A short story about the Caribbean. Where is the Deepest Point in the Caribbean Sea? Caribbean Sea - corals, animals, tourism, pirates, interesting facts

Marginal semi-enclosed sea of the Atlantic Ocean basin, from the west and south it is bounded by the Central and South America, from the north and east - 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 an 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 ( South coast islands of Cuba), as well as the Gulf of Gonave ( West Side islands of Haiti).

On east coast Yucatan has several bays, including Asension, Espiritu Santo and Chetumal. The Gulf of Honduras ends in Amatiche Bay, located on the border of Belize and Guatemala. north coast 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 Atlantic Ocean.

Islands

It is customary to include in the concept of the West Indies the Antilles and Bahamas. The Caribbean Sea washes only the Antilles, which are subdivided into the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles border northern border seas and include four major islands: Cuba, Haiti (formerly called Hispaniola), Jamaica and Puerto Rico, as well as small nearby islands - the archipelagos of Los Canarreos (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 approximately 50 islands, the largest of which are: Santa Cruz, St. Thomas ( Virgin Islands), Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint Kitts, Barbuda, Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda), Grande-Terre and Basse-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.

In the western part caribbean there are 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 Andres) and reefs (Lighthouse, Glover, Media Luna and others).

Climate

The Caribbean Sea is in the zone tropical climate, which is affected 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. The northeast trade winds prevail with average speeds of 16-32 km / h, however, in northern regions seas, tropical hurricanes occur, 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 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 bass, 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 Caribbean 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. The forests are inhabited by parrots, sugar birds and toucans, above open sea you can meet frigates and phaetons.

Tourism

With a warm climate and great beaches, the Caribbean is one of the main resort areas peace. The rich marine fauna attracts divers; except natural beauties the region is rich cultural monuments 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 communication between North America and the Caribbean is better developed than within the region.

Caribbean countries have become popular holiday destinations for many people from different parts of the Earth. Their list was supplemented by both mainland and island states.

Caribbean Sea on the world map in Russian

The Caribbean Sea has been known in modern civilization since its discovery in the 15th century. The discoverers named the sea after the tribes Caribbean that inhabited the coast, although the sea has changed its name many times throughout history.

The Caribbean Sea has a romantic and sinister history of piracy, which flourished in the 18th century.

Piracy has long sunk into the past, but is of interest to this day. It was the story of the pirates of the Caribbean that became the plot for movie of the same name. The modern Caribbean Sea is the most fashionable and popular resorts of the world, attracting people with their amazing heavenly beauty.

The Caribbean Sea is an attractive holiday destination. You can choose a vacation to your taste in any country, almost at any time of the year, which is facilitated by the climate. Caribbean is land of eternal summer!

Where is?

The Caribbean Sea is the open sea in western hemisphere, in the Atlantic Ocean basin, it seems to connect two parts American continent located between South and Central America and the Antilles. Through the Panama Canal it is connected to the Pacific Ocean, through the Yucatan Strait it has access to Gulf of Mexico.

Climate

Climate of the Caribbean tropical, with a predominance east winds- trade winds. Tropical hurricanes are also not uncommon, especially strong in the northern regions of the sea. The most hurricane season is from June to November. Most often destructive hurricanes, from which residents suffered more than once coastal areas occur in the first months of autumn.

Sometimes hurricanes are so destructive that this event becomes part of history.

The amount of precipitation can vary depending on the winds and on what area of the sea this or that island is located.

Temperature about the same in the Caribbean. average temperature in summer +28°C, in winter from 23 to 27°C.

List of basin countries

The Caribbean Sea washes the shores of many states and territories, both continental and insular.

What territories it washes: states and their capitals

Continental States, which washes the Caribbean Sea, are located in northern, central and south America.

The only North American country in the Caribbean - or as it is called in official language, United Mexican States. The capital is Mexico City.

South American countries:

Colombia, official name Republic of Colombia. The capital is Bogota;
Venezuela or officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The capital is Caracas;
Republic of Panama, partly located in Central America. The capital is Panama.

