mainland.

The transport of water through sections from north to south can be calculated from geostrophic velocities. In the west, its average value is 30 million m3/s. The straits of the Greater Antilles do not play a significant role in the overall transport. Through the meridian 64 ° W. it is basically the same as through the 84°W meridian. The Caribbean Current accounts for approximately 30% of the total transport (75–90 million m3/s) of water by the Gulf Stream. (The remaining 70% enters the Gulf Stream from the Antilles current, which flows into it north of the Bahamas.)

A feature of the circulation of the waters of the Caribbean Sea is the rise of deep waters to the surface off the coast of South America. The upward movement of water masses in the Caribbean Sea, as in other areas of the World Ocean, is caused by the action of the wind: surface water is driven away from the coast and replaced by deep water. The rise of deep waters does not extend to great depths and is not significant below 250 m. As a result of the rise of deep waters, productivity increases, this is an area of ​​​​intensive fishing. The corresponding subsidence of surface water occurs in the Venezuelan and Columbia Basins along 17°N.

Salinity of the Caribbean

The waters lying on the boundary between the main layers are mixed due to turbulence. The salinity of surface waters depends on evaporation, atmospheric precipitation, land runoff and advection caused by currents. Salinity in winter is higher off the coast of South America (36 ind.), and this is partly due to the rise of saline subtropical subsurface waters to the surface. In the north of the Caribbean Sea, salinity on the surface decreases and becomes less than 35.5 ppm. In the Cayman and Yucatan basins, the highest salinity (Sbprom) is observed south of Cuba. Further south, the salinity of surface waters also decreases to 35.5 ppm. off the coast of Honduras. In summer, heavy rainfall and runoff from land reduce the salinity of surface waters by about 0.5 ppm in the south and by 1.0 ppm. in the north.

Information about the distribution of salinity in the western part of the Caribbean Sea is still insufficient.
Subtropical subsurface water has the highest salinity. It is a thin layer (which indicates the predominance of horizontal mixing over vertical in a stable layer), which has a slope from south (50-100 m) to north (200 m).
The main axis of the flow of subtropical subsurface water coincides with the axis of the Caribbean current. The salinity of this water is more than 37% in the eastern regions of the Venezuelan basin. In the Yucatan Strait, as a result of mixing, salinity decreases to 36.7 ppm. A
Subantarctic intermediate water, which forms in the zone of the southern polar front, is the least saline. Its layer also has a slope from the south (600-700 m) to the north (800-850 m). In the southern Caribbean this layer is thicker. West of 65°W e. its northern edge becomes thinner and disappears, not reaching the northern border of the Caribbean Sea. The salinity of this layer is less than 34.7 ppm by B, but as the waters move, it increases so much that this layer cannot be found in the Yucatan Strait. Its axis also coincides with the axis of the Caribbean Current. Below this layer is a layer of North Atlantic deep water that enters the Caribbean Sea through the rapids of the straits between the Lesser Antilles. The water of this layer is extremely homogeneous, with a salinity of about 35 ppm.

Caribbean Sea temperature

At the end of summer, the temperature of the surface layer of the Caribbean Sea is 28.3 ° C in the south and 28.9 ° C in the north. In the west of the Caribbean, the warmest month is August, in the east it is September. The temperature of the surface layer of the Caribbean Sea in winter is about 3 ° C lower. In the Caribbean Sea, surface layer temperatures show small gradients and seasonal fluctuations. Below a depth of 150 m, seasonal fluctuations are not observed. The central regions of the Caribbean Sea receive an average of 6.28 * 10^18 cal / day of heat per year, with a deviation from this average of ± 0.5 * 10^18 cal / day.

Marginal semi-enclosed sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean basin, from the west and south it 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 - to the Pacific Ocean through the artificial Panama Canal.

