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The Caribbean Sea ((スペイン語:Mar Caribe)) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles starting with Cuba, to the east by the Lesser Antilles, and to the south by the north coast of South America. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts, are collectively known as 'the Caribbean'. The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas and has an area of about 2,754,000 km2 (1,063,000 sq mi).〔(The Caribbean Sea ) All The Sea. URL last accessed May 7, 2006〕 The sea's deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 m (25,220 ft) below sea level. The Caribbean coastline has many gulfs and bays: the Gulf of Gonâve, Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Darién, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of Paria and Gulf of Honduras. The Caribbean Sea is proven to have the second biggest barrier reef in the world. This is called the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. It runs 600 miles (970 km) along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras. ==History== (詳細はCaribs, one of the dominant Native American groups in the region at the time of European contact during the late 15th century. After the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Spanish term ''Antillas'' applied to the lands; stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" became a common alternative name for "Caribbean Sea" in various European languages. During the first century of development, Spanish dominance in the region remained undisputed. From the 16th century, Europeans visiting the Caribbean region identified the "South Sea" (the Pacific Ocean, to the south of the isthmus of Panama) as opposed to the "North Sea" (the Caribbean Sea, to the north of the same isthmus).〔 〕 The Caribbean Sea had been unknown to the populations of Eurasia until 1492, when Christopher Columbus first sailed into Caribbean waters on a quest to find a sea route to Asia. At that time the Western Hemisphere in general was unknown to Europeans. Following the discovery of the islands by Columbus, the area was quickly colonised by several Western cultures (initially Spain, then later Portugal, England, the Dutch Republic, France, Courland and Denmark). Following the colonisation of the Caribbean islands, the Caribbean Sea became a busy area for European-based marine trading and transport, and this commerce eventually attracted piracy. Due to the abundance of sunshine, year-round tropical temperatures moderated by the almost constant trade winds, and the great variety of scenic destinations to visit, during the second half of the 20th century and on into the 21st, the Caribbean Sea became a popular place for tourism. the area is home to 22 island territories and borders 12 continental countries. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Caribbean Sea」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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