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• The Gulf of Mexico is the 9th largest body of water in the world. Despite being considered its own entity, it is not an isolated body of water. Rather, the Gulf of Mexico is an extension of the Atlantic Ocean. It borders much of the southern portion of North America as well as the eastern portion of Central America.

• Fast Facts

  1. Golfo de Mexico in Spanish
  2. 9th Largest body of water
  3. Consider a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean
  4. Shape of it's basin is roughly oval
  5. Surrounded by the United States, Mexico and Cuba
  6. Covers 615 million square miles
  7. Provides 1,680 miles of coastline
  8. Deepest point is Sigsbee Deep, at over 14,000 feet
  9. Amerigo Vespucci is believed to be the first European to visit in 1497
  10. Present Gulf of Mexico basin is believed to have its origin in Late Triassic time

• Geographic features

  The Gulf of Mexico is an oval-shaped basin that is known for its shallower depths and warmer temperatures than the Atlantic Ocean. Its coastal placement also makes it the source of some of the strongest ocean currents in the world, including the Gulf Stream current.

• Hurricane territory

  The gulf's warm temperatures and proximity to much colder waters makes it prone to generating Hurricanes on a relatively regular basis. Most notably, the Gulf of Mexico produced Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and many other cities in 2005.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Oceans | Seas | Cuba | Florida | Alabama | Mississippi | Texas | Mexico | Fishing | Scuba Diving | Sailing | Cruises | Magnapinna Squid | How to Find Cheap Hotels in Cancun Mexico

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