What a view of the Caribbean. Caribbean Sea: “True Paradise on Earth. Island States of the Caribbean
CARIBBEAN SEA, Caribbean Sea (Caribbean Sea), semi-enclosed marginal sea in the western part of the tropical zone Atlantic Ocean. In the west and south it is bounded by the mainland coasts of Central and South America, in the north and east by the ridge of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico) and the Windward Islands from the Lesser Antilles group. It is connected by the Yucatan Strait with the Gulf of Mexico, by 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 km2, the volume is 6745 thousand km3. Greatest depth 7090 m (Caiman trench).
coast Central America low-lying, wooded, South American mostly high, steep, with separate low areas covered with mangroves. Most of the islands have mountainous and steep coasts. Western and partially southwest coast the seas are fringed with reefs. Main large bays are located in the western southern parts seas: Honduran, Mosquitos, Darien, Venezuelan Gulf with Lake Maracaibo, Paria. Of the large islands - Jamaica; many small islands, most of them in the western and southeastern parts seas.
The shelf is well expressed only off the coast 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, deep basins stand out: Yucatan (4800 m), Colombian (4259 m), Venezuelan (5420 m), Grenada (4120 m). In the north caribbean from west to east along southern foot the underwater ridge of the same name will be extended by the Cayman deep-sea trench. Most of underwater ridges (Aves, Beata, Marcelino threshold, etc.), apparently, are submerged island arcs. Bottom sediments are represented mainly by calcareous foraminiferal oozes. Turbidity flows are an important factor in the formation of sediments for the flat relief of the basins; the most powerful precipitations were 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 °C, in August 27-30 °C. The amount of precipitation increases from east to west from 500 to 2000 mm per year. The largest average monthly precipitation falls in summer off the coast of Panama (up to 400 mm), the smallest in winter off the coast of Cuba (about 20 mm). Northeast trade winds prevail over the sea with speeds of 5-7 m/s. Storm 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 frequency 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 eastern and northeast directions, on average 3-4, rarely 5 points. The magnitude of 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. The tides are irregular semidiurnal, off the coast of Venezuela they are irregular diurnal, 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 interisland straits. These waters spread in a westerly direction called 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 coasts of Cuba and Jamaica, the current forms several anticyclonic eddies; 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 out into the Gulf of Mexico. In the strait, the highest speeds of surface currents from the mainland coast are up to 150 cm/s.
The water temperature on the surface during the year varies from 26 °C in winter to 29 °C in summer. Deep-water 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 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 surface water in a narrow strip off the coast of South America and the coast of Haiti and Cuba (over 36‰).
There are about 800 species of fish in the Caribbean Sea, of which more than half are edible. From commercial fish highest value have representatives of the families of snapper, serran, crucians, several types of mullet, croaker, as well as sardinella, horse mackerel, mackerel, tarpon, anchovies. Widely distributed fish open ocean- Tunas, marlins, sailboats, common dormice, sharks.
The Caribbean coast is known beautiful beaches, is the largest recreational area with numerous resorts. Lively shipping; passes sea route through Panama Canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Main ports: Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Maracaibo (Venezuela), Barranquilla and Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama).
Lit .: Zalogin B. S., Kosarev A. N. Sea. M., 1999.M.G. Deev.
Water temperature in the Caribbean. Caribbean Sea coast water temperature
The given data show the surface water temperature on the coast of the seas and oceans. To see the values, select the country and then the city you are interested in.
10 Fun Facts About The Caribbean
In addition to water temperature, we also provide information about the weather for today, tomorrow and in the coming days, surf forecast, sea state and roughness, sunrise / sunset and moonrise data.
List of countries and territories in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean sea water temperature monthly:
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in january
Sea Temperature in Caribbean Sea in February
Water temperature in the Caribbean Sea in march
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in april
Water temperature in the Caribbean Sea in May
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in june
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in july
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in august
Sea Temperature in Caribbean Sea in september
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in october
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in november
Water temperature in Caribbean Sea in December
To calculate the sea temperature, satellite data are used together with the results of observations at ground stations.
Water temperature, weather forecast and sea conditions are updated daily. Temperatures in shallow areas near the shore may be slightly higher than those shown here.
Location of the Caribbean Sea: West Side Atlantic Ocean, between Central and South America.