It lies between 9° and 22° N. sh. and between 89° and 60° W. D., its area is approximately 2,753,000 km. 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

coastline of the caribbean

The coastline of the sea is heavily indented, the shores are mountainous in places, low in places (Caribbean Lowland). In shallow water areas there are various coral deposits and numerous reef structures. There are several bays on the continental coast, the largest of which are: Honduras, Mosquitos, Darien and Venezuelan. In the northern part are the bays of Batabano, Ana Maria and Guacanaybo (the southern coast of the island of Cuba), as well as the Gulf of Gonave (the western part of the island of Haiti).

There are several bays on the east coast of the Yucatan, including Asension, Espiritu Santo and Chetumal. The Gulf of Honduras ends in Amatiche Bay, located on the border of Belize and Guatemala. The northern coast of Honduras is slightly indented, and several lagoons jut into the Mosquito Coast, including the lagoons of Caratasca, Bismuna, Perlas and Bluefields Bay. In the east of Panama, there is a large Chiriqui lagoon. Off the coast of South America, the Darien Gulf ends with the Uraba Gulf, and the Venezuelan Gulf, fenced off by the Guajira Peninsula, ends with 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 the Bahamas in the concept of the West Indies. The Caribbean Sea washes only the Antilles, which are subdivided into the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles border the northern boundary 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, St. Thomas (Virgin Islands), Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Kitts, Barbuda, Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda), Grand Ter and Bas-Terre (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 (possessions of the Netherlands), Margarita, the Las Aves and Los Roques archipelagos (Venezuela) and a number of other smaller ones.

The western Caribbean Sea contains several archipelagos such as the Cayman Islands, Turneff Islands, Islas de la Bahia and Miskitos, as well as a number of individual islands (Providencia, San Andrés) and cays (Lighthouse, Glover, Media Luna and other).

Climate

The Caribbean Sea is located in the tropical climate zone, which is influenced by the trade wind circulation. Average monthly air temperatures vary from 23 to 27 °C. Cloudiness is 4-5 points.

The average annual rainfall in the region varies from 250 mm on the island of Bonaire 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 in September-October they are most frequent.

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 porous limestone terraces of the islands tend to be 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 vines. Coconut palm is common in coastal areas, lagoons and river estuaries are overgrown with dense mangroves (red and black mangrove).

Animal world

The marine biota of the region originated from representatives of the Indian and Pacific Oceans that entered the Caribbean Sea before the formation of the Isthmus of Panama about 4 million years ago. There are approximately 450 species of fish in the Caribbean Sea, including sharks (bull shark, tiger shark, silky shark and Caribbean reef shark), flying fish, sea devils, orange-fin surgeonfish, angelfish, butterfly eyefish, parrotfish, giant perch, tarpon and moray eels. Throughout the Caribbean region, commercial fishing of lobsters, sardines (off the coast of Yucatan) and some types of tunas is carried out. Albuleys, barracudas, marlins and wahoos are popular with recreational fishermen.

Mammals of the Caribbean region are represented by 90 species, there are sperm whales, humpback whales and dolphins. Seals and American manatees live off the island of Jamaica. The Caribbean monk seal, which previously lived in the region, is thought to be extinct; under the threat of extinction is representatives of the family of salmon teeth, native to the region.

All 170 amphibian species living in the region are endemic. The ranges 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, 163 of which are endemic to the region, such as the tody, the Cuban avocet woodpecker and the palm chaser. Of the endemic species, 48 ​​species are threatened with extinction: the Puerto Rican Amazon, the Cuban chamois, the Cuban wren, and others. 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, frigatebirds and phaetons can be found above the open sea.

Tourism

Thanks to the warm climate and magnificent beaches, the Caribbean Sea region is one of the main resort areas in the world. The rich marine fauna attracts divers; in addition to natural beauties, the region is rich in cultural monuments of pre-Columbian civilizations and the colonial era. The tourism industry is an important component of the economy of the Caribbean region, serving mainly travelers from the United States, Canada, Brazil and Argentina. Air traffic between North America and the Caribbean is better developed than within the region.

