Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Why Caribbean Classified As Sea And Not 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 deepest point in the Cab' Sea is known variably as the Bartlett Deep, Bartlett Trough or the Cayman Trough. It has a maximum depth of more than 7,600 metres, or 25,000 feet. In 2010, a team of researchers from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, England, commenced mapping the Trench with the help of a robotic submarine. Among its findings was the discovery of hydrothermal vents, known as black smokers, in the surface of the Earth at a depth of five kilometres (a little more than three miles).

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.

Cuba is the largest of the islands in the sea. It was claimed by Christopher Columbus for the King and Queen of Spain in 1492. Given short shrift by the rest of the world since the island was taken over by the dictator, Fidel Castro, he really hasn't done such a bad job with the place. It has the best health and education systems in the world and is the only place recognized by the World Wide Fund for Nature as being sustainable, making it the greenest spot on the planet.

The next-biggest island is Hispaniola, one of a group of islands known as the Greater Antilles. This is where Columbus sought refuge when his ship sank on Christmas Day 1492. Divided into two distinct nations, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, there is a clear difference between the two states.

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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