The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest and deepest. Its area is 91.7 million km2. The average depth is 3597 m, and the maximum depth is 8742 m. The length from north to south is 16,000 km. The geographical position of the Atlantic Ocean The ocean extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the coast of Antarctica in the south. To the south, the Drake Passage separates the Atlantic Ocean from […]

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on Earth. This is the most studied and mastered by people ocean. The Atlantic Ocean washes the shores of all continents except Australia. Its length is 13 thousand km (along the meridian 30 W), and the greatest width is 6700 km. The ocean has many seas and bays. In the structure of the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, there are three main parts: […]

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean after the Pacific. Its area is much smaller and amounts to 91.6 million km2. About a quarter of this area falls on shelf seas. The coastline is very indented, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere it is relatively flat. The ocean washes all continents except Australia. Islands located in the ocean are located near the continents. […]

The name Atlantic came to us from ancient times. Scientists believe that it is connected with the name of the Atlas Mountains in northwestern Africa. Hence, the Atlantic Sea in the time of Homer and Hesiod literally meant "the sea beyond the Atlas Mountains". Later, the Greeks began to designate the south of the part of the modern Atlantic Ocean known to them, and the waters adjacent to Europe called it the Outer Sea, […]

All types of human economic activity in marine areas are represented in the Atlantic Ocean. Among them, maritime transport is the most important, followed by underwater oil and gas production, and only then is the capture and use of biological resources. More than 70 coastal countries with a population of over 1.3 billion people are located on the shores of the Atlantic. Many transoceanic routes cross the ocean from […]

In the Atlantic Ocean, all zonal complexes are distinguished - natural belts, except for the northern polar one. The waters of the northern subpolar belt are rich in life. It is especially developed on the shelves off the coasts of Iceland, Greenland and the Labrador Peninsula. The temperate zone is characterized by an intense interaction of cold and warm waters, and its waters are the most productive regions of the Atlantic. Vast expanses of warm waters of two subtropical, two tropical […]

The Atlantic Ocean is poorer in species in the composition of flora and fauna than the Pacific. One of the reasons for this is its relative geological youth and a noticeable cooling in the Quaternary period during the glaciation of the northern hemisphere. However, in quantitative terms, the ocean is rich in organisms - it is the most productive per unit area. This is primarily due to the wide development of shelves and shallow […]

The zonality of water masses in the ocean is complicated by the influence of land and sea currents. This is manifested primarily in the temperature distribution of surface waters. In many areas of the ocean, the isotherms near the coast deviate sharply from the latitudinal direction. The northern half of the ocean is warmer than the southern one, the temperature difference reaches 6°С. The average surface water temperature (16.5°C) is slightly lower than in the Pacific Ocean. Cooling […]

In the Atlantic, as in the Pacific Ocean, two rings of surface currents are formed. In the northern hemisphere, the North Equatorial Current, the Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic and Canary Currents form the movement of waters in a clockwise direction. In the southern hemisphere, the South Trade Winds, the Brazilian, the West Winds and the Benguela move the waters counterclockwise. Due to the significant length of the Atlantic Ocean from north to south […]

The Atlantic Ocean is located in all climatic zones of the Earth. The main part of the ocean area is between 40°N. and 42° S - is located in subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and equatorial climatic zones. There are high positive air temperatures all year round. The most severe climate is found in the subantarctic and antarctic latitudes, and to a lesser extent in the subpolar, northern latitudes. The climate of the Atlantic Ocean (over […]

Oil and gas reserves have been discovered on the shelf of the North Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico, Guinea and Biscay. Phosphorite deposits have been discovered in the area of ​​deep water rise off the coast of North Africa in tropical latitudes. Placer deposits of tin off the coast of Great Britain and Florida, as well as diamond deposits off the coast of Southwest Africa, have been found on the shelf in the sediments of ancient and modern rivers. […]

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge passes through the entire ocean (at approximately the same distance from the coasts of the continents). The relative height of the ridge is about 2 km. Transverse faults divide it into separate segments. In the axial part of the ridge there is a giant rift valley 6 to 30 km wide and up to 2 km deep. The rift and faults of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are confined to both underwater […]

The Atlantic Ocean stretches from north to south for 16,000 km from subarctic to antarctic latitudes. The ocean is wide in the northern and southern parts, narrowing in equatorial latitudes to 2900 km. In the north it communicates with the Arctic Ocean, and in the south it is widely connected with the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Bounded by the shores of North and South America - […]

The western and southwestern outskirts of Russia are washed by the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The Baltic Sea forms gulfs off the coast of the country, on the banks of which large ports are located. St. Petersburg is located in the Gulf of Finland, and Kaliningrad is located on the Pregola River, which flows into the Vistula Bay. In the southwest is the Black and Azov Seas, where there are also large bays. In the Black Sea - the Karakinit Bay and […]