Central American countries:

Republic of Nicaragua, capital - Managua;
Republic of Honduras, the capital is Tegucigalpa;
Republic of Guatemala, capital - Guatemala;
Republic of Costa Rica, capital - San Jose;
Belize capital is Belmopan.

island states Caribbean:

Cuba, official name, unofficial - Liberty Island. The capital is Havana;
Dominican Republic, capital - Santo Domingo;
Haiti, the official name of the Republic of Haiti, the capital of Port-au-Prince;
Jamaica, capital - Kingston;
Puerto Rico, officially called the Freely Associated State of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The capital is San Juan.

Read more about Puerto Rico in: history, climate, animal, vegetable world and other.

It is possible to single out the territories that are part of European countries : (Anguilla), France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin), the Netherlands (Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius), this is due to the history of the colonization of the lands of the Caribbean. As well as territories belonging to the United States Virgin Islands, the capital is Charlotte Amalie.

Washed Islands

The islands of the Caribbean are Antilles Large and Small and Bahamas.

Greater Antilles include the island of Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands. The smallest island is Little Cayman, its area is 28.5 km².
Lesser Antilles these are: a chain of small islands, the largest of them are Trinidad and Tobago and Martinique, the smallest is Petit Martinique, only 2.4 km², with a population of 900 people.
Bahamas include 700 small islands, and only 30 of them are inhabited.

Tourism in the Caribbean

The variety of resorts in the Caribbean makes it difficult to choose the best because each island is good in its own way. In the Caribbean, anyone will find a vacation to their liking. For Russian tourists the obstacle is the long and expensive journey to the Caribbean.

A nice bonus is that Russians do not need a visa to enter some states.

Popular resorts

Resorts where possible visa-free entry:

Montego Bay- a resort for lovers of fun, movement, "hip-strip". The city of a never-sleeping port and luxurious hotels;

One of the most expensive resorts world is located just in the Caribbean Sea. Read about this and other resorts that not everyone can afford.

Negril – white sandy beaches, appeasement, the kingdom of palm trees, natural area, remote from the noise of cities and industries;
Ocho Rios charming with its inconsistency: on the one hand - quiet fishing towns, on the other hand - the center of cruise tourism. Both lovers of solitude and fans of parties can find a place for themselves in this resort.

The best beaches

Among the best beaches Caribbean Sea, there are those that deserve additional attention:

The Caribbean Sea is attractive with comfort, romance and a certain share of danger, as Caribbean beaches often find themselves in the path of hurricanes. The strongest winds and complete serenity, the opportunity to choose a vacation and a beach to your liking, enjoy sea views sports, to observe the life of plants and animals in the pristine corners of nature, attracts people from all over the world.

See video About holidays in the Caribbean:

Geological setting

The sea is located on the Caribbean lithospheric plate and, being one of largest seas transitional zone, separated from the ocean by several uneven-aged island arcs. The youngest of them passes through the Small Antilles from the Virgin Islands in the northeast to the island of Trinidad off the coast of Venezuela. This arc was formed during the collision of the Caribbean Plate with the South American Plate and includes the current and extinct volcanoes, such as Montagne Pele, Kiel and volcanoes national park Morne Trois Pitons. Large islands in the northern part of the sea (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico) lie on an older island arc, to the north of which the continental and subcontinental crust has already formed. The arc from the south of Cuba, expressed by the Sierra Maestra mountains, the underwater Cayman Range, and the trough of the same name, is also relatively young. The deepest known point in the Caribbean Sea is located in the Cayman Trench - 7686 m below sea level.

The surface of the Caribbean Plate is divided into five basins: Grenada (depth 4120 m), Venezuelan (5420 m or 5630 m), Colombian (4532 m or 4263 m), Caymanova (Bartlett, 7686 m) and Yucatan (5055 m). or 4352 m.). The depressions are separated by submarine ridges (probably former island arcs) Aves, Beata, and the Nicaraguan Rise.