Having overcome the long way across the Atlantic to the shores of Central America, we will find ourselves in one of the most beautiful and interesting tropical seas - the Caribbean.
This sea owes its name to the Indian tribe of the Caribs who lived on its coast when the ships of H. Columbus arrived here. If somewhere you meet an unfamiliar sea by name - the Antilles, then know that this is just the second name of the Caribbean Sea.
The beauty of coral reefs, the abundance of tropical cyclones accompanied by destructive hurricanes and pirates, who chose this area for their "fishing" in the distant past, brought the greatest glory to the sea.

Location of the Caribbean Sea on a complete map of the Atlantic Ocean -.

First, about the geography and characteristics of the sea.
The water area of ​​the sea, with an area of ​​2753 thousand square kilometers, is located off the coast of Central and South America and is limited in the north and east by the Greater and Lesser Antilles. It is connected by waterways with the Gulf of Mexico (Yucatan Strait), through the interisland straits - with the Atlantic Ocean, and through an artificial structure - the Panama Canal with the Pacific Ocean. The region where the Caribbean Sea is located is called the Caribbean. Its waters wash the shores of numerous states on the American continent, as well as island countries. The sea is very deep - its average depth is 2500 m, the maximum is 7686 m (the Cayman depression between Cuba and Jamaica).

The climate in the Caribbean is shaped by warm ocean currents (Northern Equatorial Current, of which the Caribbean Current is an offshoot) and the abundance of solar activity in these tropical locations. The average annual water temperature of the surface layers of the sea is +26 degrees C. The tides are low - an average of 1 m. Many rivers flow into the Caribbean Sea, among which Magdalena, Atrato, Dike, Belen, Krikamola and others can be noted.

One of the fly in the ointment that often spoil the idyll of these fabulously beautiful places are hurricanes and storms. It is believed that the Caribbean Sea is the source of the largest number of hurricanes in the Western Hemisphere. Hurricanes pose a serious problem to the inhabitants of the islands and the coast of the basin, destroying buildings and structures. Hurricanes also cause great harm to the numerous coral structures in these places - reefs, atolls, coastal coral fringes of islands. Powerful winds bring here mud, sand and debris that adversely affect the ecology of the reefs.

The coastline is heavily indented throughout. There are numerous bays, lagoons, bays, capes. Among the major bays are Honduran, Mosquitos, Venezuelan, Batabano, Ana Maria, Gonave. The shores are mostly low-lying, but there are also mountainous areas.

The Caribbean Sea is very rich in islands. The general island group here is united under the name of the Antilles archipelago or the West Indies, which, in turn, is subdivided into the Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles and Bahamas. The Greater Antilles are predominantly of continental origin. These include large islands in the north of the sea - Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico. The Lesser Antilles, in turn, are divided into groups: Windward and Leeward Islands.
The name of the Leeward Islands is due to the lee (compared to the Windward Islands) position of the islands in relation to the northeast trade wind. These islands are mostly of coral or volcanic origin.

The bottom relief of the sea is distinguished by numerous irregularities in the form of ups and downs. The entire bottom surface can be conditionally divided into five regions, separated by underwater ridges and mountain ranges. Deep places include the Cayman Trench, the Haiti Trench, and the Puerto Rico Trench. The area is considered seismically active. There are underwater earthquakes that can cause tsunamis.
The coastal soil is sandy, sandy-silty, rocky in places. The coast of many places is covered with amazingly white coral sand.
The deep-sea cover of the sea bottom is represented by silts and clays.

The flora and fauna of the Caribbean Sea is very diverse and quantitatively rich. Most of the coral structures represent a typical tropical coral community of living organisms.

You can see many species of bottom animals and coral reef fish in THIS illustration.

The diversity and beauty of the aquatic life forms of the Caribbean Sea can amaze the most sophisticated diver and connoisseur of underwater landscapes. It is not for nothing that many places here have been chosen by diving enthusiasts from different countries.