The Atlantic Ocean is bounded by the shores of Europe and Africa in the east, North and South America - in the west. Due to the meridional strike, natural belts from the northern subpolar to the southern polar occur in it, which determines the diversity of its natural conditions. However, the main part of its spaces lies between 40 ° N. sh. and 42°S sh. in subtropical, tropical and […]

Within the Atlantic Ocean, all physiographic zones are clearly represented, except for the northern polar one. The northern subpolar (subarctic) belt covers the waters off Greenland and the Labrador Peninsula. In winter, the air temperature drops to -20°, water to -1°C and below. The ocean is partially covered with ice in winter. Ice formation causes an additional increase in the salinity of water and its immersion to a depth. In the spring […]

The organic world of the Atlantic Ocean is poorer in terms of species than the organic world of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but quantitatively it is the richest (260 kg/km2) due to the extensive development of the shelf. The poverty of the species composition is largely associated with the relative youth of the ocean, its long isolation from other oceans, and the strong cooling of the climate in the Quaternary. The distribution of organic life strongly […]

The climatic conditions of the Atlantic Ocean determine the features of its hydrological regime. Waves in the Atlantic Ocean Wave formation in the Atlantic Ocean depends on the nature of the prevailing winds over certain areas. The region of the most frequent storms extends north of 40°N. sh. and south of 40°S sh. The height of the waves during long and very strong storms can reach 20-26 m. But […]

The climate of the Atlantic Ocean is determined by its enormous meridional extent, the nature of atmospheric circulation, and the ability of the water surface to significantly equalize the annual temperature variation. The oceanic climate is generally characterized by small fluctuations in air temperature. In the Atlantic Ocean at the equator they are less than 1 °C, in subtropical latitudes 5 °C, and at 60 ° N. sh. and yu. sh. - 10 °C. Only […]

Deep-sea sediments consist of silts, named after the smallest organisms, the remains of which are found in the soil in the greatest amount. Among deep-sea deposits, the most common are foraminiferal silts, which occupy 65% ​​of the area of ​​the ocean floor and the mid-ocean ridge. The Atlantic Ocean is a part of the World Ocean, which is characterized by the penetration far to the north of heat-loving foraminifera, which is associated with the warming effect of the […]

In West Africa, there is a small country called the Gambia. Fanciful baobabs, luxurious parks, crocodiles and hippos, the exciting ocean, passionate dances to the drums "bantaro", national clothes - all these are the components of the exotic beauty of the Gambia.

The Gambia shares a border with Senegal. From the western side it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The unique location of the country, stretching on the Atlantic coast of tropical Africa, attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world to the country. The majestic ocean, African nature have turned the Gambia into a significant center of world international tourism.

The magnificent beaches of the Atlantic coast, the uniqueness of the avifauna, the originality of the culture of local peoples, excursions on boats along the Gambia River, taking exotic hunters deep into the African country, are very popular with tourists. Friendly people, dancing by the fire, gentle sun, cheerful monkeys walking in protected parks - all this is all bright and hospitable Gambia.

Sacred Sites of the Gambia

One of the main attractions of the Gambia is the Sacred Crocodile Lake, located near the city of Bakau. Couples without children tend to come to this lake. It is famous for its medicinal properties. Local residents living on its shores (people from the Bojangi tribe) are sure that after bathing in a healing lake, women who want to have children will definitely find such an opportunity. The adoption of the water procedure takes place under the supervision of a local shaman. The healer helps only those couples who are faithful to each other. Neither the sorceress nor the representatives of the Bojangi tribe take money, fearing that the effect of health bathing will decrease. The women who take the procedure leave gifts for the shaman: pieces of fabric, chocolates and other small gifts.

Representatives of the Bojangi tribe consider crocodiles to be sacred animals, and convince everyone that in recent years they have never harmed anyone.
By the way, statistics show that more than 80% of women, after taking the procedure, were able to experience the happiness of motherhood soon.

ethnic dances

Since ancient times, incendiary performances in ritual clothes with songs and dances have been held on the African continent. They are dedicated to various topics: successful hunting or historical events, natural phenomena and various holidays. Often the performance is just an improvisation of dancing to the beat of drums and rhythmic tunes. The types of drums popular in the Gambia are the shibaro and the bantaro.

Among the dance compositions, a colorful dance gumbe especially popular and loved by the local population. The music of the gumbe dance is so joyful and passionate that it creates the appropriate mood, and tourists, succumbing to emotions, often join the dancers themselves.

