Facts about the Caribbean. Caribbean Sea, map. Fun Facts About the Caribbean

The name of this sea, which comes from the name of the warlike tribes - "Caribs", evokes, among most fishermen and tourists, associations with turquoise water, endless beaches, huge trophies and exotic cuisine. The sea washes the American continent and is located in the western marginal zone of the Atlantic Ocean basin. Located in the tropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The sea is considered semi-enclosed, from the north and east it is limited by the ridges of the Greater, Lesser, South Antilles and so on. It connects with neighboring seas and the Gulf of Mexico by straits such as the Yucatan. It is important to note that the water area is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the artificial Panama Canal. Sea area - 2753000 km 2. The average depth is about 2500 m, and the maximum depth is 7686 m.

The relief and features of the bottom of the sea bed are characterized by the fact that the sea is located on the Caribbean lithospheric plate, bounded by island arcs of different ages, which are sea heights that arose from a collision with nearby tectonic plates. Island arcs are often ridges of extinct and active volcanoes. Larger islands are considered to be more ancient - Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, lying in the north of the sea on the old island arc. Troughs run parallel to the island uplifts, including the Cayman Trench, the deepest part of the Caribbean Sea. Separate parts of the sea retain high volcanic and seismic activity. The surface of the sea is divided into five depressions, separated by ridges. The prevailing depths are quite large. The deep parts of the sea are covered with clayey and calcareous deposits.

The coastline is heavily indented, has both low-lying landforms and elevations. The sea abounds with islands, in shallow waters there are a large number of reef forms and coral deposits. The coast of the mainland is indented by numerous bays and lagoons. All this creates, both on the continental coast and on numerous islands, the most excellent conditions for the development of tourism and amateur sea fishing.

Another favorable factor for holidays in the Caribbean is the high degree of homogeneity of hydrological factors. Annual fluctuations in surface water temperatures in the sea do not exceed 3 0 C and are 25-28 0 C. Due to the complex terrain and multiple physical and geographical factors, a fairly complex system of currents operates in the Caribbean Sea, into the Gulf of Mexico, after all, creates a strong hydrostatic head. It is believed that it is he who is the main driving force of the Gulf Stream. For the sea itself, the influx of various currents that bring nutrients and oxygen is the basis for the successful development of a huge number of representatives of the ichthyofauna and other representatives of the marine environment.

Rivers have a significant impact on the state of the Caribbean Sea. The hydrological composition is influenced not only by the waters of the reservoirs of the Central and northern coasts of South America, the currents carry here, in part, the waters of the Amazon basin. The largest tributary of the Caribbean Sea is the Magdalena River (1550 km). Freshwater streams not only greatly reduce the salinity of the sea, but also bring a large amount of biological material, which is food for phyto and zooplankton.

The fauna of the Caribbean Sea is very diverse. Among them, about 90 species of mammals can be distinguished, among them it is worth noting sperm whales, humpback whales, dolphins, manatees, seals. Some of them are endangered.

Ichthyology

In the Caribbean Sea, scientists have more than 450 species of fish. Among them are several species of sharks, flying fish and numerous exotic species - inhabitants of coral reefs and the coastal zone. The commercial fishing of numerous crustaceans, including lobsters, is carried out in the sea. For amateur fishing, various types of marlin, albul, barracuda, mackerel, moray eels, tuna, wahoo, trevally, tarpon and others are especially interesting.

Fishing features

Fishing in the Caribbean is one of the main tourism industries in the region. Sea fishing is somewhat different from angling in a pond, so we strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the methods of fishing and the rules of fishing, even on the shore. Do not forget that fishing for large representatives of the marine ichthyofauna is associated with a certain risk and security measures are very important. In addition, local rules and laws are as loyal as possible and are aimed at attracting tourists, but some restrictions still exist, including administrative ones. In order not to complicate your vacation with obscure problems, we recommend using the services of tourist campaigns, and especially in relation to trophy fishing. In most cases, when using the services of experienced guides and professional captains of specialized vessels, you are guaranteed a catch. Due to the wide variety of fish and fishing conditions, almost any type of sea fishing can be used when fishing, but taking into account the focus of fishing on certain types of fish and local traditions, it is still better to use well-known sports gear - spinning, fly fishing, trolling. The power and dimensions of the gear should correspond to the selected fish species, their size and temperament.

