Caribbean Sea - corals, animals, tourism, pirates, interesting facts. Caribbean Sea, map Biological resources of the Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean (Central American) Sea is a marginal sea of ​​the tropical zone of the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, its borders run from the Yucatan Peninsula through the islands of Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands, in the east - along the arc of the Lesser Antilles. The southern border of the sea is the coast of South America (Venezuela, Colombia) and Panama. The western border runs along the shores of Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico).

The area of ​​the sea is about 2,777 thousand km2, the volume of water is 6,745 thousand km3, the average depth is 2429 m, the greatest depth is 7090 m.

Through numerous straits in the archipelagos of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Caribbean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean, and through the Yucatan Strait to the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, the sea is a flowing basin through which the waters of the upper layer move from east to west. Therefore, the Caribbean Sea is sometimes called the “sea of ​​flowing waters.”

Most of the straits connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean are shallow, and only a few have a threshold depth of more than 1000 m. These are the straits of the Greater Antilles: Windward - 1650 m deep, Anegada - 1740 m and the Lesser Antilles: Dominica - about 1400 m, as well as St. Lucie and St. Vincent - up to 1000 m. The main water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean occurs through these straits. From the Caribbean Sea, water flows into the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Strait, which is about 2000 m deep.

The nature of the seashores varies. The coast of Central America is mostly low-lying and wooded, while the coast of South America is mostly high and steep, with some low-lying areas covered with mangroves. Most of the islands of the West Indian archipelago are high and mountainous.

The western coast of the Caribbean Sea and the part of the coast east of the Gulf of Maracaibo are fringed by islands and reefs. In the western and southern parts of the sea there are the main bays: Honduras, Los Mosquitos, Darien, Maracaibo, Paria.

The shelf zone in the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula is virtually absent and appears only off the coast of Honduras, reaching its maximum width at Cape Patuca (240 km). Then it narrows again and does not exceed several kilometers off the coast of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. This entire shelf area is replete with banks. Further along the coast of South America, the shelf expands again, reaching 100 km off the coast of Venezuela.

There is almost no shelf off the coast of the West Indies archipelago; the slopes of the islands slope steeply to the sea. A particularly steep slope along the southern coast of Cuba, its inclination angle is 17°, and in some places exceeds 45°.

Climate

The climate of the Caribbean Sea is determined by the trade wind circulation of the atmosphere, characterized by high air temperatures, the division of the year into two seasons (dry winter and wet summer), stable winds from the east and northeast, and tropical hurricanes.

The air temperature changes little throughout the year, the annual difference in average monthly temperatures decreases from 4-6° in the north to 1-2° in the south. The average air temperature in January is 24-27°, in August 27-30°. The maximum temperature can reach 38°, and the minimum does not fall below 12-15°.

The amount of precipitation increases from east to west from 500 to 1000-2000 mm per year with a maximum in the summer months. The highest average monthly precipitation falls in summer off the coast of Panama - up to 400 mm, and the least in winter on the southern coast of Cuba - no more than 20 mm.

The wind regime is determined by trade winds blowing from the east or northeast. In the western part of the sea, trade winds are less stable. The average wind force is 5-7 m/s. Breezes blow along the coasts of the mainland and islands.

The main storm activity in the Caribbean Sea is associated with the West Indies hurricanes. The dimensions of these tropical cyclones are several hundred kilometers across and the wind speed is 40-60 m/s. Hurricanes originate in the southwestern Caribbean Sea, east of the Lesser Antilles and off the Cape Verde Islands. From their origins, hurricanes generally move west and northwest to the Gulf of Mexico, where they turn northeast. The speed of a hurricane is 250-550 km per day, its lifetime is on average 6 days. The average long-term frequency of hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea is 3 per year, but in some years there can be up to 20 hurricanes (most often in September).

In accordance with the nature of the winds in the sea, waves and swells in the eastern and north-eastern directions predominate; the most typical (more than 50%) is a wave of 3-4 points. The frequency of disturbances of 5 points or more is 4-5%. The calmest area is considered to be the area between the islands of Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti, where the frequency of calms reaches 10%.

Most of the coast has irregular semidiurnal tides, and irregular diurnal tides in the Lesser Antilles and a small section of the coast of Venezuela. The tide does not exceed 1 m anywhere.