The Yucatan Basin is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by the Yucatan Strait, which is located between the Yucatan Peninsula and the island of Cuba and has a depth of about 1600 m. surface, forming the Cayman Islands. The Nicaraguan uplift, which has the shape of a triangle and a depth of about 1200 m, extends from the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua to the island of Haiti. The island of Jamaica is located on this rise, and the border between the Cayman and Columbia Basins also passes through it. The Colombian basin, in turn, is partially separated from the Venezuelan by the Beata ridge, which rises to 2121 m below sea level. The Colombian and Venezuelan basins are connected by the Aruba rupture, the depth of which reaches 4,000 m. The Aves Ridge separates the small Grenada basin from the Venezuelan one, which is bounded from the east by the arc of the Lesser Antilles.

Coastline

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. On the continental coast (western and South part Sea) there are several bays, the largest of which are: Honduran, 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.

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 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 Sea 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 part Pacific Ocean(where typhoons rage from May to November). Most of hurricanes form off the islands Green Cape and is sent by the trade winds to the shores of America.

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 from 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.

Caribbean from A to Z: the most popular islands, beaches and hotels in Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Barbados or the Bahamas. colorful photo and video. Tour operators in the Caribbean.

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The legendary Antilia, and later the colonial West Indies, the Caribbean nestled comfortably in the geographical "hollow" between North and South America. Large and small, windward and leeward, heavily populated by tourists and uninhabited, the Caribbean is a paradise for downshifters and drug lords, and at the same time one of the most popular destinations beach exotic. Fifty odd islands in the Caribbean are home to a real and well-balanced paradise, the perfect combination of natural and man-made: the rich heritage of the colonial past in the form of a mass of museum houses and pompous mansions perfectly complements the exotic nature, where greenery rainforest alternates with volcanic landscapes, and expanses of coffee plantations are replaced by thickets of sugar cane and bananas.

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Putting sentiment aside and turning to dry facts, we learn that the Caribbean includes the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The first include 4 large islands "stretching" to the mainland: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico; to the second - a round dance of all sorts of trifles, in turn divided into leeward and windward islands: noisy Bahamas and authentic Turks and Caicos, the Virgin Islands divided between the USA and Great Britain, outlandish Antigua and Barbuda, discovered by Columbus Guadeloupe and birthplace of Josephine Beauharnais Martinique, Grenada, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, finally - glorified by the saga of Jack Sparrow Dominica. By the way, the island of Curacao (the one that gave the name to the popular liquor) is also located here.

Diving in Curacao

The reasons for the popularity of the Caribbean in the tourist market are obvious: the warm sea all year round, the amazing beauty of nature, a large selection of hotels and a whole bunch of entertainment - water and "dry" sports, nightclubs, discos, restaurants, interesting excursions. Let's take Cuba or the Dominican Republic as an example. Here you can not only enjoy the sea and the sun, but also wander around old Havana, walk through coffee and tobacco plantations, listen to the singing of street singers, "burn off" at the disco and, in general, breathe the air of freedom in every possible way.

A distinctive feature of the Caribbean region - big variety recreation options, because each state has its own “specialization” here.

In Barbados, for example, many English traditions are firmly rooted in life. There is a large selection of hotels, and not all of them accept small children: rest here is mostly calm and relaxed.

15 days in the Dominican Republic

Grenada is known as the "Spice Island", there are many botanical gardens, museums, attractions, and magnificent beaches so they invite you to lie down on a soft White sand. The Turks and Caicos attract the attention of a respectable public with their magnificent five-star hotels, as well as good conditions for diving and high-level SPA-centers.

Saint Lucia bears the proud title of "Garden Island" and is one of the most beautiful islands Caribbean Sea. In contrast, Aruba is a desert island, with magnificent hotels and a stormy nightlife. There are many hotels in Saint Martin different levels, while the Bahamas offer huge selection accommodation options, from secluded hotels to bustling urban complexes.

Finally, in Curacao, just the same without fail you need to go to one of the bars and order a glass of a wonderful blue drink!

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. 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 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 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 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 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.