Gambia. reference Information

Form of government: Republic of the Gambia
Type of socio-economic development: agricultural country
Area of ​​the Gambia: 11.3 thousand km2
Population: about 1.7 million people, about 90% - Islam, 9% - Christianity
Official language: English
Head of State: President
Capital: Banjul
International Airport: Yundum
Administrative-territorial division: 7 districts
Monetary unit: Dalasi
The backbone of the Gambian economy: growing and exporting peanuts
Crops: legumes, sorghum, corn, bananas, oil palm, cotton, vegetables
Industry: businesses that serve the needs of the local population (clothing, beer, soft drinks), peanut butter businesses
Animal husbandry: developed, mainly cattle
Main river of the country: Gambia
Vegetation: mangrove forests, tall grass savannas, rainforests, coconut palms, baobabs
Climate: equatorial monsoon, average monthly temperatures - 25-270 C, precipitation from 750 to 1500 mm per year.
Fauna of the Gambia: hyenas, antelopes, jackals, wild boars, hippos, crocodiles, bird populations (over 400 types)
Types of Gambia visas: Gambian visas differ in types, depending on the purpose and duration of stay in the country: short-stay visa - type C, transit visa - type A and B, national visa - type D
Seaside resorts in the Gambia: Kololi, Fajara, Kotu Strand, Bakau.
The best hotels in Gambia: Ocean Bay, Fajara, Brufut, Kotu, Bakau, Serekunda, Bijilo

If the sky above your head seems too gloomy and inhospitable to you, come to the Gambia, to the warm ocean and the gentle sun. And if necessary, then for miraculous procedures to the Sacred Lake.

Now I'm so nostalgic! For the first time in so many years, I opened the atlas, which for some reason I have kept since my school days, looked at the map ... Yes, now I have to look at it to give the correct answer, but once I could name all the countries that are washed by the waters without hesitation Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. And tell me more about each one.

Countries washed by three oceans

In general, these oceans are not too close to each other. Because they wash only three countries. This is:

By the way, all three of these countries are quite large. That is why they can link as many as three oceans. And then in some places it will be only indirect access to ocean waters: for example, this can be said about the connection between Russia and the Atlantic Ocean. Our territory is adjacent not to the waters of the Atlantic itself, but to the Baltic Sea connected with them.

But yes - even such a connection with the ocean through the seas is still considered to be access to the ocean.

Is there a country washed by all the oceans at once

Imagine how great it would be: if you want, you go to one ocean, if you want, to another. Choose any to your taste, you don’t even need to leave the country.

Only here is a country so huge that it is washed by all four oceans, just doesn't exist. But have a mainland- the one on which we live with you - Eurasia:

Is there any benefit for the country from access to the ocean

In ancient times, this benefit was enormous. Still, then a significant part of long-distance travels took place on ships. Also, another way move between continents just didn't exist.

Now we have planes that can extremely quickly fly to any point on the planet. But sea travel is still not written off - that's enough a good way to transport multi-ton cargo.

In addition, it contains many minerals. Yes, and fish too - and fish, I think, people will eat forever.

education:

Which continents are the Atlantic Ocean? Which countries are in the Atlantic?

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest. It is present in all peninsulas of the Earth. From the article you will learn which continental coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and how it affects them.

Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean

The ocean covers an area of ​​91.66 million square kilometers. km, which makes it the second largest in the Pacific Ocean.

More than 16% of the total area falls on the strait, sea and bays. The salinity of the water is about 34-37 parts per million. The deepest point is Puerto Rico at 8742 meters. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is about 4 km, which is less than that of the Pacific and Indian.

The Atlantic is located in all four hemispheres and is washed by five continents.

The Danish Strait and the northwestern part of Davis in the north are connected to the Arctic Ocean. Drake's passage to the south communicates with the Pacific Ocean, and with the Indians connects the water area between Antarctica and Africa.

Prior to this, the Atlantic Ocean was called the western, outer, North Sea, and now, for its purpose, the term "Atlantic" is often used.

On a European map created by the Dutchman Varenius, the modern name of the ocean appeared in 1650.

The origin of the name "Atlantic Ocean" is associated with African atlases. Scholars suggest that the name literally meant "the sea beyond Mount Atlas". There are two versions of the name - one connects with the sunken Atlantis, the other - the titan Atlanta.

Atlantic Explorations

The described water spaces began to develop in front of other oceans through the coastal part of the Mediterranean Sea.

Even before our era, on the Mediterranean coast, cities and countries were founded by old people. They observed the food and the stream, the life of animals and plants, and were the first explorers of these waters.

Of course, in ancient times, people did not know exactly which continent the Atlantic Ocean was erasing.

Their geographical knowledge differs from modern. However, swimming in the North Atlantic Piffs is done in IV. A century before our account. And in the 10th century AD. Eric Kras arrived from Normandy to make the first trip across the Atlantic Ocean, which arrived on the coast of the island of Newfoundland.

During the Age of Discovery, there were many trips across the waters of the Atlantic. At the same time, the first descriptions of the depths, land, tropical hurricanes, the North Trade Winds, Brazil, Guiana and the Gulf Stream were made.

This era inspired us to explore the depths of the sea, as well as the territories that were washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Today, much is known about this, but research continues to this day.

