They are not washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean washes all continents except

From the article you will find out which continents it washes on the shores of Atlantic Ocean and how it affects them.

Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean

The ocean covers an area of 91.66 million square meters. km, making it the second largest after Quiet. More than 16% of its total area falls on straits, seas and bays. The salinity of the water is approximately 34-37 ppm. The deepest point is the Puerto Rico Trench, 8,742 meters deep. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is about 4 kilometers, and this is less than that of the Pacific and Indian.

The Atlantic is located in all 4 hemispheres and washes 5 continents. The Denmark Strait and the Davis Strait to the north connect it to the Arctic Ocean. in the south it connects with the Pacific Ocean, and with the Indian Ocean it is connected by the water space between Antarctica and Africa.

Previously, the Atlantic Ocean was called the Western, Outer, North Sea; now the term “Atlantic” is often used to designate it. On European map, the author of which was the Dutchman Varenius, the modern name of the ocean appeared in 1650.

The origin of the name “Atlantic Ocean” is associated with the African Atlas Mountains. Scientists suggest that even among the ancient Greeks this name literally meant “the sea beyond the Atlas Mountains.” There are two more versions of the name - one connects it with the sunken Atlantis, the other with the name of the titan Atlas.

Atlantic exploration

People began to explore the water expanses described earlier than other oceans, through the Mediterranean Sea. Even before our era, ancient peoples founded cities and states on the shores of the Mediterranean. Observing the ebb and flow of the tides, animal and plant life, they were the first explorers of these waters.

Of course, in ancient times people did not know exactly which continents were washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Their geographical knowledge noticeably different from modern ones. Nevertheless, Pytheas made voyages in the North Atlantic back in the 4th century BC. And in the 10th century AD, a native of Normandy undertook his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving at the shores of the island of Newfoundland.

Brazilian;
Guiana;
Gulf Stream;
Norwegian.

Greenlandic;
Labrador;
Canary;
Benguela.

Conclusion

Now we know which continents are washed by the Atlantic Ocean and what influence it has on them. Stretching from north to south, this expanse of water has long been of great importance for people. The waters of the Atlantic connect five continents and significantly influence their weather conditions.

What continents and countries are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, you will learn from this article.

Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on the planet. It is located in the north between Iceland and Greenland, in the east between Africa and Europe, in the west between South and North America, and Antarctica in the south. The area of the Atlantic Ocean is 91.6 million km². About ¼ of the part falls on inland seas. The average water salinity is 35 ‰. Coastline strongly indented into regional waters.

Note that the Atlantic Ocean did not appear on the planet immediately. Many million years ago, both Americas, Europe, Africa and Antarctica represented a single land mass. A very important process has been taking place on Earth over the past 40 million years - the opening of the ocean basin. Then the land was divided into modern continents. The opening of the ocean basin continues to this day.

What continents is washed by the Atlantic Ocean?

The Atlantic Ocean washes all continents except Australia. Namely:

eastern shores of North America
eastern shores South America
western coast of Africa
western shores of Eurasia
northwestern shores of Antarctica

Which countries are washed by the Atlantic Ocean?

The waters of the Atlantic Ocean wash 49 large countries. Here is their complete list in alphabetical order: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Great Britain, Venezuela, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Democratic Republic Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe , Senegal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.

education:

Which continents are the Atlantic Ocean? Which countries are 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, making 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 around 34-37 ppm. The deepest point is Puerto Rico, depth 8742 meters. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is about 4 km, which is less than that of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

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

The Denmark Strait and northwest Davis connect to the Arctic Ocean to the north. Drake's passage to the south communicates with the Pacific Ocean, and with the Indians it connects the waters between Antarctica and Africa.

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

On the 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 with the Titan Atlas.

Atlantic studies

The described water spaces began to develop ahead of other oceans across 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 food and flow, 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 was being washed away by the Atlantic Ocean.

Their geographical knowledge is different from modern ones. However, swimming in the North Atlantic Piffs is done in IV. A century before we count. And in the 10th century AD. Eric Cras arrived from Normandy to make the first trip across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving on the coast of the island of Newfoundland.