Of particular danger to the nature of the Caribbean Sea is the destruction of coral reefs. The main reason is the anthropogenic factor. In addition, according to scientists, climate change has a great impact on the fauna of the Caribbean Sea. This leads to the deterioration of ecological conditions for the biological environment and the possible death of various animal species. Some countries of the Caribbean archipelago are quite actively engaged in the protection of the natural complexes of the sea. These include Cuba, Dominica and the Dominican Republic. On the coast there are a number of reserves stretching from Mexico to Venezuela.

The fact that somewhere on Earth there are Caribbean islands today is known not only by every schoolchild, but also by preschool children. But not every adult will answer the question where exactly these Caribbean islands are located. Today we will try to fill this gap and go on a virtual journey through the islands of the Caribbean.

How to get to the Caribbean?

The Caribbean Sea, as well as the Caribbean Islands, are comfortably located between the two Americas - South and North. Getting here is quite simple - you just need to buy a ticket and a ticket to paradise is already in your hands. Flights here are regularly operated by such airlines as Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Some of the islands of the Caribbean can be reached only with transfers, having first purchased an air ticket to Canada or the USA.

Caribbean - what country is it?

Tourists bound 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, and France. But tourists can be calm - to enter the territory of most of the islands of the Caribbean, a visa is simply not needed.

Where is the capital of the Caribbean located?

Considering the diversity of the political map of the Caribbean Islands, it is naturally out of the question to talk about their single capital.

Islands of the Caribbean - names

All the islands that make up the Caribbean are usually divided into three groups:

1. Greater Antilles. These include Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
2. Lesser Antilles, including about 50 islands, such as Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua, Martinique, St. Thomas, Tobago, Trinidad, etc.
3. Bahamas, which include about 30 inhabited islands and more than 2,000 coral reefs.

Facts and background - learn about the Caribbean today

One of the largest seas on our planet is the Caribbean Sea. The sea is located in the Western Hemisphere and is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

borders of the caribbean. From the Greater Antilles in the north to the Lesser Antilles in the east. The northern coast of South America is the south of the Caribbean Sea. To the west and southwest are the coasts of Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico, as the boundary between the Gulf and the Caribbean Sea.

Caribbean - This term is used to refer to the islands located in the Caribbean Sea region. The Caribbean is also known as the "West Indies" because Columbus was looking for a way to India and found what he found.

And only 2% of the Caribbean is actually inhabited.

The coasts of the Americas are also included in the Caribbean.

Caribbean coastline:

• Colombia
• Venezuela
• Nicaragua
• Honduras
• Guatemala
• Panama
• Costa Rica
• Belize

The Caribbean includes more than 700 islands, islets, reefs, caves. The islands are divided into different groups of islands, archipelagos (the Bahamas, for example).

Note: George Washington called the fabulous archipelago of the Bahamas - the islands of endless June.

Caribbean Island States:

• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Puerto Rico
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Guadeloupe, Martinique (French jurisdiction)
• Dominica
• Saint Lucia
• Curacao
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Barbados
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Virgin Islands and Minor Outlying Islands (US jurisdiction)
• Grenada
• Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Netherlands jurisdiction)
• Cayman islands
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Aruba
• British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Montserrat (UK jurisdiction)
• Sint Maarten and Saint Maarten
• Saint Barthélemy
• Navas Island, Serranilla and Bajo Nuevo

The predominant languages ​​in the Caribbean are Spanish, English, Dutch, Haitian, Creole and Papiamento.

What is the area of ​​the Caribbean Sea?

1,063,000 square miles or 2,754,000 square kilometers. The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas in the world.

Where is the Deepest Point in the Caribbean Sea?

Powerful rifting led to the formation of narrow troughs and the emergence of deep basins. You can find the deepest Cayman Trough. It has a depth of 25,220 feet or 7,886 meters below sea level. This place is located in the middle of the water area - where Jamaica and the Cayman Islands are.