Caribbean area: 2,754 thousand km2
Average depth Caribbean: 2 491 m
Deepest Caribbean Sea: 7,680 m (Cayman Trench).
Bottom reliefCaribbean: deep-sea ridges (Cayman, Aves, Beata, Marcelino threshold), basins (Grenada, Venezuelan, Colombian, Bartlet, Yucatan).
SalinityCaribbean: 35.5-36‰.
currentscaribbean move from east to west, when leaving Gulf of Mexico give rise to the Gulf Stream.
Inhabitants of the Caribbean: sharks, flying fish, sea turtles and other types of tropical fauna; there are sperm whales, humpback whales, seals and manatees.
Additional information about the Caribbean: The Caribbean Sea borders the Gulf of Mexico, the shortest sea route passes through it, connecting the ports of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Panama Canal.
caribbean sea wikipedia
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Caribbean Sea: where is it on the map, photo, area, depth, rivers, fish, countries, cities
caribbean sea- a semi-enclosed sea in the Atlantic Ocean, located between Central and South America. Countries washed by the Caribbean Sea: Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, etc.
Area: 2,754,000 sq.
Caribbean Sea - corals, animals, tourism, pirates, interesting facts
km. Average depth: 2500 m. Maximum depth: 7686 m.
The following rivers flow into the Caribbean Sea: Plantaine Garden, Magdalena, Rio Grande, San Juan, Coco, Aguan, Motagua, Rio Hondo, etc.
Sea resort cities: Cancun (Mexico), Varadero (Cuba), Montego Bay (Jamaica), Bridgetown (Barbados), Freeport ( Bahamas) and etc.
The main ports of the Caribbean Sea: Cartagena (Colombia), Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), Maracaibo (Venezuela), Colon (Panama), Limon (Costa Rica), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Kingston (Jamaica).
Large bays: Mexican, Honduran, Venezuelan, Darien, Batabano, Gonave, Guacanaybo, Paria.
The most important islands of the Caribbean: Antilles, Bahamas, Caymans, Turneff, Islas de la Bahia. Largest island: Cuba.
Animal life: angelfish, silky shark, hawksbill turtle, barracudas, moray eels, tuna, lobsters, sardines, monk seal, sharp-winged crocodile, etc.
Photos of the Caribbean Sea:
Where is it on the map:
Oceans, lakes and rivers
caribbean sea
The Caribbean Sea belongs to the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. In the northwest, the reservoir borders the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and connects to the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Pass between Yucatan and Cuba.
In the north and east there are large and small Antilles. In the south, the sea is washed by the northern coast of South America. To the west and southwest is the coast of Central America. Caribbean waters are connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal.
geography
The reservoir is considered one of the largest in the world.
Its surface is 2.754 thousand square meters. km. The amount of water is 6,860 thousand cubic meters. km. The maximum depth is 7686 meters. It is installed in the so-called trench candle. It is located between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
This is an underwater trough between the North American and Caribbean plates. The average depth of the reservoir is 2500 meters.
member
Many countries erase many seas. IN South America These are Venezuela and Colombia. In Central America: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize.
The last in this series is the Yucatan Peninsula. The northern part occupies 3 Mexican states, and in the south - territories belonging to Belize and Guatemala.
In the northern part of the Greater Antilles, there are countries such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
The Antilles region is home to such countries as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Caribbean on the map
islands
Those who don't know should know that the Bahamas never belonged to the Caribbean. They are located north of Cuba and south of Florida. These are the waters of the Atlantic, and historically this area is called the West Indies.
It covers both the Caribbean and the Bahamas. This term appeared when Columbus discovered America.
In the reservoir under consideration there are the Antilles, divided into large and small. The first includes four large islands: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. It includes small islands, located near Cuba, and form the Los Canareos and Jardines de la Reina archipelagos.
The Lesser Antilles are much more numerous.
They are influenced by the northeast trade wind and are divided into wind, rain or south. The first group has about 50 islands. The southern group extends along the coast of South America and includes both individual islands and archipelagos.
closer to west coast reservoirs there are several archipelagos. These are the Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman, Mali Cayman, Cayman Brach), the Department of Island Bay Islands, which are located in Honduras, as well as the Miskitos and Turneff Islands.