Seasonal level fluctuations are determined mainly by the ratio of the components of the sea's water balance and water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of the interaction of these factors, the highest level is observed in early autumn (September - October), and the lowest in January. At most observation points, the magnitude of annual level changes is within the range of 8-30 cm, but in some areas it can reach 80 cm.

Level fluctuations also occur with sudden changes in winds. Short-term rises in level on various parts of the coast were observed during the passage of tropical cyclones.

Bottom relief

The seabed is strongly dissected by underwater ridges into several large basins: Grenada (more than 3000 m deep), Venezuelan (more than 5000 m), Colombian (more than 4000 m), Cayman (more than 6000 m) and Yucatan (more than 4500 m). Thus, a significant volume of Caribbean Sea waters is below the depth of the rapids in the straits, as a result of which the deep waters of the sea and ocean differ.

Bottom topography and currents of the Caribbean Sea

Currents

Water circulation in the sea is formed under the influence of the Northern Trade Wind Current, which is about 60° W. is divided into two currents: one of them (the Guiana Current) enters the Caribbean Sea through the straits of the Lesser Antilles, the other (the Antilles Current) moves westward north of the Greater Antilles. Branches that enter the Caribbean Sea through the northern straits of Anegada, Mona and Windward are separated from the Antilles Current. These waters are transported to the sea in a westerly direction.

Grenada Island in the Caribbean Sea

The waters of the Guiana Current enter the Caribbean Sea through the strait between the coast of South America and the island. Grenada and the straits of the Lesser Antilles. Therefore, the Caribbean Current in the eastern part of the sea has two branches: one runs 200-300 km from the coast of Venezuela, the other along the middle of the sea. Approximately 80°W the southern branch turns north and the currents converge. The speed on the surface here reaches 70 cm/s. Next, the main flow of the Caribbean Current follows to the Yucatan Strait and exits through it into the Gulf of Mexico.

At the entrance to the strait, a stream separates from the main flow of water, which turns back and moves along the southern coast of Cuba to the Windward Strait. Anticyclonic gyres form south of Cuba and Jamaica. To the south of the main current, several cyclonic gyres stand out - off the coast of Venezuela, Panama and Costa Rica. In the summer season, cyclonic water movement is also characteristic of the Gulf of Honduras.

In the Windward Strait, most of the section is occupied by Atlantic waters. In the upper layer they enter the sea in the eastern half of the strait, and in the western half, off the coast of Cuba, a reverse flow is observed in a layer up to 100-120 m. In the deep layers, on the contrary, the Atlantic waters are pressed against the island. Cuba, and the flow from the sea goes along the island. Haiti.

In the Mona Strait, there is a fairly strong flow of Atlantic water into the Caribbean Sea in the layer from the surface to 300 m. The reverse movement of water from the sea to the ocean in the deep layers is very weak.

In the Anegada Strait, in the upper layer the current is always directed from ocean to sea, and in the deep layers - from sea to ocean. The core of waters flowing from the sea to the ocean is located at horizons of 800-900 m, their speed is about 40 cm/s. However, as in the Windward Strait, the boundary between multidirectional flows changes its position. Water exchange through the northern straits of Windward and Anegada plays a significant role in the balance of sea waters.

Most of the intermediate Atlantic waters enter the sea through the deep central straits of the Lesser Antilles: Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, as well as through the strait between the islands. Grenada and the mainland, despite the fact that its depth is no more than 750 m.

The main flow of Caribbean Sea waters goes through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico, and then through the Strait of Florida into the ocean. In the Yucatan Strait, maximum current speeds, reaching 150 cm/s on the surface, are observed along the continental shelf, near the coast. The thickness of the upper current leaving the sea reaches 700-800 m. In the bottom layers of the Yucatan Trench, both the entry of deep water from the Caribbean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico and its reverse transport can occur.

The deep current from the Yucatan Strait partially passes into the Windward Strait, skirting the tip of the Cayman Ridge from the west. Its other part is included in the Columbia Basin, where the deep circulation is anticyclonic.

The water entering the sea in the deep layers of the Anegada Strait also forms an anticyclonic circulation in the Venezuelan and Grenada basins.