The flora of the sea is not rich in quantitative terms, but it is represented by an extensive species composition. In some places there are even entire fields of underwater vegetation. In shallow areas, macroflora is concentrated mainly in areas of reef structures. Here you can find algae such as tortoiseshell thalassia, cymodocean algae, sea ruppia. Halophilic algae grow in deeper areas. In total, macroalgae of the sea are represented by a dozen species.
Phytoalgae are represented very poorly, as in all tropical seas. The zooxanthella species, which forms a biosymbiosis with coral polyps, is suffering greatly from the increase in water temperature that has taken place in the Caribbean in recent years. This leads to the death of zooxanthella, subsequent bleaching and death of coral colonies and the death of the entire reef community of organisms.

The fauna of the sea is more diverse than its flora. Marine mammals, fish, and various bottom animals live here.

Among the benthic representatives of the fauna are numerous sea worms, snakes, mollusks (cephalopods, gastropods, bivalves, etc.), echinoderms (starfish, hedgehogs), crustaceans (crabs, crustaceans, spiny lobsters, etc.). Intestinal animals are represented by a wide range of coral polyps, incl. reef-forming, numerous jellyfish.

There are many sea turtles in the Caribbean Sea, among which you can find soup (or green), loggerheads, hawksbill, ridley.
The famous Columbus, crossing the Caribbean Sea at the beginning of the 16th century, encountered huge herds of green turtles, which literally blocked the way for his ships in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe modern Cayman Islands. Struck by the abundance of these animals, Columbus named the islands he discovered Las Tortugas, which in Spanish means "turtles".
For many years, turtles served as a reliable source of food for sailors, filibusters and whalers off Las Tortugas. However, the name was not assigned to the islands, just as the once numerous herds of turtles have not been preserved. Where once sailboats struggled to make their way through a continuous barrier of turtle shells, now it is not easy to find at least one individual. Many years of uncontrolled fishing, the ruin of egg-laying, pollution of the sea are the results of inhuman human activity.

Settled in the gentle waters of the Caribbean and marine mammals. Here you can meet both large cetaceans (sperm whales, humpback whales) and smaller dolphins, of which there are several dozen species. There are also pinnipeds, which are represented by minnows. Previously, monk seals lived in abundance in the Caribbean Sea, now this species is considered extinct.

The Caribbean fish world is very rich and diverse. In not so distant times (by geological standards), the Isthmus of Panama did not exist. The water connection of the two great oceans - the Pacific and the Atlantic - was broken only a few tens of millennia ago. Therefore, the diversity of fauna here is also explained by the presence of many Pacific animal species.

Fish are represented by almost half a thousand different species, including small schooling and bottom fish, moray eels and barracudas, rays, flounders, gobies, flying fish, and ending with large representatives of the fish community - sharks, swordfish, marlin, tuna, etc.
They hunt here mainly sardines, tuna, lobsters.
Prestigious objects of sport fishing in the sea are marlin, sharks, swordfish, large barracudas.

1. Name and history

2. Geology

3. Relief

In the ridge of the Greater Antilles there are two deep passages: the Anegada Strait and the Windward Strait. The depth of the Anegada Strait varies from 1950 to 2350 m, the windward channel - from 1600 to 1630 m.

3.1. Coastline

The coastline of the sea is strongly indented, the shores are mountainous in places, low in places (Caribbean Lowland). In shallow water areas there are various coral deposits and numerous reef structures. On the continental coast (western and southern parts of the sea) there are several bays, the largest of which are: Honduran, Mosquitos, Darienska and Venezuelan. In the northern part are the bays of Batabano, Ana Maria and Guacanaybo (the southern coast of the island of Cuba), as well as the Gulf of Gonave (the western part of the island of Haiti).

There are several bays on the east coast of the Yucatan, including Asension, Espiritu Santo and Chetumal. The Gulf of Honduras ends with Amatiche Bay, located on the border of Belize and Guatemala. The north coast of Honduras is slightly indented, and several lagoons cut into the Mosquito Coast, including the lagoons of Caratasca, Bismuna, Perlas and Bluefields Bay. In the east of Panama there is a large lagoon Chiriqui. Off the coast of South America, the Darienska Bay ends with the Uraba Bay, and is fenced off by the Guajira Peninsula. The Venezuelan Bay is Lake Maracaibo. To the west of the island of Trinidad lies the Gulf of Paria, which is considered part of the Atlantic Ocean.

3.2. Islands

The surface subtropical Caribbean Current, passing from the southeastern to the northwestern part of the sea, is a continuation of the North Trade Wind Current, its flow is estimated at 26 million m/s. The trade wind drives the waters to the west, turns north off the coast of Central America and goes through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico. The speed of the current is 1-2.8 km / h, in the Yucatan Strait increases to 6 km / h. The current is warm, the water temperature in it is about 28 C, and the salinity is less than 35.5, due to the significant contribution of the fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco. Water pumped from the Caribbean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico raises the level of the latter relative to the main part of the Atlantic Ocean (the water level off the west coast of Florida is 19 cm higher than on the east coast), which creates hydrostatic pressure, which is assumed to be the main driving force of the Gulf Stream .

In the southwestern region of the sea, between the coast of Colombia and Nicaragua, for almost the entire year there is a circular current, twisted counterclockwise. The tides in the Caribbean Sea are mostly irregular semi-diurnal, with an amplitude of less than 1 m.

During the rainy season, the waters of the Orinoco River create high concentrations of chlorophyll in the eastern part of the sea. The Caryaco Basin, located off the coast of Venezuela, is interesting in that hydrogen sulfide is constantly present in it, and a high concentration of methane has been found in the Cayman Trench.

4.1. Caribbean Sea Basin

The Caribbean Sea is located in Central and South America. The largest river flowing into the Caribbean Sea is Magdalena (1550 km) with tributaries Cauca and Cesar. Its annual flow is 228 km, or an average of 7.2 thousand m / s (data from 1942 to 2002). The rivers Atrato (annual flow - 81 km), Leon (2.1 km) and Turbo (12 km) flow into the Uraba Bay of the Darien Bay. Other rivers in South America include Dike (9.4 km) and son (11.8 km), as well as Catatumbo and Chama, which flow into Maracaibo, the largest lake on the continent.

On the coast of North America, the rivers Belen, Cricamola (flows into the Chiriqui lagoon), Teribe and Sixaola (Panama), Chirripo Atlantico, Reventason and San Juan (Costa Rica), Indio, Punta Gorda, Rio Escondido flow into the Caribbean Sea and Curinuas, Rio Grande de Metagalpa, Prinzapolca, Bambana, Kucalaya, Huaua and Coco (Nicaragua), Patuc, Sico Tinto, Agua, Ulua and Chamelecón (Honduras), Motagua and Rio Dulce (Guatemala), Belize River , New River, Rio Hondo (Belize).

Island rivers: Cauto and Sasa (Cuba), Artibonite and Caco del Sur (Haiti Island), Black River and Milk River (Jamaica).

5. Climate

The Caribbean Sea is in the tropical climate zone, which is influenced by trade wind circulation. Average monthly air temperatures vary from 23 to 27 C. Cloudiness is 4-5 points.

The average annual rainfall in the region varies from 250 mm on the island of Bonaire to 9000 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 during the period from June to November, and in September - October they are most frequent. According to the US National Hurricane Center, 385 hurricanes passed over the Caribbean from 1494 to 1900, and 235 such manifestations of the elements were recorded from 1900 to 1991. The Caribbean is less prone to hurricane damage than the Gulf of Mexico or the Western Pacific (where typhoons rage from May to November). Most of the hurricanes are formed in the Cape Verde Islands and are directed by the trade winds to the shores of America; in general, it is impossible to predict the exact trajectory of the hurricane.

Severe hurricanes cause loss of life, destruction and crop failures in the region. The great hurricane of 1780, which raged from October 10 to 16, 1780, caused enormous damage to the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and, possibly, the Florida peninsula, and also led to the death of 22 to 24 thousand people. Hurricane Mitch, which originated on October 22, 1998 off the coast of Colombia, passed through Central America, the Yucatan and Florida peninsulas, causing damage of 40 million US dollars and killing 11-18 thousand people. Hurricanes Galveston (1900) and Fifi (1974) also caused significant damage to the region.