Which continent is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean

All oceans on our planet are a continuous global ocean.

There are no clear boundaries between them, and all bases are in fact conditional. After all, the Atlantic did not exist 200 million years ago, all the continental continents were part of the territory.

About 180 million years ago, the process of division of the common continent into separate territories began.

In the North Atlantic, the land is increasingly divided. About 140 million years ago, saucer movement began in the South Atlantic. Gradually, Greenland separated from Europe and began to die in the middle of the Labrador ridge.

So which continents are the Atlantic? In times of massive global processes, the water of this ocean stretched for almost 16 thousand kilometers from north to south.

The oceans are now washed away:

• North and South America;
• EuroAsia;
• Africa;
• Antarctica.

The list does not apply only to Australia. In the north it is located between the coasts of Greenland and Iceland, in the south - near Antarctica. Africa and Europe are on the east side of the ocean, both Americans are on the west.

Obala

We have already found out which coasts are washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

Now you can talk about their properties. The ocean stretches over two earthly hemispheres, so that all its territories are conditionally divided into north and south. The boundary for them is the equator.

The North Atlantic is characterized by a strong, rugged coastline. There are many land seas in this part. So, in the northeast, Norway is the sea that occupies the territory between Norway and Iceland.

Along the coast of Denmark and Great Britain is the North Sea.

In the east, it passes into the Baltic Sea, in which there is the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Botha. In the south, the system of internal waters begins - the Mediterranean Sea communicates with the ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, followed by black and Azov.

In the southwest of the North Atlantic, Florida connects the ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. On the coast of North America, the bays are Barnegat, Long Island, Delaware, Pamlico.

Beaches adjacent to South Atlantic waters are much smaller.

There are no inland seas in this part. The African continent has the pristine Bay of Guinea, the largest bay in the South Atlantic. Rare off the coast of South America. The southern part of this continent is quite divided, in the region of Tierra del Fuego there are many small islands.

Influence of Atlantic waters

You can mention which countries of the Atlantic Ocean washed for a long time.

It is not taken into account in the watershed of all its seas, about 50 countries wash off the Atlantic waters. Each has a strong oceanic influence. An important climate design factor for coastal regions is the current and the Atlantic Ocean.

In the northern part, the water temperature is much cooler (about 5 degrees).

Warm ocean currents warm up the coast, become soft and wet. They also contribute to high rainfall. The largest and strongest current in the Atlantic is the warm Gulf Stream. This flow influences the climate of North America and Western Europe. Thanks, for example, Reykjavik has higher winter temperatures than New York.

Warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean:

• Brazilian;
• Guyana;
• Gulf Stream;
• Norwegian.

The cold currents of the Atlantic contribute to a cooler and drier climate along the coast.

Thus, the Labrador current creates a harsh climate on the island of Labrador, while the Bengal and Canary currents dry up the atmosphere of the West African coast. The collapse of the gulf flow with the Labrador flow provides prolonged fog on the coast of Newfoundland.

Cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean:

• Greenland;
• Labrador;
• Canary Islands;
• Bengelskoe.

conclusion

Now we know which continents are watching the Atlantic Ocean and what effect they have on them.

Stretching from north to south, this aquatic luxury has long been important to people. The waters of the Atlantic connect the five continents and significantly affect their weather patterns.

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Atlantic Ocean part of the World Ocean, bounded by Europe and Africa from the east and North and South America from the west. The name comes from the name of the titan Atlas (Atlanta) in Greek mythology.

The Atlantic Ocean is second in size only to the Pacific; its area is approximately 91.56 million km2. The length of the Atlantic Ocean from north to south is about 15,000 km, and its minimum width is about 2,830 km (in the equatorial part of the Atlantic Ocean).

The average depth is 3332 m, the average volume of water is 337541 thousand km3 (without seas, respectively: 82441.5 thousand km2, 3926 m and 323 613 thousand km3). in the northern part. In addition, the total area of ​​river basins flowing into this ocean or its marginal seas is much larger than that of rivers flowing into any other ocean.

Another difference of the Atlantic Ocean is a relatively small number of islands and a complex bottom topography, which, thanks to underwater ridges and uplifts, forms many separate basins.

States of the Atlantic coast - 49 countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Great Britain, Venezuela, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal , St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.

Climate

The climate of the Atlantic Ocean is varied; the predominant part of the ocean area is between 40 degrees N.

sh. and 40 degrees south. sh. located in the equatorial, tropical and subtropical climate zones. In the north and south of the ocean, areas of strong cooling and high atmospheric pressure are formed. The circulation of the atmosphere over the ocean causes the action of the trade winds, in temperate latitudes - westerly winds, which often turn into storms.

Climate features are reflected in the properties of water masses.