The influx of water from the Atlantic Ocean is the main factor in the formation of the hydrological structure of the waters of the Caribbean Sea. The vertical stratification of waters in the sea is associated with the depth of the rapids in the straits of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The sea waters are well stratified to a depth of 1200 m, weakly in the layer between 1200 and 1800 m, and very homogeneous below 1800 m and to the bottom.

Water temperature and salinity

The horizontal distribution of water temperature and salinity is determined mainly by the circulation system in the sea. Only in the surface layer the distribution of hydrological characteristics is associated with the influence of heating and cooling of the sea, evaporation, precipitation and river flow. The usual zonal distribution of water temperature (its decrease from low to high latitudes) is not observed in the sea.

Water temperature and salinity at the surface of the Caribbean Sea in summer

Thanks to the prevailing system of easterly winds and the general transport of water from east to west, a drift effect and rise of deep waters to the surface are observed near the southern coasts of the sea (especially near Venezuela and Colombia). Therefore, in the eastern part of the sea, the highest water temperature on the surface is observed on the northern shores: 26-26.5° in winter and about 28° in summer. In the central part of the sea the temperature is almost constant - 27-28°, and in the western part it varies from 26° in winter to 29° in summer.

Vertical movements of water in the coastal zone of the sea cause a characteristic slope of isothermal surfaces in a layer up to 600 m. The thickness of the upper layer, uniform in temperature, reaches 100 m along the northern shores of the sea, and only 20-30 m on the southern shores. The temperature jump layer also deepens to the north and rises off the southern shores of the sea. However, with depth, meridional differences in temperature gradually decrease. Thus, at a horizon of 100 m off the coast of Venezuela the temperature is 19-20°, and near Puerto Rico, Haiti and Jamaica - 25-27°. At a horizon of 200 m, the difference in temperature at the southern and northern borders of the sea is 5°, and at a horizon of 600 m - 3-4°.

Below 600 m, horizontal temperature differences become negligible. At a horizon of 800 m, the temperature over the sea area varies from 5.5 to 7°, and at a horizon of 1000 m - from 4.8 to 5.5°. Below 1000 m, the temperature very slowly drops to 4° at a horizon of 1600 m (i.e., near the depth of the rapids in the Windward and Anegada straits). Deep Atlantic water with a temperature of about 4°, entering the sea through these straits, fills its entire deep-water part to the very bottom. From the Caribbean Sea, deep water penetrates into the Gulf of Mexico through a trench in the Yucatan Strait, the depth of which is slightly more than 2000 m. In the basins of the Caribbean Sea, to depths of about 3000 m, the temperature remains 4.1-4.2 °. The presence of albeit small spatial differences in temperature at these depths indicates the ongoing renewal of deep water in the sea.

The salinity value in the surface layer over most of the sea is 35.5-36.5‰. In summer, especially towards the end of the season, the salinity on the surface in some areas is 0.5-1‰ less than in winter. This is explained by the abundance of precipitation and increased river flow in the summer months. The lowest salinity is observed near the islands of Trinidad and Tobago (less than 35‰ in winter, 33-34‰ in summer) and near the southern part of the Lesser Antilles ridge, which is associated with the influence of the Orinoco runoff. A narrow strip of water with the highest salinity for the sea (36.2-36.8‰) is constantly observed along the coast of South America due to the rise of deeper, more saline waters that occur here. Salinity of more than 36‰ is also typical for areas with little precipitation - south of the islands of Haiti and Cuba.

The vertical distribution of salinity is characterized by the presence of a subsurface maximum and an intermediate minimum.

The maximum salinity is associated with subsurface subtropical ocean water entering the sea through the straits of the Lesser Antilles. The depth of the maximum varies from 80 m along the southern shores to 150 m in the middle part and 180-200 m near the northern shores. Its core is located in a layer of temperature jump, salinity in the core decreases from 36.9-37‰ in the eastern part of the sea to 36.5-36.7‰ in the Yucatan Strait.

The salinity minimum is formed due to the spread of intermediate subantarctic water into the sea, which also enters through the straits of the Lesser Antilles in a layer of 700-800 m with a salinity of about 34.7‰. As you move westward, the salinity in the minimum layer increases when mixed with above- and underlying waters and in the Yucatan basin is 34.8-34.85‰.

