Is The Caribbean Classified As A Sea Or Ocean

By Rosella Campbell


Popularized by Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, the Caribbean Sea is a well-known tourist magnet. Why is the Caribbean classified as a sea and not an ocean? Technically, the sea is continuous with the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. What distinguishes it from an ocean is the fact that it is at least partially enclosed by land. The Mediterranean and Arabian Seas have similar features.

The area is prone to fierce storms called hurricanes, massive storms that form off the west African coast from June through November each year. They either travel to the Gulf Coast or along the eastern seaboard of the United States, where, more often than not, they bounce off to sea and blow themselves out. Sometimes they strike inland and wreak havoc on communities for days at a time, sometimes to devastating effect. These powerful storms influence weather patterns all over the globe.

The Cayman Trough represents the deepest point in the Cab' Sea. It is also known as the Cayman Trough, Bartlett Trough or Bartlett Deep. A team of research scientists from the United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre in Southampton began mapping the Cayman Trench in 2010 using a robot submarine. In the process, it located black smokers, which are hydrothermal vents in the Earth's surface, at a depth of just over three miles (five kilometres).

In 2012, the temperature of the water coming out of the black smokers was determined to be 842 deg. F (450 deg. C), the hottest vents on the surface of the entire planet. Also discovered was a new species of shrimp; instead of conventional eyes, the shrimp bears an organ on its dorsal surface that is sensitive to light.

The largest islands in the Caribbean is Cuba, discovered in 1492 by Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who claimed the island for Spain. Cuba has a lowly reputation among other nations but it is really a cool place. Its health and education systems are superior to most others in the world. It is also the single most environmentally responsible; The World Wide Fund for Nature named it the only truly 100% sustainable nation in the world.

Hispaniola, the second-largest of the Cab' Sea islands, is part of a larger group called the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is divided into two separate nations, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. These two political entities could not be more disparate, and this is clearly reflected in their general vibes.

The DR is a wealthy tourist attraction while Haiti struggles to survive poverty, natural disasters and political turmoil. This stark difference comes into sharp relief when the island is plagued by its annual onslaught of hurricanes.

The third largest island is Puerto Rico, meaning "rich port, " in Spanish. Other islands under Puerto Rican influence include Mona, Vieques and Culebra. All of the islands enjoy a tropical climate, hot all year round. The main national language spoken in Puerto Rico is Spanish, although English is also recognized as such.




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