It is conditionally carried out along the equator. From an oceanographic point of view, however, the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5–8° N latitude, should be attributed to the southern part of the ocean. The northern boundary is usually drawn along the Arctic Circle. In some places this boundary is marked by underwater ridges.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Atlantic Ocean has a heavily indented coastline. Its narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow straits.

In the northeast, the Davis Strait, 360 km wide, connects it with the Baffin Sea, belonging to the Arctic Ocean. In the central part, between Greenland and Iceland, there is the Danish Strait, with a width of only 287 km at its narrowest point.

Finally, in the northeast, between Iceland and Norway, is the Norwegian Sea, approx. 1220 km. To the east, two water areas deeply protruding into the land separate from the Atlantic Ocean. The more northern of them begins with the North Sea, which to the east passes into the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland.

To the south there is a system of inland seas - the Mediterranean and the Black - with a total length of approx. 4000 km.

In the tropical zone in the southwest of the North Atlantic are the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, connected to the ocean by the Strait of Florida.

The coast of North America is indented by small bays (Pamlico, Barnegat, Chesapeake, Delaware and Long Island Sound); to the northwest are the Bays of Fundy and St. Lawrence, Belle Isle, Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay.

Surface currents in the North Atlantic Ocean move clockwise. The main elements of this large system are the warm current of the Gulf Stream directed to the north, as well as the North Atlantic, Canary and Northern Equatorial (Equatorial) currents.

The Gulf Stream follows from the Strait of Florida and the island of Cuba in a northerly direction along the coast of the United States and at about 40 ° N. latitude. deviates to the northeast, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current divides into two branches, one of which follows the northeast along the coast of Norway and further into the Arctic Ocean.

The second branch turns south and further southwest along the coast of Africa, forming the cold Canary Current. This current moves to the southwest and joins the North Equatorial Current, which heads west towards the West Indies, where it merges with the Gulf Stream.

To the north of the North Equatorial Current is an area of ​​stagnant water, abundant in algae and known as the Sargasso Sea. Along the North Atlantic coast of North America, the cold Labrador Current passes from north to south, following from the Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cooling the coast of New England.

South Atlantic Ocean

Some experts attribute to the Atlantic Ocean in the south the entire body of water up to the Antarctic ice sheet itself; others take for the southern boundary of the Atlantic an imaginary line connecting Cape Horn in South America with the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

The coastline in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean is much less indented than in the northern part; there are also no inland seas along which the influence of the ocean could penetrate deep into the continents of Africa and South America.

The only major bay on the African coast is Guinea. On the coast of South America, large bays are also few in number. The southernmost tip of this continent - Tierra del Fuego - has a rugged coastline, bordered by numerous small islands.

Helena, the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, and in the extreme south - Bouvet, South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney, Falkland Islands.

In addition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, there are two main submarine mountain ranges in the South Atlantic.

The whale range extends from the southwestern tip of Angola to about. Tristan da Cunha, where it joins the Mid-Atlantic.

The Rio de Janeiro ridge stretches from the Tristan da Cunha Islands to the city of Rio de Janeiro and is a group of separate underwater hills.

The main current systems in the South Atlantic move counterclockwise. The South Tradewind current is directed to the west. At the protrusion of the east coast of Brazil, it divides into two branches: the northern one carries water along the northern coast of South America to the Caribbean, and the southern, warm Brazilian Current, moves south along the coast of Brazil and joins the West Winds Current, or Antarctic, which heads east and then to the northeast.

Part of this cold current separates and carries its waters north along the African coast, forming the cold Benguela Current; the latter eventually joins the South Equatorial Current. The warm Guinea Current moves south along the coast of Northwest Africa to the Gulf of Guinea.

currents of the atlantic ocean

Between the currents of the Atlantic Ocean, one should distinguish between permanent and surface. The latter are perfectly flat, shallow, purely surface currents, arising wherever a continuous, not too weak wind blows.

These currents are therefore for the most part very variable; however, the current, supported on both sides of the equator by the trade winds, is quite even and reaches a speed of 15-18 km per day. But even constant currents, especially if they are weaker, with respect to direction and strength, are subject to the influence of continuous winds. Between constant currents, it differs primarily equatorial current that crosses A.

ocean in its entire width from east to west. It begins approx. near the Guinean Islands and has an initial width of 300-350 km between 1 ° north. lat. and 2 - 2 S ° south. lat. In the west, it gradually widens, so that on the meridian of Cape Palma it extends already between 2° N. lat. (even further north) and 5 ° south. wide, and approx. 10° west duty. reaches a width of 8° - 9° (800-900 km).

A little to the west of the Ferro meridian, a rather significant branch separates from the main current in a northwestern direction, traced up to 20 °, in some places up to 30 ° north.

lat. The equatorial current itself near the Brazilian coast in front of Cape San Roque is divided into the Guiana current (north) and the Brazilian coastal current (south).