Below the minimum layer, salinity increases again in the deep North Atlantic water, which enters the sea through the deepest straits of the Greater Antilles ridge. At the horizon of 1700 m, the salinity is slightly less than 35‰ and then does not change until the bottom.

The oxygen content in the upper layer of the sea up to 50 m thick is about 4.5 ml/l. Vertically, it decreases to a minimum (2.7 ml/l) in a layer of 500-600 m. Then, with depth, the amount of oxygen again increases to maximum values ​​(5-6 ml/l), and then very slowly decreases towards the bottom. Significant concentrations of oxygen at great depths are associated with the influx of ocean water. Therefore, interannual changes in the amount of oxygen in the minimum and maximum layers are associated with an increase or decrease in the flow of intermediate subantarctic and deep North Atlantic water into the sea.

Based on the distribution of hydrological characteristics and the peculiarities of the structure of waters in the Caribbean Sea, the following water masses are distinguished:

surface tropical water - occupies a layer of 0-75 m, has a temperature of 26-28° and a salinity of 35-36‰

subsurface subtropical water (75-300 m) - is released at the maximum salinity (36.6-37 ‰) in the temperature jump layer (19-25°);

intermediate subantarctic water (300-1000 m) - characterized by a minimum salinity (34.7-34.85‰) and a temperature of 5-9°;

deep and bottom water (1000 m - bottom) - is formed from deep Atlantic water with a temperature of 4-4.5 ° and a salinity of 34.96-35‰. It occupies the largest volume. According to approximate calculations, the time for complete renewal of this water is about 1000 years.

A significant part of the volume of the Caribbean Sea is occupied by mixed waters.

The Caryaco depression, located on the shelf of Venezuela, with a depth of about 1400 m, has special conditions. The depression is separated from the sea by a threshold with a depth of no more than 150 m, below which it is filled with almost homogeneous water with a temperature of about 17° and a salinity of 36.2‰. Outside the depression, the temperature in the same layers of water is much lower. The descent of such warm water (with a temperature of up to 17°) to depths exceeding 1000 m is a very rarely observed natural phenomenon.

At depths of more than 370 m in the Karjako depression there is no oxygen and hydrogen sulfide appears. True, the maximum content of hydrogen sulfide here is only about 10% of its concentration in the depths of the Black Sea. Anaerobic conditions in the depression are created due to limited water exchange with the sea and the complete consumption of oxygen for the oxidation of organic matter coming from the upper layers of water.

Economic importance

The ichthyofauna of the Caribbean Sea includes more than 800 species of fish, of which about 450 are edible. The number of commercial fish is from 50 to 60 species, but only a few of them produce the bulk of the catches. The overwhelming majority of fish are concentrated on the shelf, especially in coastal areas, in places where deep waters emerge and in areas where rivers flow into the sea.

sand shark

Shelf fish of tropical seas have conditions for both feeding and reproduction in their habitats, so most of them do not make long migrations. The most important commercial shelf fish are snappers (reef perches). In second place are rock perches. Rockfish, crucian carp, and croakers are widespread. In some areas, sardinella, horse mackerel, mackerel, as well as sole, flounder, stingrays, sharks and some other fish species are fished for. Shallow waters with depths of up to 10-20 m, lagoons, small bays, and river mouth areas are particularly diverse in their ichthyofauna. Various types of mullet, tarpan, anchovies, soles, and centropomus are found here.

Ocean fish - tuna, marlin, sailfish, golden mackerel and other inhabitants of the deep-sea Caribbean Sea - make long migrations, but most tuna species breed and spend the first years of their lives in shelf waters and in areas of the continental slope. Accumulations of tuna are confined to zones of rising deep waters, characterized by increased biological productivity.

- perhaps one of the most famous in the world, thanks to the writers who wrote novels about pirates and the directors who made films about them. But the Caribbean is interesting not only for its legends about pirates; it is a unique and beautiful place on our planet.

• Caribbean cruises (including)

This sea is comfortably nestled in the pool. It belongs to the so-called semi-enclosed seas. Central and South America are its borders to the south and west. Big and Small act as its borders in the north and east.

Through the Panama Canal, created artificially in the southwest, it has a connection with the Pacific Ocean. It also has a connection with the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Strait. Its volume is 6,860 thousand km³ with an area of ​​2,754,000 km². The depth of this sea reaches an average of 2500 m, the greatest depth is 7686 m.