There are separate islands of San Andres and Providencia.
Rivers
There are many rivers in a large body of water. The largest of them is the South American Magdalen River. It passes through Colombia and is 1550 km long. The annual flow is the largest and is approximately 230 cubic meters.
km. Another Colombian river is called Atrato. Its length is 644 km. Some rivers go to Lake Maracaibo (the largest in South America). The Caribbean Sea is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by a small slope, the depth of which does not exceed 4 meters.
In Central America, we also feed about 30 rivers.
The islands have rivers. For example, the Cauto River in Cuba. Its length is 343 km. But the Artibonite River in Haiti is 240 km long. There are rivers in Jamaica. This is the river of milk and the black river.
climate
The climate is tropical. It is created by the Subtropical Caribbean Current, a continuation of the South Trade trend. Hot water flows from the southeast to the northwest and passes through the Yucatan Channel in the Gulf of Mexico, from where it takes the Gulf Stream.
Therefore, the annual temperature ranges from 21 to 29 degrees Celsius.
Windmills are dominated by the trade winds. Their speed is from 16 to 30 km / h. There are tropical hurricanes in the northern part of the reservoir. Their speed can reach 120 km / h. Such strong winds sometimes suffer a real tragedy: people die, houses are destroyed, cultures die.
For example, Hurricane Mitch, created in the western part of the sea in October 1998, brought a lot of sadness. 11 thousand people were killed, and the same number was not enough. There were 2.7 million people homeless. They were mostly citizens of Nicaragua and Honduras.
economy
The Caribbean Sea is inextricably linked to oil production.
Approximately 170 million tons are produced offshore.
Caribbean Sea: "A true paradise on earth"
tons of oil per year. In addition, the fishing industry is well developed. Sea water annually provides up to 500 thousand tons of fish. However, human activity pollutes environment. First, it negatively affects coral reefs, which are constantly bleaching and destroying their ecosystem.
In the near future, this may affect the tourism industry in the best possible way. Every year about 40 million tourists visit the region. Their net profit is about 30 billion dollars. Many tourists are attracted by the diving and the beauty of the coral reefs. About 3 million local residents living on the islands are somehow connected with travel company. That's why ecological problems pretty sharp.
Sergey Gubanov
Before you know where the Caribbean Islands are on the world map, you need to get a little 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 the nature volcanic origin. Some islands are surrounded by large coral reefs, whose peaks protrude from the water and are overgrown with palm trees.
To the Big Antilles includes four large landmasses 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 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 the 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 harmonious combination 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 reigns and sunny weather.
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 areas Caribbean do not require their guests to have a visa.
All cruises operate from Mexico, 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 check the weather Caribbean 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 meet here New Year.
From August to November, the so-called "Dead season" begins in the Caribbean. It should be noted that predict Caribbean getaway it is quite difficult, because on one piece of land there can be a torrential downpour, and on the other, the sun can burn 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.
Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Puerto Rico - all these and many more famous countries are located in the Caribbean and are known under the common historical name West Indies.
Surely, some tourists who want to relax in one of these countries have a question - where are the caribbean islands? Washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, they are located between North and South America. Discovered by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century, they number about seven thousand island land plots. There are 13 states on their territory. The Caribbean Sea washes not only the islands in it, but also the shores of South, Central and North America, so countries that have Caribbean coast, are also considered the Caribbean.
All the islands of the Caribbean are grouped into three large groups- Bahamas, Lesser and Greater Antilles. Everyone has their own geographical feature and, accordingly, relief. The Lesser Antilles, having an arched shape, stretch throughout the northern part of the archipelago. On their territory there are 8 Caribbean countries, among them - Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Saint Lucia.
The Greater Antilles is the place most visited by tourists. The territory of the Greater Antilles includes Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico. Tourists love these countries because they are soft here. tropical climate, a little damp. evergreen forests, numerous rivers, endless beaches - all this is conducive to a good rest.
Bahamas - large archipelago, numbering in its territory about 700 small islands. A large number of coral reefs, white sands and coconut palms, tropical forests and the warm current of the Gulf Stream - all this cannot leave lovers indifferent southern holiday. In addition, for those who know where the Caribbean Islands are located and, accordingly, their origin, it is the Bahamas that reveals its underwater deep secrets. Apart from luxury resorts on the islands of Abaco and Eleuthera, the Bahamas are rich in nature, historical sites and friendly people.