The initial speed of this current is 40-50 km per day, to Yu.Z. from Cape Palma in summer sometimes increases to 80-120 km, and even further west, approx. at 10° west latitude, it reaches an average of 60 km again, but can rise up to 110 km. The temperature of the equatorial current is everywhere several degrees lower than the temperature of the neighboring parts of the sea, and this proves that the water of this current is supplied by polar currents. Challenger's research showed that the equatorial current does not reach a significant depth either, since already at a depth of 100 m the current speed was found to be half that on the surface, and at 150 m depth there was almost no movement at all.

South branch - brazilian current, stretches approx. at a distance of 400 km from the coast, has a daily speed of 35 km and, gradually expanding, reaches the mouth of La Plata. Here it divides: the weaker branch continues south almost to Cape Gorn, while the main branch turns east and joins with the current from the Pacific Ocean, which goes around the southern tip of America, to form the great South Atlantic Current.

This latter accumulates its waters near the southern part of the western coast of Africa, so that only with a southerly wind the Agulhas current, which goes around the southern tip of the mainland, delivers its warmer waters to the north, while with westerly or northerly winds it turns completely to AT.

Off the coast of Lower Guiana, the northern current dominates, carrying the accumulated waters back into the equatorial current. The northern branch of this current called Guiana- goes along the coast of South America at a distance of 20 km from it, strengthened on the one hand by the northern trade wind current, on the other - by the waters of the Amazon River, forming a current towards north.

and S.Z. The speed of the Guiana Current ranges from 36 to 160 km per day. Between Trinidad and Martinique, it enters the Caribbean Sea, which it crosses with gradually decreasing speed in a large arc, generally parallel to the coast, until it flows through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico. Here it divides into two branches: the weaker one along the northern coast of the island of Cuba goes straight to the Strait of Florida, while the main branch describes a large arc parallel to the coast and at the southern tip of Florida joins the first branch.

The speed gradually increases to 50-100 km per day. Through the Strait of Florida (Beminin Gorge), it again enters the open ocean called gulfstrom, dominating under the northern part of the A. ocean; the significance of the Gulfstrom extends far beyond the limits of the A. ocean; he exerted the greatest influence on the entire development of modern international relations (cf. Gulfstrom). Crossing A.

ocean approx. at 40° north lat., it is divided into several branches: one goes between Iceland and the Faroe Islands to the northeast; the other has an easterly direction, enters the Bay of Biscay at Cape Ortegala and then makes a turn to the north and northwest.

under the name of the Rennel current, separating from itself a small side branch into the Irish Sea, meanwhile, the main current with reduced speed goes to the northern shores of Norway and is even noticed near our Murmansk coast. The current of the Rennel is dangerous for sailors, as it often drives ships heading to the Pas de Calais to the cliffs of the Scillian Islands. Of outstanding importance for navigation and climate are also two currents emerging from the Arctic Ocean: one of them (East Greenland) is directed along the eastern coast of Greenland to the south, maintaining this direction for the main mass of its waters up to 50 ° N.

lat., separating only a branch that runs past Cape Farewell into Davis Strait; the second current, often incorrectly called the Hudson Bay Current, leaves Baffin Bay through Davis Strait and joins the East Greenland Current at New Foundland. Encountering an obstacle there in the Gulfstrom, this current turns to the west.

and goes along the shores of the United States to Cape Hatteras and is noticeable even as far as Florida. Part of the waters of this current apparently passes under the Gulfstrom. Since the water of this current is 10 ° sometimes even 17 ° colder than the Gulfstrom, it also has a strong cooling effect on the climate of the eastern coast of America.

Shipping should especially keep this current in mind because of the mass of ice it brings from the polar countries. These ice floes take the form of either ice mountains originating from the Greenland glaciers, or ice fields torn off from ice jams Arctic Ocean.

In the area of ​​the North Atlantic shipping lines, these floating ice masses appear in March and threaten ships sailing there until August.

Flora and fauna of the Atlantic Ocean

Flora The Atlantic Ocean is very diverse. Bottom vegetation (phytobenthos), which occupies the coastal zone to a depth of 100 m (about 2% of the total area of ​​the ocean floor), includes brown, green and red algae, as well as flowering plants living in salt water (philospadix, zoster, poseidonia).
There are similarities between the bottom vegetation of the northern and southern parts of the Atlantic Ocean, but the leading forms are represented by different species and sometimes even genera.

The similarity between the vegetation of the western and eastern coasts is more clearly expressed.
There is a clear geographical change in the main forms of phytobenthos in latitude. In the high arctic latitudes of the Atlantic Ocean, where the surface is covered with ice for a long time, the littoral is devoid of vegetation.

The main mass of phytobenthos in the sublittoral is kelp with an admixture of red algae. The temperate zone along the American and European coasts of the North Atlantic is characterized by the rapid development of phytobenthos.

