The Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, and is bounded by the United States on the north and east, Mexico on the west and south, and Cuba on the east. The gulf has two channels, each about 100 miles wide; the Straits of Florida, south of the Florida peninsula, connect it to the Atlantic, and the Yucatan Channel runs between Mexico and Cuba to connect with the Caribbean. The gulf of Mexico is oval in shape, and covers about 619,000 sq miles. It is generally shallow, with a maximum depth of 14,178 feet below sea level at Sigsbee Deep. The shoreline is about 3,000 miles long, and is low and marshy, with many inlets and lagoons. The climate varies from subtropical to tropical. The major rivers entering the gulf are the Mississippi and the Rio Grande. The current, or the Gulf Streamenters via the Yucatan Channel, flows in a clockwise direction, and then out through the Straits of Florida considerably warmer than it was at entry. As it flows northward, the warm current affects weather in the United States, Mexico, and the Atlantic waters. Because of its wide continental shelf the gulfis a major source of petroleum, gas, and sulfur. Fishing for-shellfish and flounder is also important. The major ports of the gulf are Veracruz and Tampico, Mexico; Brownsville, Corpus Christi, and Galveston, Texas;  New Orleans, La.;  Mobile, Ala.;  and Pensacola and Tampa, Fla.

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