6. Flora and fauna

According to faunal zoning, the Caribbean Sea region belongs to the Caribbean region. The region is characterized by great biodiversity, many species are endemic.

6.1. Vegetable world

The vegetation of the region is predominantly tropical, but differences in topographic, soil and climatic conditions increase the species diversity. The porous limestone terraces of the islands tend to be nutrient poor. An estimated 13,000 plant species grow in the Caribbean region, of which 6,500 are endemic, such as the guaiac tree (whose flower is the national symbol of Jamaica and) and the mahogany vine (national flower of the Dominican Republic). In coastal areas, the coconut palm is common, in the lagoons and estuaries of rivers there are dense thickets of mangroves (red and black mangroves).

In shallow waters, flora and fauna are concentrated around coral reefs, which are favored by near-constant stable temperatures, clear waters, and small changes in salinity. Submarine seagrass fields occur in the leeward lagoons of the reefs. In total, seven types of algae are found in the Caribbean Sea. The most common thalasso tortoiseshell (Thalassia testudinum) and Syringodium filiforme (Tsimodotsei family), which can grow both together and in single-species fields at depths up to 20 m. m. In the brackish water of harbors and estuaries of rivers at depths of 0-2.5 m, there is a sea rupee (Ruppia maritima). Representatives of three species belong to the genus Halophila (Halophila baillonii, Halophila engelmanni and Halophila decipiens) live at depths up to 30 m. Halophila engelmanni does not grow below 5 m, the range of this species is limited to the Bahamas, Florida, the Greater Antilles and the western Caribbean Sea. The species Halophila baillonii has only been found in the Lesser Antilles.

6.2. Animal world

Mammals of the Caribbean region are represented by 90 species, there are sperm whales, humpback whales and Dolphins. Seals and American manatees live near the island of Jamaica. The region was once inhabited by the Caribbean monk seal, which is now thought to be extinct. Under the threat of extinction, representatives of the family of the sand-toothed.

Reptiles of the Caribbean region are represented by 500 species (94% endemic). The islands are home to several endemic species of cyclura, a widespread sharp-snouted crocodile. Several species of sea turtles are represented in the region: Trichechea spp., Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) green turtle, trait, leatherback turtle, Atlantic ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and olive turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Some species are under the threat of extinction, their population, according to researchers, has greatly decreased since the 17th century - the number of green turtles has decreased from 91 million to 300 thousand individuals, and demons - from 11 million to less than 30 thousand before the year.

There are 600 bird species recorded in the Caribbean, 163 of which are endemic to the region, such as the then, Cuban shilodzubny woodpecker and palm mint. With endemics, 48 ​​species are endangered: the Puerto Rican Amazon, the Cuban shoulder straps, the Cuban wren, and others. The Antilles, near Central America, lie on the migration route of birds from North America, so bird population sizes are subject to strong seasonal fluctuations. Parrots, sugar birds and toucans are found in the forests, frigatebirds and phaetons can be found over the open sea.

7. Ecology

Global warming and rising sea levels (expected to rise by 86.36 cm by 2019), rising sea temperatures causing coral bleaching and water blooms, and changes in precipitation pattern are considered to be the main drivers of global change in the Caribbean Sea. and related river runoff and even dust brought in by sandstorms from the Sahara. Shipping, which generates about 82 thousand tons of garbage per year, oil transportation and land sources of pollution, negatively affects the ecological state of the sea.

Currently, no more than 23 thousand km (10%) of primary forests remain in the Caribbean. In Cuba, where the largest forests of the island part of the region are located, less than 15% of the forests remained intact, the rest were cut down during the development of the territories.