The littoral is dominated by brown algae (fucus and ascophyllum). In the sublittoral, they are replaced by species of kelp, alaria, desmarestia, and red algae (furcelaria, anfeltia, lithotamnion, rhodimenia, etc.). Zostera is common on soft soils. In the temperate and cold zones of the Southern Hemisphere, brown algae, in particular kelp, predominate. In the tropical zone in the littoral and in the upper horizons of the sublittoral, due to strong heating and intense insolation, vegetation is almost absent.
Between 20 and 40° N.

sh. and 30 and 60°W in the Atlantic Ocean is located the so-called. Sargasso Sea, characterized by the constant presence of a mass of floating brown algae - Sargasso.
Phytoplankton, unlike phytobenthos, develops over the entire area of ​​the ocean in the upper 100-meter layer, but reaches its highest concentration in the upper 40-50-meter layer.
Phytoplankton consists of small unicellular algae (diatoms, peridine, blue-green, flint-flagellate, coccolithins).

The mass of phytoplankton ranges from 1 to 100 mg/m3, and in high latitudes (50-60°) of the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the period of mass development ("bloom") it reaches 10 g/m3 or more.
In the cold and temperate zones of the northern and southern parts of the Atlantic Ocean, diatoms predominate, constituting the bulk of phytoplankton. The coastal regions of the North Atlantic are characterized by the mass development of pheocistis (from golden algae) in spring. In the tropics, various types of coccolithins and the blue-green alga Trichodesmium are widespread.
The greatest quantitative development of phytoplankton in the high latitudes of the Atlantic Ocean is observed in summer during the period of the most intense insolation.

The temperate region is characterized by two peaks in the development of phytoplankton. Spring "flowering" is characterized by maximum biomass. During autumn "flowering" biomass is much lower than in spring. In the tropical region, phytoplankton development occurs all year round, but the biomass throughout the year is low.

The flora of the tropical region of the Atlantic Ocean is characterized by greater qualitative diversity, but less quantitative development than the flora of the temperate and cold zones.

Animal organisms inhabit the entire water column of the Atlantic Ocean. The diversity of fauna increases towards the tropics.

In cold and temperate zones, it has thousands of species, in tropical - tens of thousands. The cold and temperate zones are characterized by: from mammals - whales and pinnipeds, from fish - herring, cod, perch and flounder, in zooplankton there is a sharp predominance of copepods and sometimes pteropods. There is a great similarity between the faunas of the temperate zones of both hemispheres.

At least 100 species of animals are bipolar, that is, they are characteristic of cold and temperate zones and are absent in the tropics. These include seals, seals, whales, sprats, sardines, anchovies, and many invertebrates, including mussels.

The tropical belts of the Atlantic Ocean are characterized by: sperm whales, sea turtles, crustaceans, sharks, flying fish, crabs, coral polyps, scyphoid jellyfish, siphonophores, and radiolarians. The fauna of the Sargasso Sea is peculiar. Both free-swimming animals (mackerel, flying fish, sea needle, crabs, etc.) and animals attached to algae (anemones, bryozoans) live here.
The deep-sea fauna of the Atlantic Ocean is richly represented by sponges, corals, echinoderms, crustaceans, fish, and others.

This fauna stands out in an independent Atlantic deep-sea region. For commercial fish, see Fisheries and Marine Fishing.

Seas and bays

Most of the seas Atlantic Ocean in terms of physical and geographical conditions, they are Mediterranean - the Baltic, Black, Mediterranean, Caribbean Seas, the Gulf of Mexico, etc.

and marginal - Northern, Gulf of Guinea.

Islands

The largest islands are concentrated in the northern part of the ocean; these are the British Isles, Iceland, Newfoundland, Cuba, Haiti (Hispaniola) and Puerto Rico. On the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean there are several groups of small islands - Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde. There are similar groups in the western part of the ocean. Examples include the Bahamas, Florida Keys and Lesser Antilles. The archipelagos of the Greater and Lesser Antilles form an island arc surrounding the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea.

In the Pacific Ocean, such island arcs are characteristic of regions of crustal deformations. Deep-water trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.

There are no large islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, however, there are separate isolated islands, such as Fernando de Noronha, Ascension, Sao Paulo, St.

Helena, the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, and in the extreme south - Bouvet, South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney, Falkland Islands.

Main questions. What are the geographic features of the Atlantic Ocean? What is its role in the implementation of international economic relations?

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest and deepest. Its area is 91.7 million km2. The average depth is 3597 m, and the maximum depth is 8742 m. The length from north to south is 16,000 km.

Geographical position.

The ocean stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the coast of Antarctica in the south. On South Drake Passage separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific. A characteristic feature of the Atlantic Ocean is the multitude of inland and marginal seas in the Northern Hemisphere, the formation of which is mainly associated with tectonic movements of lithospheric plates. (Identify on the map "The structure of the earth's crust" the lithospheric plates within which the ocean is located.) The largest of the seas: Baltic, Black, Azov, Irish, Northern, Sargasso, Norwegian, Amongearthly. In total, there are more than 10 seas in the Atlantic Ocean. (Find Sargasso and the Mediterranean Sea on a physical map, compare their natural features.)

