The Caribbean Sea

Location-The Caribbean Sea is located at 9-22ºN and 89 to 60ºW.The countries found to the south of the Caribbean is Venezuela, Columbia, and Panama. The countries found to the West are Coasta Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras,Guatemala,Belize,and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The countries found to the north are the Greater Antilles Islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Purto Rico. The land that is found to the east is the Lesser Antilles Islands.

Size-The extent of of the Caribbean is about 1,063,000 square miles or 2,754,000 kilometers. The Caribbean’s greatest depth is called the Cayman Trench, between Cuba and Jamaica. It is about 25,216 feet or 1,686 meters below sea level.

Climate-The climate is generally tropical, but it depends on the local variations depending on mountain altitude, water currents, and trade winds. Rain is about 10 inches a year 25 millimeters on the island of Bonaire off the coast of Venezuela to 350 inches a year in parts of Dominica. The hurricane season is from June to November., but thy are most common in September. The yearly average is eight such storms. The Caribbean has less hurricane than the western Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico.

History-The first European to enter the Caribbean was Christopher Columbus. He touched land in the Bahamas in 1492. He convinced himself that he had discovered a new route e to Asia. He continued south and found a Spanish colony on the island of Hispaniola.

Bibliography: Encyclopedia Britannica online, September 21, 2000

http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/00_01/BW/kg/kg.htm

Great Link: Caribbean Sea
http://www.answers.com/topic/caribbean-sea

http://www.cep.unep.org/

http://www.cep.unep.org/issues/sub_issues.htm

http://www.envirolink.org/