The bottom of the Caribbean Sea has a very interesting topography. It has many underwater ridges that separate five basins:

• — The Grenada Basin has a depth of about 4120 m;
• — Venezuelan Basin — approximate depth 5630 m;
• — The Columbia Basin reaches a depth of 4532 m;
• — Cayman is the deepest of them, with a depth of 7686 m;
• — The Yucatan Basin has a depth of 5055 m.

Speaking about the coastline of this sea, one can note its strong ruggedness. Part of the coast is mountainous, while in some places there are lowlands. There are many reefs and coral deposits in the shallow waters. The continental coast, located in the western and southern parts of the sea, has a number of bays. The largest of them include: Cariaco, Darien, Mosquitos, Venezuelan and Honduran.

On the island, located in the northern part of the sea, there are the bays of Guacanoyabo, Ana Maria and Batabano, and in the west of the island is the Gulf of Gonave. There are also a number of bays on the eastern coast of Yucatan, among them Chetumal, Espiritu Santo and Ascencion.

On average, the water temperature in the Caribbean Sea ranges from 25 °C to 28 °C, and the salinity of the water is about 36.0%, with a density of 1.0235-1.0240 kg/m³.

Flora and fauna of the Caribbean

This pool is quite rich in both its flora and fauna. In shallow waters they are mainly concentrated near coral reefs. In the lagoons you can find entire fields of sea grasses if you enter from the leeward side of the reef. There are seven species of algae in the Caribbean Sea.

The fauna is represented by more than 450 species of fish. Among which there are sharks (tiger, silky, Caribbean reef, bull shark). As well as a number of other interesting species of fish, such as sea devils, angelfish, flying fish, ocellated butterfly fish, orange-fin tang, goliath grouper, parrotfish, moray eels, tarpon and many others.

In addition, there are as many as 90 species of mammals here, including: dolphins, humpback whales, and sperm whales. Near the island you can find American manatees and seals.

It is also worth highlighting the huge habitat of reptiles, more than 500 species have settled there - these are saltwater crocodiles, a number of species of turtles and many other types of reptiles. There are also 170 species of amphibians here.

History and mix of cultures of the Caribbean region

The Caribbean Sea has a rich history. If we consider it before the appearance of Europeans there, we can distinguish several powerful Indian cultures that existed here. With the beginning of colonization, an era began that is well known to any schoolchild from history lessons and to lovers of novels about pirates. Initially, these territories were colonized by the Spaniards, starting with the expedition of Columbus, who actually discovered these islands.

Centuries later, other European countries also began to establish their colonies on islands in these waters. Pirates Privateers, corsairs and buccaneers began to emerge here in the 17th century. The main centers of their gathering were the city and island of Tortuga. Many books are dedicated to the pirates who roamed these waters. A considerable part of these characters were real historical figures. Many pirates did not work for themselves but served as privateers on the side of one power or another, such as the famous Francis Drake, who served Great Britain and Henry Morgan. The most famous act of the first was the capture of the Spanish Silver Caravan in 1572, which took place in the port of Nombre de Dios. And the second campaign took place in 1671. He eventually became Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. Also famous here: Steed Bonnet, Charles Vane, Black Bart, Jack Rackhamso (with their friends Mary, Reedy, Anne, Bonnie).

Each of these personalities has its own illustrious history, which has survived to this day in no small part thanks to the book “A General History of the Robberies and Murders Committed by the Most Famous Pirates,” written in 1724 by Charles Johnson. Later, the name of Roberto Cofresi, who pirated in these waters at the beginning of the 19th century, should also be noted. It should also be noted that the history of discovery, colonization and separation of colonies itself is very fascinating and will attract the attention of anyone who is interested in the history of the huge number of events that happened in this region.

The islands in the Caribbean Sea are a coveted piece of paradise for tourists: white sand, gentle sun and excellent service. Everyone has heard about places like Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Jamaica more than once. Therefore, we decided to talk about the lesser-known, but no less attractive islands of the Caribbean.

1.

The sixty islets in the north-eastern Caribbean are considered British overseas territories and retain close ties to the Mother Country, so the service, language and culture are English, but the money is American. To travel here you will need a lot of them: the standard of living on this archipelago is one of the highest in the region.