Caribbean Islands - a place that is a kind of oasis in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. For lovers active rest there are many geographical advantages– from good wind conditions for occupation sailing, to endless reef labyrinths with stunning underwater inhabitants. For a relaxing holiday– quiet sea lagoons framed rainforest make a holiday on the islands worthy of subsequent repetitions.
And located in the tropical zone of the Western Hemisphere. In the northwest, the reservoir borders the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and connects to the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Strait between Yucatan and Cuba. To the north and east are the Greater and Lesser Antilles. In the south the sea washes north coast South America. To the west and southwest is the coast of Central America. Here Caribbean waters through the Panama Canal they are connected to the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Geography
The reservoir in question is one of the largest in the world. Its area is 2.754 thousand square meters. km. The volume of water is 6.860 thousand cubic meters. km. The maximum depth is 7686 meters. It is fixed in the so-called Cayman trough. It is located between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. This is an underwater trench between the North American and Caribbean plates. The average depth of the reservoir is 2500 meters.
Countries
A huge sea washes many countries. In South America, these are Venezuela and Colombia. In Central America: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. The last in this series is the Yucatan Peninsula. Its northern part is occupied by 3 Mexican states, and to the south are lands belonging to Belize and Guatemala.
In the northern part of the Greater Antilles, there are states such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The territory of the Lesser Antilles is occupied by such countries as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.
Caribbean Sea on the map
Islands
For those who are not in the know, you need to know that the Bahamas never belonged to the Caribbean. They are located north of Cuba and south of Florida. These are the waters of the Atlantic, and historically this area is called the West Indies. Here it covers both the Caribbean and the Bahamas. This term appeared after the discovery of America by Columbus.
In the reservoir under consideration are the Antilles, subdivided into Large and Small. The first includes 4 large islands: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. This also includes small islands located near Cuba and forming the Los Canarreos and Jardines de la Reina archipelagos.
The Lesser Antilles are much more numerous. They are influenced by the northwest trade wind and are subdivided into windward and leeward or southerly. In the first group, there are about 50 islands. The southern group stretches along the coast of South America and includes both individual islands and archipelagos.
Closer to the western coast of the reservoir, there are several archipelagos. These are the Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac), Islas de la Bahia, belonging to Honduras, as well as the Miskitos and Turneff Islands. There are separate islands of San Andres and Providencia.
Rivers
Many rivers flow into the huge reservoir. The largest river in South America is the Magdalena. It flows through Colombia and has a length of 1550 km. Its annual flow is the largest and is approximately 230 cubic meters. km. The second Colombian river is called Atrato. Its length is 644 km. Some of the rivers flow into Lake Maracaibo (the largest in South America). It is connected to the Venezuelan Gulf of the Caribbean Sea by a shallow strait, the depth of which does not exceed 4 meters.
The reservoir is also fed by about 30 rivers of Central America. There are rivers and islands. For example, the Cauto River in Cuba. Its length is 343 km. Or the Artibonite River in Haiti with a length of 240 km. There are rivers in Jamaica. These are Milk River and Black River.
Climate
The climate is tropical. It is formed by the subtropical Caribbean Current, which is a continuation of the South Trade Wind Current. warm waters flow from the southeast to the northwest and through the Yucatan Strait go to the Gulf of Mexico, where the Gulf Stream is born. Therefore, the annual temperature is kept in the range from 21 to 29 degrees Celsius.
Trade winds dominate the reservoir. Their speed ranges from 16 to 30 km/h. Tropical hurricanes occur in the northern part of the reservoir. Their speed can reach up to 120 km/h. Such strong winds sometimes they carry a real tragedy: people die, houses collapse, crops die. For example, Hurricane Mitch, which formed in the western part of the sea in October 1998, brought a lot of grief. 11 thousand people died and the same number went missing. 2.7 million people were left without housing. They were mostly citizens of Nicaragua and Honduras.
Economy
The Caribbean Sea is inextricably linked with oil production. Approximately 170 million tons of oil per year are produced in its water area. In addition, the fishing industry is well developed. sea waters produce up to 500 thousand tons of fish per year. However, human activity pollutes the environment. First of all, this negatively affects coral reefs, which are steadily bleaching, and their ecosystem is being destroyed.
