The Gulf of Mexico is a Mediterranean-type sea located at the southeastern corner of North America. The Gulf is bordered by the United States to the north (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas), five Mexican states to the west (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan), and the island of Cuba to the southeast.
The Gulf measures approximately 1,600 kilometers from east to west, 900 kilometers from north to south, and has a surface area of 1.5 million square kilometers. The marine shoreline from Cape Sable, Florida to the tip of the Yucatan peninsula extends ~5,700 kilometers, with another 380 kilometers of shore on the northwest tip of Cuba. If bays and other inland waters are included, the total shoreline increases to over 27,000 kilometers in the U.S. alone.
Water enters the Gulf through the Yucatan Strait, circulates as the Loop Current, and exits through the Florida Strait eventually forming the Gulf Stream. Portions of the Loop Current often break away forming eddies or 'gyres' which affect regional current patterns. Smaller wind driven and tidal currents are created in near shore environments.
 Drainage into the Gulf of Mexico is extensive and includes 20 major river systems (>150 rivers) covering over 3.8 million square kilometers of the continental United States. Annual freshwater inflow to the Gulf is approximately 10.6x1011 m3 per year (280 trillion gallons). 85% of this flow comes from the United States, with 64% originating from the Mississippi River alone. Additional freshwater inputs originate in Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Cuba.
Surprised? wait 'til you sail through this wonderful waters and enjoy the gorgeous cuisine of the region. |