During the era of the Great Geographical Discovery there were many trips along the waters of the Atlantic. At the same time, the first descriptions of the depths, land, tropical hurricanes, the North Trade Wind, Brazil, Guiana and the Gulf Stream were made.

This era inspired exploration of the depths of the sea, as well as the territories washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Much is known about this today, but research continues to this day.

Which continent is washed 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 actually arbitrary. After all, the Atlantic did not exist 200 million years ago, all continental continents were part of the territory.

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

In the North Atlantic, the land is becoming increasingly divided. About 140 million years ago, plate 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? During times of massive global processes, the water of this ocean extended almost 16 thousand kilometers from north to south.

The oceans are now washed away:

North and South America;
EuroAsia;
Africa;
Antarctica.

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

Obala

We have already found out which shores 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 conventionally divided into north and south. The border for them is the equator.

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

Along the coasts of Denmark and Great Britain lies the North Sea.

In the east it flows into the Baltic Sea, which contains the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Botha. The system begins in the south inland waters- The Mediterranean Sea communicates with the ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, followed by the Black and Azov.

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

The 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, with many small islands in the Tierra del Fuego region.

The influence of Atlantic waters

It may be mentioned which countries of the Atlantic Ocean have been washed for a long time.

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

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

Warm ocean currents warm the coast, becoming soft and humid. 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.

Brazilian;
Guyana;
Gulf Stream;
Norwegian.

Cold currents from the Atlantic contribute to a cooler, 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 out the atmosphere of the West African coast. The collapse of the Gulf flow with the Labrador flow provides prolonged fog along the Newfoundland coast.

Cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean:

Greenland;
Labrador;
Canary Islands;
Bengelskoe.

conclusion

We now know which continents watch over the Atlantic Ocean and what influence they have on them.

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

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Atlantic Ocean part of the World Ocean bounded by Europe and Africa to the east and North and South America to the west. The name comes from the name of the Titan Atlas (Atlas) 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 thousand km, the smallest width is about 2830 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). It is distinguished from other oceans by the strongly rugged coastline, forming numerous seas and bays, especially in the northern part. In addition, the total area of river basins flowing into this ocean or its marginal seas is significantly larger than that of rivers flowing into any other ocean.

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

Atlantic coast states - 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, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal , Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint 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.

w. and 40 degrees south. w. located in 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 trade winds, and in temperate latitudes - westerly winds, which often turn into storms.

Climate features affect the properties of water masses.

Conventionally, it is carried out along the equator. From an oceanographic point of view, however, the southern part of the ocean should include the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5–8° N latitude. The northern border 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 highly indented coastline. Its narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow straits.

In the northeast, the 360 km wide Davis Strait connects it with the Baffin Sea, which belongs to the North Sea. Arctic Ocean. In the central part, between Greenland and Iceland, there is the Denmark Strait, at its narrowest point only 287 km wide.

Finally, in the northeast, between Iceland and Norway, there is the Norwegian Sea, approx. 1220 km. In the east, two water areas protruding deeply into the land are separated 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, the Strait of 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 north-facing warm current The Gulf Stream, as well as the North Atlantic, Canary and Northern Trade Wind (Equatorial) Currents.

The Gulf Stream follows from the Strait of Florida and Cuba in a northerly direction along the coast of the United States and approximately 40° N latitude. deviates to the northeast, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current is divided into two branches, one of which follows 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 southwest and joins the North Trade Wind Current, which heads west towards the West Indies, where it merges with the Gulf Stream.

To the north of the North Trade Wind Current there is an area of stagnant waters, teeming with algae, known as the Sargasso Sea. The cold Labrador Current runs along the North Atlantic coast of North America from north to south, coming from Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cooling the shores of New England.

South Atlantic Ocean

Some experts refer to the Atlantic Ocean in the south all the water space up to the Antarctic ice sheet; others take the southern limit of the Atlantic to be 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 through which the influence of the ocean could penetrate deep into the continents of Africa and South America.

The only large bay on the African coast is the Gulf of Guinea. On the coast of South America, large bays are also few in number. The southernmost tip of this continent - Tierra del Fuego - has an indented 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 ridge extends from the southwestern tip of Angola to the island. 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 consists of groups of individual underwater hills.

The major current systems in the South Atlantic Ocean move counterclockwise. The South Trade Wind Current is directed to the west. At the protrusion of the eastern coast of Brazil, it splits into two branches: the northern one carries water along the northern coast of South America to the Caribbean, and the southern one, the warm Brazil Current, moves south along the coast of Brazil and joins the Western Winds Current, or Antarctic Current, 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 Trade Wind Current. The warm Guinea Current moves south along the coast of Northwest Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.

Atlantic Ocean Currents

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

These currents are therefore for the most part very changeable; however, the current, maintained on both sides of the equator by the trade winds, is quite uniform and reaches a speed of 15-18 km per day. But even constant currents, especially if they are weaker, are subject to the influence of continuous winds in terms of direction and strength. The main difference between constant currents is equatorial current crossing A.

the ocean in its entire width from E to W. It begins approx. near the Guinea Islands and has an initial width of 300-350 km between 1° north. lat. and 2 - 2 ½° south. lat. In the west it gradually expands, so that on the meridian of Cape Palma it already extends between 2° north. lat. (even further north) and 5° south. wide, and approx. 10° west duty. reaches a width of 8° - 9° (800-900 km).

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

lat. The equatorial current itself near the Brazilian coast in front of Cape San Roc 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 the southwest. from Cape Palma in summer it sometimes increases to 80-120 km, and even further west, approx. at 10° west latitude, it reaches an average of 60 km, but can rise 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 delivered by polar currents. Challenger's studies showed that the equatorial current does not reach a significant depth, 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 almost no movement was noticeable at all.

Southern branch - Brazilian Current, extends 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 to the south almost to Cape Gorna, while the main branch turns to the east and, connecting with the flow from Pacific Ocean, skirting the southern tip of America, forms the large South Atlantic Current.

This latter accumulates its waters off the southern part of the western coast of Africa, so that only with a southern wind does the Agulhas current, which goes around the southern tip of the continent, deliver its warmer waters to the north, while with western or northern winds it turns completely to IN.

Off the coast of Lower Guiana, a northern current dominates, carrying the accumulating waters back into the equatorial current. The northern branch of this current called Guiana- is directed along the coast of South America at a distance of 20 km from it, strengthened on one side by the northern trade wind current, on the other by the waters of the Amazon River, forming a current towards the 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 a 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 joins the first branch at the southern tip of Florida.

The speed gradually increases to 50-100 km per day. Through the Straits of Florida (Beminin Gorge) it again enters the open ocean called Golfstroma, the ocean dominating the northern part of Africa; Golfstrom's significance extends far beyond the borders of the ocean; he had the greatest influence on the entire development of modern international relations (see. Golfstrom). 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 eastern direction, at Cape Ortegala it enters the Bay of Biscay and then turns to the north and north-west.

called 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 off our Murmansk coast. The Rennel Current is dangerous for sailors, as it often drives ships heading to the Pas de Calais towards the cliffs of the Scillian Islands. Two currents emerging from the Arctic Ocean are also of outstanding importance for navigation and climate: 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° north.

wide, separating only the branch going past Cape Farewell into the Davis Strait; the second current, often unfairly called the Hudson Bay Current, leaves Baffin Bay through Davis Strait and joins the East Greenland Current at New Foundland. Meeting an obstacle there in the Gulfstrom, this current turns to the west.

and goes along the coast of the United States to Cape Hatteras and is noticeable even off 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 Gulf Stream, it has a strong cooling effect on the climate of the eastern coast of America.

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

In the area of 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

The flora of 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 different types, and sometimes childbirth.

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

The bulk of phytobenthos in the sublittoral zone consists of kelp with an admixture of red algae. In the temperate zone along the American and European coasts of the North Atlantic, rapid development of phytobenthos is characteristic.

Brown algae (fucus and ascophyllum) predominate in the littoral zone. In the sublittoral zone they are replaced by species of kelp, alaria, desmarestia and red algae (furcelaria, ahnfeltia, lithothamnion, rhodomenia, 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 zone and in the upper horizons of the sublittoral zone, due to strong heating and intense insolation, vegetation is almost absent.
Between 20 and 40° N.

w. and 30 and 60° W. in the Atlantic Ocean is located the so-called. The Sargasso Sea, characterized by the constant presence of a mass of floating brown algae - sargassum.
Phytoplankton, unlike phytobenthos, develops throughout the entire ocean area 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, peridines, blue-greens, flint-flagellates, coccolithines).

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 (“blooming”) reaches 10 g/m3 or more.
In the cold and temperate zones of the northern and southern parts of the Atlantic Ocean, diatoms predominate, making up the bulk of phytoplankton. The coastal areas of the North Atlantic are characterized by the massive development of pheocystis (from golden algae) in the spring. Widespread in the tropics different kinds coccolithin and blue-green algae Trichodesmium.
The greatest quantitative development of phytoplankton in the high latitudes of the Atlantic Ocean is observed in the summer during the period of the most intense insolation.

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

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 in the direction of the tropics.

In cold and temperate zones it numbers thousands of species, in tropical zones - tens of thousands. Cold and temperate zones are characterized by: mammals - whales and pinnipeds, fish - herring, cod, perch and flounder; in zooplankton there is a sharp predominance of copepods and sometimes pteropods. There is 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, fur seals, whales, sprat, sardines, anchovies, and many invertebrates, including mussels.

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

This fauna is distinguished as an independent Atlantic deep-sea region. For information on commercial fish, see the section Fisheries and Marine Fisheries.

Seas and bays

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

and the outskirts - North, 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 - the Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. Similar groups exist 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 eastern part Caribbean Sea.

In the Pacific Ocean, such island arcs are characteristic of areas of crustal deformation. Deep-sea trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.

There are no large islands in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean, but there are some 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.

Official name: Atlantic Ocean
Water volume: 329,700,000 cubic km
Total area: 79,721,274 sq.km
Length of coastline: 111,866 km

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest after the Pacific Ocean. This ocean, which takes its name from the mythological island of Atlantis, divides, or rather unites, in its northern part, the most populous and most civilized parts of the world; therefore, despite the fact that it is the most stormy of all seas, the Atlantic Ocean is different in that same time and the greatest revival.
It washes the shores of Africa, North and South America and Europe.
The area covered by the Atlantic Ocean alone is 79,721,274 sq. km, and together with the coastal and Mediterranean seas (Mediterranean, Baltic, Northern, Irish-Scottish and Gulf of St. Lawrence) it is 88,634,133 sq. km. The length from north to south is 13,335 km, the greatest width, between Senegambia and the Gulf of Mexico - 9,000 km, the smallest - 1,445 km between Norway and Greenland (7,225 km between Georgia and Africa, 7,225 km between Cape Horn and Cape Good Hope, 5,550 km between the capes of San Roca and Sierra Leone).
In the northern part of the ocean, the shores are indented by the Bay of St. Lawrence, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, just like the European continent by the Baltic and German seas, the Gulf of Aquitaine, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea; the southern shores of the ocean, both South American and African, are represented by on the contrary, they are very little indented. The protrusion of Brazil corresponds to the notch of the Gulf of Guinea, and the protrusion of Senegambia and Sudan corresponds to the notch of the Antilles Sea. In terms of the wealth of oceanic islands rising among the open sea, the ocean is significantly inferior to the Pacific only near North America, and islands abound off the coast. Important stations are: Iceland and the Faroe Islands between Europe and polar America; and the Bermuda group between Europe and middle and southern North America; Ascension Islands, St. Helena, and between Africa and South America; finally, the Falkland Islands.
Seas: Baltic, North, Mediterranean, Black, Sargasso, Caribbean, Norwegian. Large bays: Biscay, Guinea, Mexico. The largest straits: Davis, Danish, Drake. The largest islands are British, Iceland, Newfoundland, Greater and Lesser Antilles, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Falkland (Maldives).
The greatest depth is the Milwaukee Trench in the Puerto Rico Trench (-8,605m).
The main surface currents: warm - North Trade Wind, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic and cold - Labrador and Canary in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean; warm - South Trade Wind, Brazilian and cold - Western Winds and Bengal in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Major ports: Rotterdam (Netherlands), New York, Houston (USA), Marseille (France), Hamburg (Germany), Genoa (Italy), London (UK), Buenos Aires (Argentina), St. Petersburg (Russia), Ilyichevsk (Ukraine) ).

From the article you will learn which continents are washed by the Atlantic Ocean and how it affects them.

Atlantic exploration

Of course, in ancient times people did not know exactly which continents were washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Their geographical knowledge was noticeably different from modern ones. Nevertheless, Pytheas made voyages in the North Atlantic back in the 4th century BC. And in the 10th century AD, a native of Normandy undertook his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving at the shores of the island of Newfoundland.

Brazilian;
Guiana;
Gulf Stream;
Norwegian.

Greenlandic;
Labrador;
Canary;
Benguela.

Conclusion

Education

What continents is washed by the Atlantic Ocean? Which countries are washed by the Atlantic Ocean?

June 25, 2016

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

Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic is located in all 4 hemispheres and washes 5 continents. The Denmark Strait and the Davis Strait to the north connect it to the Arctic Ocean. The Drake Passage in the south connects it with the Pacific Ocean, and it is connected with the Indian Ocean by the body of water between Antarctica and Africa.

Previously, the Atlantic Ocean was called the Western, Outer, North Sea; now the term “Atlantic” is often used to designate it. On the European map, authored by the Dutchman Varenius, the modern name of the ocean appeared in 1650.

Atlantic exploration

Of course, in ancient times people did not know exactly which continents were washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Their geographical knowledge was noticeably different from modern ones. Nevertheless, Pytheas made voyages in the North Atlantic back in the 4th century BC. And in the 10th century AD, Eric the Red, originally from Normandy, made his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving on the shores of the island of Newfoundland.

During the Age of Great Geographical Discoveries, a large number of voyages took place across the waters of the Atlantic. At the same time, the first descriptions of depths, soil, tropical hurricanes were made, and the Northern Trade Wind, Brazilian, Guiana Currents and the Gulf Stream were discovered. This era gave impetus to the study of the depths of the sea, as well as the territories that wash the Atlantic Ocean. Nowadays, much is already known about it, but research continues to this day.

Video on the topic

Which continents are washed by the Atlantic Ocean?

All the oceans on our planet make up the continuous World Ocean. There are no clear boundaries between them, and all divisions are, in fact, conditional. After all, the Atlantic did not exist 200 million years ago, and all earth's continents were one piece of land.

About 180 million years ago, the process of splitting the common continent into separate territories began. In the northern part of the Atlantic, areas of land became increasingly distant from each other. Approximately 140 million years ago, plates began to move in the South Atlantic. Gradually, Greenland separated from Europe, and the Mid-Labrador Range began to die off.

So, what continents is washed by the Atlantic Ocean? In the course of large-scale global processes, the waters of this ocean stretch for almost 16 thousand kilometers from north to south. The ocean now washes:

North and South America;
Eurasia;
Africa;
Antarctica.

Only Australia is not included in the list. In the north it is located between the shores of Greenland and Iceland, in the south - near Antarctica. Africa and Europe are located on the eastern side of the ocean, both Americas are located in the west.

Coastline

We have already learned which shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Now we can talk about their features. The ocean stretches across two earthly hemispheres, so its entire territory is conventionally divided into northern and southern. The border for them is the equator.

The North Atlantic is characterized by a highly rugged coastline. There are many inland seas in this part. Thus, in the northeast there is the Norwegian Sea, which occupies the territory between Norway and Iceland.

The North Sea is located off the coast of Denmark and Great Britain. In the east it turns into the Baltic, which has the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Much further south, a system of inland seas begins - the Mediterranean communicates with the ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, followed by the Black and Azov.

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

The coasts washed by the southern Atlantic waters are much less indented. There are no inland seas in this part. Near the African continent there is the Gulf of Guinea, which juts into the land - this is the largest bay in the South Atlantic. There are few of them near the coast of South America. The southern part of this continent is significantly dissected; in the Tierra del Fuego region there are many small islands.

The influence of Atlantic waters

It would take a very long time to list which countries are washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Not counting the waters of all its seas, the waters of the Atlantic wash about 50 countries. All of them experience a powerful oceanic influence. An important climate-forming factor for coastal areas is the currents and zoning of the Atlantic Ocean. In the northern part, the water temperature is noticeably colder (about 5 degrees).