Many tourists come to the British Virgin Islands by ferry from other nearby tiny states for a day or two. What to do here? Tortola, the main island, is famous for its white beaches and chalk cliffs, small Jost van Dyke has the best restaurants with Caribbean cuisine, the former pirate residence of Anegada attracts diving enthusiasts - more than 200 ships are sunk in the coastal waters, and The Baths are located on Virgin Gorda ( Baths) are unique natural stone reservoirs filled with sea water.

2.

The archipelago north of Puerto Rico and south of the British Virgin Islands belongs to the United States and differs little from its British namesakes in terms of prices, service and luxury. San Tomas is the largest island of the archipelago; it is also called Rock City because of its rocky horizon. Entertainment here includes the Ocean Park, diving and numerous festivals, and attractions include the castle of Blackbeard, the famous pirate.

The smallest island, Saint John, attracts celebrities and honeymooners seeking solitude on picturesque, uncrowded beaches, as well as nature lovers with a large nature reserve with hiking trails. The southern island of Santa Cruz is of interest to history buffs: it was home to colonial sugar cane plantations and distilleries, which now house small museums.

3.

The small, teardrop-shaped island of Saint Lucia, the second largest of the Windward Islands, has become increasingly popular in recent years. The wildlife here is fairly well preserved (unlike many other Caribbean islands) and it's relatively inexpensive.

In spring, the island hosts an international jazz festival, which is attended by famous musicians. Newlyweds, for whom almost half of all hotel rooms are prepared, love to spend their honeymoon “weeks” here. Outdoor enthusiasts can climb to the crater of an extinct volcano or climb the twin Pitons mountains, jutting straight out of the sea in the southwestern part of the island.
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4.

One of the most picturesque places in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands were named so because the first Europeans mistook the blue iguanas that lived there in large numbers for caimans. An archipelago of three islands lies south of Cuba.

The largest island is Grand Cayman, home to the capital Georgetown and Stringray City, a marine entertainment center named after the stingrays that live in the coastal waters, which you can feed. Here you can also visit the former capital city of Bodden, next to which there are the Pirate Caves, which they used for centuries for shelter, or a turtle farm, or walk along the Mastic Trail hiking trail in the middle of the island.

On the island of Little Cayman, nature is almost untouched: mangroves in which wild (or feral) animals are found. There is also a bird sanctuary nearby. On the island of Cayman Brac there are many caves and a national parrot park. Interestingly, all the islands have beaches with both white and black sand.

5. Turks and Caicos

A network of 40 small islands with snow-white beaches, clear azure water, colorful coral reefs is an ideal place for a quiet, secluded holiday. Most islands have no permanent residents, only staff
. The largest island, Providenciales, receives huge ocean liners in its port, which is more like a pier.

On Grand Turk Island, two hundred meters from the shore, there is a very popular reef among divers, which abruptly drops off to a depth of 2.4 kilometers. The National Museum is also located here, where among the exhibits there is evidence that Columbus first entered the Western Land on this island (although historians dispute this fact).

6.

Barbados sets the standard for island holidays: pristine sandy beaches, green golf and cricket fields, a European level of service (with traditional British tea drinking) and a Caribbean climate. Here they drink first-class local rum, take part in horse racing and dance calypso.

The western and southern coasts are traditionally used for beach holidays, while the eastern Atlantic, which is more restless, is loved by surfers. Bathsheba Beach is especially popular among those who like to catch waves. The cultural program also includes a visit to the Andromeda Botanical Garden and the Pirate Caves Gallery.

7.

The little-known twin islands in the southern Caribbean offer a choice of black sand beaches and luxury hotels, or the chance to find adventure and visit places with history. The livelier island of St. Kitts is filled with restaurants, bars and a vibrant nightlife scene.

On tranquil Nevis, you can stroll and swim on the quiet beaches. There are also attractions on the islands: the ancient Fort Brimstone, which the conquerors of these lands called the Gibraltar of the West Indies.

8.

Saint Martin or Sint Martin is the smallest of all the inhabited islands, controlled simultaneously by two independent governments, located in the northern Caribbean Sea. The northern part of the island, called Saint-Martin, belongs to France and attracts tourists with gourmet restaurants and fashionable beach parties.