7.1. corals

The Atlantic Ocean contains about 9% of the world's coral reefs. Their area is 50 thousand km, and most of them are located off the coast of the Caribbean and Central America. . One of the most recently studied phenomena in the region has been coral bleaching. Until the 1980s, Madrepore corals were widespread in the Caribbean Sea, over the next 20 years, due to anthropogenic and natural causes, their population decreased, and the number of seaweed increased. In 1983, this process was exacerbated by the mass death of sea urchins that feed on algae. Reef scientific research was carried out from 1995 to 1998 off the coast of Belize on the largest coral barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere, and also in the year near reefs in the eastern part of the sea. The warming of the Caribbean Sea (as a result of global climate change) threatens the fragile ecosystems of coral reefs - a long excess of water temperatures above 29 C leads to the death of microscopic zooxanthella algae. These plants provide the corals with food and color, so their death results in coral bleaching and disruption of the entire reef ecosystem.

Reef dwellers are important for tourism activities such as fishing and diving, which, according to a 2000 estimate, generate US$3.1-4.6 billion annually for the region.

7.2. Protected areas

The total area of ​​protected areas in the West Indies is 30,000 km2 (13% of the region's land surface). About 15% of its territory is protected in Cuba (including the Zapata swamp with an area of ​​​​4354.3 km, the Alexander Humboldt National Park and Desembarco del Granma), in Dominica - a little more than 20% (including the Morne Trois Pitons National Park) , in the Dominican Republic - about 15% (Jaragua National Park, etc.). There are almost no protected areas in other countries.

Among the protected areas along the continental coast, the following stand out: the Sian Caan Reserve, Chinchorro (Mexico), the Biological Reserve on the Miskitos Islands (Nicaragua), the Darien National Park (Panama), the Los Katios and Tayrona National Parks (Colombia), the Medanos de Coro National Park , Henry Peter National Park, El Avila, Mochim and Laguna de la Restinga (Venezuela).

8. Economy and economic importance

More than 116 million people live on the Caribbean coast (within 100 km from the coast), whose main source of income is tourism (15.5% of all jobs in the region). More than 300 thousand people are employed in the fishing industry. Fishing volumes are estimated at slightly less than half a million tons of seafood per year. Main commercial species: Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus), giant strombus (Strombus gigas), flagellate shrimp (Penaeidae), Cavalli mackerel (Scomberomorus Cavalla), Spanish mackerel (S. maculatus), large dormice (Coryphaena hippurus), SERIOL (Seriola spp.) and others. Industrial collection of pearls.

8.1. Shipping and trade

From an economic and strategic point of view, the Caribbean Sea plays the role of the shortest sea route from the ports of the Atlantic Ocean through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean. The main ports of the Caribbean Sea: Maracaibo and La Guaira (Venezuela), Cartagena (Colombia), Limon (Costa Rica), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Colon (Panama), Santiago de Cuba (Cuba) and others.

The complex system of communication and trade in the Caribbean region provides a high turnover, but most of it falls on countries located outside this region. Goods and resources that are traded within the region are few: rice from Guyana, timber from Belize, gasoline from Trinidad and Curaçao, salt, fertilizers, vegetable oils and fats from the eastern islands, and a small amount of industrial products. Most of the products produced in the region (bananas, sugar, coffee, rum, bauxite, nickel and oil) are consumed by the United States and Canada.

8.2. Tourism

Thanks to its warm climate and beautiful beaches, the Caribbean Sea region is one of the main resort areas in the world. The rich marine fauna attracts divers. In addition to natural beauties, the region is rich in cultural monuments of pre-Columbian civilizations and the colonial era. The tourism industry is an important component of the economies of the Caribbean region, serving mainly tourists from the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina. Air traffic between North America and the Caribbean is better developed than within the region. According to the Caribbean Tourism Organization, 22,700,000 tourists visited the region in the year, and 19,200,000 people took part in cruise tours. The most popular destinations include the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico (Cancun, Riviera Maya), Jamaica, Bahamas and Puerto Rico.