What bays and bays does the Caribbean Sea have?

The seas include the Gulf of Honduras, the Gulfs of Venezuela, the Gonaves, Golfo de los mosquitoes and the Gulf of Darien.

Barrier Reef.
The Caribbean Sea is famous for its amazing barrier reef. People call it the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The report notes that it is regarded as the second largest barrier reef in the world. The barrier reef can be seen along Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and the Mexican coasts. Belize Barrier Reef in 1996 UNESCO included as a World Heritage Site.

Coral Reef.
About 9 percent of the world's coral reefs are located in the Caribbean Sea. Coral reefs in the Caribbean are concentrated in the region of Central America and along the coasts of the Caribbean islands. Here you can see pearl divers.

Coral reefs in the Caribbean are in danger of extinction. Corals are bleaching due to the effect of global warming, rising sea temperatures.

On average, the weather in the Caribbean Sea has an air temperature of about 21-29 degrees C.

Pirates. Movies about pirates are filmed mainly in the Caribbean. Not surprisingly, this region was chosen by pirates: piracy has flourished here since the 17th century.

The Caribbean region is a seismically hazardous area. Hurricanes and storms with a power of more than seven points (and even Tsunamis) occur periodically here, bringing destruction with them. The Atlantic (tropical) hurricane season occurs from June to November. The deadliest hurricane in the history of the West Indies, the Great Hurricane, hit in 1780. The most destructive of the storms were hurricanes: Katrina, Jeanne, Ivan, Galveston. ... Up to 12 hurricanes happen in the Atlantic during the season. And the most record-breaking in terms of the number of hurricanes (19 times) was 1995 and 1933.

• Probably, the Caribbean Sea took its name from the Indians of the Carib tribe. But its main inhabitants are immigrants from continental Europe and Africa.
• Another interesting fact. There are more churches per square mile in Jamaica than in any other country in the world. This is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

Located in the west of the 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. The largest bays: Honduran, Venezuelan, Darien. Largest: Jamaica.

Satellite map of the Caribbean 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 the Dominican Republic, Maracaibo in Venezuela, Barranquilla and Cartagena in Colombia. Cote d'Azur, beautiful beaches, girls in bikinis. The Caribbean is a unique, magical place to unwind and unwind.
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.

Before you find out 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 include four large areas of land that stretch from the mainland, among them Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba. The Lesser Antilles include a scattering of small lands, which include the Bahamas, Caicos, Turks, Bourbuda, Antigua, the Virginia Archipelago, Guadeloupe, Barbados, and so on.

Hard to say, which country is the caribbean, since they include all land areas washed by the Caribbean Sea. At the same time, 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, comfortably located 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 places where visitors come from all over the world.

The popularity of the local latitudes is explained by the harmonious combination of mild climate, rich historical heritage, as well as picturesque natural landscapes.

An important advantage of the Caribbean is the opportunity to relax all year round, because it is not cold here, eternal summer and sunny weather reign. The big question is the need for visas. It is tourists who are constrained by visa restrictions who are most interested in Where is the Caribbean which 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 Caribbean sites do not require their guests to have a visa. All cruises are operated from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States, so the city of departure still needs to be reached by plane, so lovers of cruise travel will still not be able to do without a visa. The most common cruise destinations are 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 has understood where the Caribbean islands are, he needs to make a specific choice where he will go to rest. To do this, you should familiarize yourself with the basic information known about the 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 go on for a very long time. It is noteworthy that before you go traveling, you must also look at the weather of the Caribbean Islands by months, which will allow you to make the right choice.

Weather in the Caribbean

Weather conditions for different land areas belonging to the same archipelago may vary slightly. In general, however, the climate ranges from humid to temperate tropical. It is worth noting that the humidity 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 fall below +25 degrees. The water near the coast remains warm all year round, its temperature does not fall 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 facilitated 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 "Dead 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 can shine brightly. Thus, it is important not only to view photos of the beaches of the Caribbean Islands on the Internet, but also to read the reviews of tourists who have already had time to relax here.