Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a tropical sea in the center of the Caribbean area. The body of water is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The sea is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. This entire sea covers an area of 2,750,000 square kilometres (1,060,000 sq mi). It is bordered by Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico in the north, Central America in the west and South America in the south.
This sea is also as deep as the oceans. Its deepest point is believed to be even lower than 25,220 ft (7,686 m). That makes this point one of the lowest points on the surface of the earth, and the Caribbean Sea one of the deepest seas in the world.
The Caribbean Sea has many islands, which are popular among North American tourists because of their tropical climate. The Caribbean Sea is famous around the world as a tourist destination.
History
Christopher Columbus came across a group of islands in the Caribbean region. When he did so, he thought he had reached another part of the world. Because of this, he named the islands the ‘West Indies’. However, later it was realized that he found an entire region. It still had its natural resources. The name ‘Caribbean’ was later given to it by the Amerindian tribe, the Caribs. That is how it got its name: the Caribbean Sea.
Caribbean Sea Media
Coral reef near Soufrière Quarter, Saint Lucia
Christopher Columbus landing on Hispaniola in 1492
Tulum, a Mayan city on the coast of the Caribbean in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico
Coral reefs in the British Virgin Islands
The shaded relief map of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico area
Map of plate tectonics in the Caribbean region
Sketch of the North Equatorial Current and the Gulf Stream
The Belize Barrier Reef photographed from the International Space Station in 2016
Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico
Average sea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Atlantic Ocean (25–27 August 2005). Hurricane Katrina is seen just above Cuba.
Other websites
Media related to Caribbean Sea at Wikimedia Commons
This short article about a place or feature can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.