The Atlantic Ocean and its seas are washed by five continents. More than 70 states (in which more than 2 billion people live) and 70% of the world's largest cities are located on its shores. Therefore, the most important shipping routes pass through the Atlantic. The ocean is called "the element that unites peoples."

Relief The bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, according to scientists, is the youngest and more leveled. The ocean runs from north to south Mid-Atlantic Ridge over 18,000 km long. Along the ridge there is a system of rifts, where the largest volcanic island, Iceland, was formed. Within the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, depths of 3000-6000 m predominate. In contrast to the Pacific Ocean, there are few deep-sea trenches in the Atlantic Ocean. The deepest is Puerto Rico (8742 m) in the Caribbean Sea. The shelf zone is well expressed within the ocean, especially in the Northern Hemisphere off the coast of North America and Europe.

Climate. The ocean is located in almost all geographic zones. This determined the diversity of its climate. In the north, in the region of the island of Iceland, an area of ​​low pressure forms over the ocean, which is called the Icelandic Low. The prevailing winds over the ocean in tropical and subequatorial latitudes are trade winds, in temperate latitudes - westerly winds. Differences in atmospheric circulation are the cause of the uneven distribution of precipitation. (Refer to the Annual Precipitation Map for the distribution of precipitation in the Atlantic Ocean.) The average surface water temperature in the Atlantic Ocean is +16.5 ¨C. The ocean has the most saline surface waters, with an average salinity of 35.4‰. The salinity of surface waters varies greatly in the north and south.

The maximum salinity reaches 36-37 ‰ and is typical for tropical regions with low annual precipitation and strong evaporation. The decrease in salinity in the north and south of the ocean (32-34 ‰) is explained by the melting of icebergs and floating sea ice.

currents in the Atlantic Ocean are powerful carriers of thermal energy. Two systems of currents have formed in the ocean: clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. In the tropical latitudes of the ocean, the trade winds cause powerful surface currents from east to west on both sides of the equator - Northern Tradewind and Southern Equatorial Current. Crossing the ocean, these currents have a warming effect on the eastern coasts of North and South America. The powerful warm current Gulf Stream ("flow from the bay"), originates in Gulf of Mexico and reaches the islands of Novaya Zemlya. The Gulf Stream carries 80 times more water than all the rivers in the world. The thickness of its flow reaches 700-800 m. This mass of warm water with a temperature of up to +28 ¨C moves at a speed of about 10 km/h. North of 40¨ s. sh. The Gulf Stream turns to the shores of Europe, and here it is called North-Atlantic current. The temperature of the current water is higher than that of the ocean. Therefore, the warmer and more humid air masses of the North dominate the current and cyclones form.

Rice. 43. Offshore oil platform

The cooling influence on the western coasts of Africa is exerted by the Canaries and Benguela currents, and on the east coast of North America - cold Labrador flow. The eastern shores of South America are washed by a warm brazilian flow.

The ocean is characterized by rhythmically repeating tides. The largest tidal wave in the world reaches 18 m in Bay of Fundy off the coast of Canada.

Natural resources and environmental problems.

The Atlantic Ocean is rich in a variety of mineral resources. The largest oil and gas fields have been explored in the shelf zone off the coast of Europe (North Sea area), America (Gulf of Mexico, Maracaibo lagoon), etc. (Fig. 43). Phosphorite deposits are significant, ferromanganese nodules are less common.

The organic world of the Atlantic Ocean is poorer than the Pacific and Indian Oceans in terms of the number of species, but is distinguished by higher productivity.

In the tropical part of the ocean, the greatest diversity of the organic world is noted, the number of fish species is measured in tens of thousands. These are tuna, mackerel, sardines. In temperate latitudes, herring, cod, haddock, halibut are found in large quantities. Jellyfish, squids, octopuses are also inhabitants of the ocean. Large marine mammals (whales, pinnipeds), various types of fish (herring, cod), crustaceans live in cold waters.

The main fish catch areas are northeastern off the coast of Europe and northwestern off the coast of North America. The wealth of the ocean is brown and red algae, kelp.

According to the degree of economic use, the Atlantic Ocean ranks first among other oceans. The use of the ocean plays an important role in the development of the economy of many countries of the world (Fig. 44).

Rice. 44. The main modern directions of sea transportation of oil

The expanses of the Atlantic Ocean are most polluted with oil and oil products. Water purification is carried out by modern methods, the discharge of production waste is prohibited.

Bibliography

1. Geography grade 8. Textbook for the 8th grade of institutions of general secondary education with the Russian language of instruction / Edited by Professor P. S. Lopukh - Minsk "Narodnaya Asveta" 2014