In the near future, this may not affect the tourism industry in the best way. Up to 40 million tourists visit this area every year. Their net profit is about 30 billion dollars. Many tourists are attracted by diving and the beauty of coral reefs. Approximately 3 million local residents living on the islands are somehow connected with tourism business. So the issues related to ecology are quite acute.
The area of the Caribbean Sea is 2,754,000 km². The average depth is 1225 m. The average volume of water is 6860 thousand km³.
The sea is located on the Caribbean lithospheric plate. It is divided into five basins, separated from each other by underwater ridges and a series of islands. The Caribbean Sea is considered shallow compared to other bodies of water, although its maximum depth is approximately 7,686 meters (in the Cayman Trench between Cuba and Jamaica).
The shores are mountainous in places, low in places; in the west and near the Antilles, they are bordered by coral reefs. Coastline heavily cut; in the west and south there are bays - Honduras, Darien, Venezuelan (Maracaibo), etc.
The Caribbean Sea is one of largest seas transitional zone, separated from the ocean by a system of uneven-aged island arcs, of which the youngest, with modern active volcanoes, is the Lesser Antilles arc. More mature island arcs form major islands- Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico with the already formed mainland ( Northern part Cuba) or subcontinental crust. The island arc of the Cayman - Sierra Maestra is also young, expressed for the most part by the underwater Cayman ridge, accompanied by the same name deep sea trench(7680 m). Other submarine ridges (Aves, Beata, Marcelino threshold) are, apparently, submerged island arcs. They divide the bottom of the Caribbean Sea into a series of basins: Grenada (4120 m), Venezuelan (5420 m). Columbia (4532 m), Bartlett with the Cayman deep-sea trench, Yucatan (5055 m). The bottoms of the basins have the earth's crust of the suboceanic type. The bottom sediments are calcareous foraminiferal silts, in the southwestern part - weakly manganese, calcareous silts, in shallow water - various coral deposits, including numerous reef structures. The climate is tropical, influenced by the trade wind circulation and characterized by great uniformity. Average monthly air temperatures are from 23 to 27 °С. Cloudiness 4-5 points. The amount of precipitation is from 500 mm in the east to 2000 mm in the west. From June to October in sowing. parts of the sea are marked by tropical hurricanes. The hydrological regime is highly homogeneous. The surface current moves from east to west under the influence of trade winds. Off the coast of Central America, it deviates to the northwest and goes through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico. The speed of the current is 1-3 km / h, near the Yucatan Strait up to 6 km / h. The sea is an intermediate basin for waters that come from the Atlantic Ocean and, when they exit the Gulf of Mexico into the ocean, give rise to the Gulf Stream. Average monthly water temperatures on the surface are from 25 to 28 °С; annual fluctuations are less than 3 °С. Salinity is about 36.0 ‰. Density 1.0235-1.0240 kg/m3 Water color from bluish-green to green. The tides are predominantly irregular semidiurnal; their size is less than 1 m. Vertical change hydrological characteristics occurs to a depth of 1500 m, below which the sea is filled with homogeneous water coming from the Atlantic Ocean; its temperature is from 4.2 to 4.3 °C, salinity is 34.95-34.97‰. Sharks, flying fish, sea turtles and other species of tropical fauna live in the Caribbean Sea. There are sperm whales and humpback whales, seals and manatees off the island of Jamaica.
The Caribbean Sea has a large economic and strategic importance as the shortest sea route connecting the ports of the Atlantic Ocean through the Panama Canal and Pacific Ocean. The most important ports are Maracaibo and La Guaira (Venezuela), Cartagena (Colombia), Lemon (Costa Rica), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Colon (Panama), Santiago de Cuba (Cuba) and others.
The name "Caribbean" is derived from the Caribs, one of the dominant Indian tribes of America, who lived on the coast at the time of Columbus's contact with the natives in the late 15th century. After the discovery of the West Indies by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Caribbean Sea was called the Sea of Antilles, after the Spaniards who discovered the Antilles. IN various countries The Caribbean Sea is still confused with the Antilles Sea.
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.
