Cuba is one of the famous countries of Latin America located in the subtropical zone of our planet. Cuba is visited annually by millions of tourists from all over the world. With the aim of a beach holiday. The article discusses which ocean in Cuba, and which sea washes its shores.
State of cuba
Before considering the question of which ocean is in Cuba, let us get to know the geography of this state closer.
Between the continents of South and North America, there are many island states, and one of them is the Republic of Cuba. Most of this country is located on the island of the same name, which is the largest island of the Greater Antilles archipelago and is located in its western part. The area of the island is about 105 thousand square kilometers. The second largest island of the Republic is Pinos or Sosnovy Island, its area is 2200 square kilometers, that is, it is 20 times smaller than the island of Cuba. This island is also called Huventud (Youth).
In addition to these main islands, the Cuban state also includes more than 4,000 small islands (according to Russian-speaking sources, more than 1,600 islands), the total area of which is 3,700 km 2 , however, all these islands are so small that they do not have permanent residents residents.
As a result, the total area of the state of Cuba is 110,860 km 2 , and the state is located between 20 and 23 parallel north latitudes and 80 and 84 west longitude meridians.
Location in a tectonically active region
It is important to note that the territory of the state of Cuba is located at the junction of the tectonic plates of our planet, so earthquakes often occur here and tsunamis are sometimes observed. The active formation of the earth's crust led to the fragmentation of Cuba and the formation of its many islands. Another region of the planet where such fragmentation can be observed is Indonesia.
Island of cuba
As mentioned above, the largest island of the Cuban state is also called Cuba. Its length from west to east is 1250 km. The width from north to south in different parts of the island varies from 32 km to 210 km. The rugged coastal profile of the island leads to a large length of its coast, which is 5,800 km. Regarding terrestrial parallels and meridians, Cuba is located from the northwest to the southeast. The slope relative to the parallels is approximately 45 °.
From the above parameters of the island it follows that it has an elongated shape, so it is often compared with the body of a caiman. Due to the elongated shape of the island, as well as its relatively low relief profile (the highest point on the island is Turkino peak, 1974 meters high above sea level), the influence of trade winds is felt throughout its territory from June to October.
Which ocean washes Cuba?
When asked such a question, they mean the island of Cuba. Since the state itself is located on several thousand islands, many of them are not necessarily in the ocean. For example, the island of Pinos - the second largest island of the Republic of Cuba - is not washed by the waters of the ocean. Since it is located in the Caribbean.
So, if you look at the geographical map, you can see what kind of ocean is in Cuba. This ocean is the Atlantic, and it washes the entire northern coast of the island. You can also see on the map that the Florida and Yucatan peninsulas form the Gulf of Mexico, and although this bay is part of the Atlantic Ocean, it also bathes the northwestern coast of Cuba.
The Caribbean
Of course, it’s not only the Atlantic Ocean that is washing the island, so it’s more correct to ask the question, what kind of ocean and sea is washed by Cuba. To get the answer to the second part of the question, you need to turn to the geographical map of the Latin American region. The island of Cuba on this map can be found immediately, because it is the largest island in the chain of archipelagos that connect South and North America. This chain of archipelagos is usually divided into two main groups:
- Small Antilles. They are located in the southern part, that is, they begin from the South American continent. For example, the islands of Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, Granada and others are included in this archipelago.
- Greater Antilles. They begin on the island of Puerto Rico and include islands such as La Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba. The total area of this group is 9 times larger than that of the Lesser Antilles. It is worth noting that the Bahamas are not part of this archipelago.
All the waters that are located between both groups of the Antilles and the northeastern coast of South America are called the Caribbean Sea, which is known to almost every legend about the legendary pirates plowing its expanses in the XVI-XVII centuries.
Returning to the question of Cuba, which ocean or sea washes the island, it should be said that this is the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. In particular, all the southern shores of Cuba are located in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea, which connects with the Gulf of Mexico in the zone of the island of Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula.