Gulf of Mexico - Gulf of Mexico [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico, arm of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered on the north by the United States, on the east by Cuba, and on the south and west by Mexico. It covers an area of 1,500,000 sq km (579,000 sq mi) and extends 1,800 km (1,100 mi) from east to west and some 1,300 km (800 mi) from north to south. The gulf is connected with the Atlantic by the narrow Straits of Florida and with the Caribbean Sea through the Yucat?n Channel. Major rivers entering the gulf include the Mississippi, Brazos, and R?o Grande. Shrimping is important in shallow coastal waters, and petroleum deposits are located in the Bay of Campeche (a southern arm of the gulf) and off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.

View of the Gulf of Mexico

The oval-shaped Gulf of Mexico covers 1.5 million sq km (579,000 sq mi). This view of part of the gulf, taken from a seaplane, includes the westernmost island in the Florida Keys, a chain of islands off the coast of Florida.

Photo Researchers, Inc./Jan Halaska