The Gulf of Mexico

Location: The Gulf of Mexico is to the south of the U.S., to the west of Cuba, and to the east and north of Mexico.

Size: The Gulf of Mexico covers an area of 579,000 feet. It extends from north to south 800 miles, and from east to west 1,100 feet.

Discovery: It was discovered by European explorers soon after Columbus’s first journey to the New World. The first person to draw a detailed map of it was Juan de la Cosa, who drew the map in 1500.

Interesting Information: The Gulf of Mexico is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Straits of Florida, and connected to the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Channel. There are three major rivers entering the gulf are the Mississippi, Brazos, and the Rio Grande. Both gas and oil have been found in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bibliography:
1) http://encarta.msn.com, “Mexico, Gulf of," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia, September 19, 2000.

2) Graphic of Cancun coastline was courtesy of http://www.corbis.com, September 28, 2000.