The southern Dutch part of Sint Martin is famous for its casinos and Maho beach. Above the beach, literally above the heads of vacationers, intercontinental liners come in to land. This attracts spotters (who like to photograph airplanes) from all over the world and surfers.

9.

On the southern Caribbean island of Bonaire, almost all of the main attractions are underwater, so unless you're an avid diver, you might be better off heading to the neighboring islands of Aruba and Curacao, which are more famous and full of tourists. The coral reef surrounding the island has the status of a National Natural Park, and all living things living up to 60 meters in depth are protected.

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The area of ​​the Caribbean Sea is 2,754,000 km². The average depth is 1225 m. The average volume of water is 6860 thousand km³.

The sea is located on the Caribbean lithospheric plate. It is divided into five basins, separated from each other by underwater ridges and strings of islands. The Caribbean Sea is considered shallow compared to other bodies of water, although its maximum depth is approximately 7,686 meters (in the Cayman Trench between Cuba and Jamaica).

The shores are mountainous in some places, low-lying in others; in the west and near the Antilles they are bordered by coral reefs. The coastline is heavily indented; in the west and south there are bays - Honduras, Darien, Venezuela (Maracaibo), etc.

The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas in the transition zone, separated from the ocean by a system of island arcs of different ages, of which the youngest, with modern active volcanoes, is the Lesser Antilles arc. More mature island arcs form large islands - Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico with an already formed continental (northern part of Cuba) or subcontinental crust. The island arc of the Cayman - Sierra Maestra is also young, expressed for the most part by the underwater Cayman Ridge, accompanied by the deep-sea trench of the same name (7680 m). Other underwater ridges (Aves, Beata, Marcelino sill) appear to be submerged island arcs. They divide the bottom of the Caribbean Sea into a number of basins: Grenada (4120 m), Venezuela (5420 m). Columbia (4532 m), Bartlett with the deep-sea Cayman Trench, Yucatan (5055 m). The bottoms of the basins have a suboceanic type crust. Bottom sediments are calcareous foraminiferal silts, in the southwestern part - weakly manganese, calcareous silts, in shallow water - various coral deposits, including numerous reef structures. The climate is tropical, influenced by trade wind circulation and characterized by great homogeneity. Average monthly air temperatures range from 23 to 27 °C. Cloudiness 4-5 points. Precipitation amounts range from 500 mm in the east to 2000 mm in the west. From June to October in the north. Tropical hurricanes are observed in parts of the sea. The hydrological regime is highly homogeneous. The surface current, under the influence of trade winds, moves from east to west. Off the coast of Central America, it deviates to the northwest and leaves through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico. The current speed is 1-3 km/h, near the Yucatan Strait up to 6 km/h. The Gulf of Mexico is an intermediate basin for waters that come from the Atlantic Ocean and, when leaving the Gulf of Mexico into the ocean, give rise to the Gulf Stream. Average monthly surface water temperatures range from 25 to 28 °C; annual fluctuations are less than 3 °C. Salinity is about 36.0 ‰. Density 1.0235-1.0240 kg/m3 The color of the water is from bluish-green to green. The tides are predominantly irregular semidiurnal; their size is less than 1 m. The vertical change in hydrological characteristics occurs to a depth of 1500 m, below which the sea is filled with homogeneous water coming from the Atlantic Ocean; its temperature is from 4.2 to 4.3 °C, salinity is 34.95-34.97‰. The Caribbean Sea is home to sharks, flying fish, sea turtles and other types of tropical fauna. Sperm whales and humpback whales are found, and seals and manatees are found near the island of Jamaica.

The Caribbean Sea is of great economic and strategic importance as the shortest sea route connecting the ports of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal. The most important ports are Maracaibo and La Guaira (Venezuela), Cartagena (Colombia), Limon (Costa Rica), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Colon (Panama), Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), etc.

The name "Caribbean" is derived from the Caribs, one of the dominant American Indian tribes that lived on the coast at the time of Columbus's contact with the natives in the late 15th century. After the discovery of the West Indies by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Caribbean Sea was called the Sea of ​​Antilles, in honor of the Spaniards who discovered the Antilles. In various countries, the Caribbean Sea is still confused with the Antilles Sea.