Warm ocean currents warm the climate of the coast, making it soft and humid. They also contribute to high rainfall. The largest and most powerful current in the Atlantic is the warm Gulf Stream. This current affects the climate of North America and Western Europe. Thanks to it, for example, winter temperatures in Reykjavik are higher than those in New York.

Warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean:

Brazilian;
Guiana;
Gulf Stream;
Norwegian.

Cold Atlantic currents contribute to a colder and drier climate on the coasts. Thus, the Labrador Current creates a harsh climate on the island of Labrador, and the Benguela and Canary Currents make the climate of the West African coast dry. The collision of the Gulf Stream with the Labrador Current provides prolonged fog on the shores of Newfoundland.

Cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean:

Greenlandic;
Labrador;
Canary;
Benguela.

Conclusion

What continents and countries are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, you will learn from this article.

What continents is washed by the Atlantic Ocean?

The Atlantic Ocean washes all continents except Australia. Namely:

eastern shores of North America
eastern coast of South America
western coast of Africa
western shores of Eurasia
northwestern shores of Antarctica

Which countries are washed by the Atlantic Ocean?

The waters of the Atlantic Ocean wash 49 large countries. Here is their complete list in alphabetical order: 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, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal , Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.

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Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean

If we talk about the area of the ocean, it occupies 91.66 million square meters. km. We can say that part of its territory is not the ocean itself, but existing seas and bays. The volume of the ocean is 329.66 million square meters. km, and its average depth is 3736 m. Where the Puerto Rico Trench is located, the ocean is considered to have the greatest depth, which is 8742 m. There are two currents - Northern and Southern.

Atlantic Ocean from the north

The boundary of the ocean from the north is marked in some places by ridges located under water. In this hemisphere, the Atlantic is framed by an indented coastline. Its small northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by several narrow straits. Davis Strait is located in the northeast and connects the ocean with the Baffin Sea, which is also considered to belong to the Arctic Ocean. Closer to the center, the Denmark Strait is less wide than the Davis Strait. Between Norway and Iceland, closer to the northeast, is the Norwegian Sea.

In the southwest of the Northern Current of the ocean are the Gulf of Mexico, which is connected by the Strait of Florida. And also the Caribbean Sea. There are many bays to note here, such as Barnegat, Delaware, Hudson Bay and others. It is in the northern side of the ocean that you can see the largest and largest islands, which are famous for their fame. These are Puerto Rico, the world famous Cuba and Haiti, as well as the British Isles and Newfoundland. Closer to the east you can find small groups of islands. These are the Canary Islands, the Azores and Cape Verde. Closer to the west are the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles.

South Atlantic Ocean

Some geographers believe that the southern part is the entire space up to Antarctica. Someone is defining the border at Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope between two continents. The coastline in the south of the Atlantic Ocean is not as indented as in the north, and there are no seas. There is one large bay near Africa - Guinea. The farthest point in the south is Tierra del Fuego, which is framed by small islands in large numbers. Also, you cannot find large islands here, but there are separate islands, like. Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha. In the far south you can find the Southern Islands, Bouvet, Falkland and others.

As for the current in the southern ocean, here all systems flow counterclockwise. Near eastern Brazil, the South Trade Wind Current branches. One branch goes north, flows near the northern coast of South America, filling the Caribbean. And the second is considered southern, very warm, moves near Brazil and soon connects with the Antarctic Current, then heads to the east. Partially separates and turns into the Benguela Current, which is distinguished by its cold waters.

Attractions of the Atlantic Ocean

There is a special underwater cave in the Belize Barrier Reef. It was called the Blue Hole. It is very deep, and inside it there is also whole line caves that are connected to each other by tunnels. The depth of the cave reaches 120 m and is considered unique of its kind.

There is no person who does not know about Bermuda Triangle. But it is located in the Atlantic Ocean and excites the imagination of many superstitious travelers. Bermuda attracts with its mystery, but at the same time frightens with the unknown.

It is in the Atlantic that you can see an unusual sea that has no shores. And all because it is located in the middle of a body of water, and its boundaries cannot be framed by land, only currents show the boundaries of this sea. This is the only sea in the world that has such unique data and is called the Sargasso Sea.

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