9. Culture

The rich history of the Caribbean has inspired numerous authors to create various works of culture related to piracy. Daniel Defoe, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Rafael Sabatini and other writers have been involved in the pirate theme, many films have been created on this topic (including the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and the Treasure Island cartoon), and numerous computer games have been released. The life and customs of the inhabitants of the Caribbean have been described by such authors as Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier, Dominican writer (and president) Juan Bosch, Derek Walcott (Saint Lucia) and Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

The Caribbean region is home to various musical genres: reggae, ska in Jamaica, merengue and bachata in the Dominican Republic, calypso in Trinidad and Tobago. Regeton originates from Puerto Rico and Panama, son and son Montuno appeared in Cuba, cumbia, poro and vallenato on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

One of the most popular sports in the Caribbean is baseball, and a separate baseball tournament, the Caribbean Series, is held here. Cricket is also common in the English-speaking Antilles, and football is being popularized in CONCACAF member countries. The region hosts the Central American and Caribbean Games, and national teams also take part in the Pan American Games.

10. Ports

Notes

1. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/95846/Caribbean-Sea - www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/95846/Caribbean-Sea
2. Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Caribbean Sea - www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/059/220.htm (Russian)
3. "International Bathymetric Chart of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico" - www.ngdc.noaa.gov / mgg / ibcca / ibcca.html. NOAA . http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/ibcca/ibcca.html - www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/ibcca/ibcca.html. Checked 2009-04-23 .
4. G. Samuels (RSMAS) .. "Animation of Monthly Temperatures in the Caribbean" - assets.panda.org/img/original/monthly_temperatures_caribbean.gif. WWF . http://assets.panda.org/img/original/monthly_temperatures_caribbean.gif - assets.panda.org/img/original/monthly_temperatures_caribbean.gif. Checked 2009-04-30 .
5. S. Heileman, R. Mahon .. "Large Marine Ecosystems - Caribbean Sea" - www.lme.noaa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58:lme12&catid=41:briefs&Itemid=53. NOAA www.lme.noaa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58:lme12&catid=41:briefs&Itemid=53. Checked 2009-04-23 .
6. Judy Gray, Doug Wilson (NOAA / NODC). (2004). "Animation of changing salinity distribution in the Caribbean" - assets.panda.org/img/original/monthly_salinity_caribbean.gif. WWF . http://assets.panda.org/img/original/monthly_salinity_caribbean.gif - assets.panda.org/img/original/monthly_salinity_caribbean.gif. Checked 2009-04-30 .
7. The Oceans, Their Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology, p. 638
8. Pattern: From TSB
9. Joanna Gyory, Arthur J. Mariano, Edward H. Ryan .. "The Caribbean Current" - oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu / caribbean / caribbean.html. University of Miami . http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/caribbean/caribbean.html - oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/caribbean/caribbean.html. Checked 2009-03-11 .
10. The Oceans, Their Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology, p. 642
11. Luis Ernesto Medina Faull.. "Descargas fluviales en las Zonas Costeras" - www.dhn.mil.ve/noticia/noticia6.html. Direccin de hidrografa y navegacin de Venezuela . http://www.dhn.mil.ve/noticia/noticia6.html - www.dhn.mil.ve/noticia/noticia6.html. Checked 2009-03-11 .
12. "Caribbean Sea" - slovari.yandex.ru/dict/geography/article/geo/geo1/geo-1998.htm. Dictionary of Modern Geographic Names . http://slovari.yandex.ru/dict/geography/article/geo/geo1/geo-1998.htm - slovari.yandex.ru/dict/geography/article/geo/geo1/geo-1998.htm .
13. Institute of Oceanology RAS. (1997). "hydrothermal mechanism of formation of hydrocarbons in mid-ocean ridges" - www.geolib.ru/OilGasGeo/1997/08/Stat/stat01.html. geolib.ru . http://www.geolib.ru/OilGasGeo/1997/08/Stat/stat01.html - www.geolib.ru/OilGasGeo/1997/08/Stat/stat01.html. Checked 2009-03-07 .
14. John B. R. Agard, Angela Cropper, et al. (2007). - UNEP . Checked 2009-04-23 .
15. Philip Dickenson Peters. Caribbean Wow 2.0 Zagada Markets. 2003 isbn 1929970048 - books.google.com / books? id = tXbo9H6t1TcC
16. Orlando Frez. (1970).