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© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
How the Gulf of Mexico was formed
- The Gulf of Mexico took shape approximately 300 million years ago, the result of plate tectonics.
© NL Beeld
1 / 31 Fotos
Vital statistics
- The Gulf of Mexico averages 5,299 feet (1,615 m) in depth. At 14,383 feet (4,384 m), the Sigsbee Deep, 200 miles (321 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas, is the deepest and flattest sector of the basin.
© Public Domain
2 / 31 Fotos
A big basin
- Roughly oval in shape, the basin is approximately 810 nautical miles (930 miles, or 1,500 km) wide.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
The largest gulf in the world
- Considered part of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world and the 10th biggest body of water on the planet. It's seen here from the Space Shuttle.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Which European first explored the Gulf?
- The first alleged European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico was by the Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci in 1497, for whom "America" is named.
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
First map of the Gulf
- Spanish conquistador and cartographer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda (1494–1520) was the first person to sail along the Gulf of Mexico's coast. By doing so, he created the first map to depict what is now Texas and parts of the Gulf Coast of the United States, in 1519.
© Public Domain
6 / 31 Fotos
Charting the region
- By the mid-16th century, much of the Gulf Coast had been charted by Spanish conquistadors, including Hernán Cortés, who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
Piracy in the Gulf of Mexico
- During the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Gulf of Mexico was plagued by pirates. One of the most notorious was the French privateer Jean Lafitte (pictured). Another hoodlum of the high seas was the American pirate Charles Gibbs, born James D. Jeffers. Gibbs was among the last persons to be executed for piracy by the United States.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
America's Gulf states
- The Gulf borders five US states—Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. It also borders Cuba and parts of Mexico. Pictured is Mobile, Alabama.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Marine life
- The black corals (Antipatharians) that thrive in the Gulf of Mexico rank among the oldest living organisms on Earth. A colony discovered in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is estimated to be 2,000 years old.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Mammal species
- There are 29 marine mammal species found in the Gulf of Mexico, species that include humpback whales, sperm whales, and the West Indian manatee, listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
Bottlenose dolphin
- A near-7,500 bottlenose dolphins live in the northern coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico alone, according to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
© Shutterstock
12 / 31 Fotos
Shark species
- At least 50 different species of shark, including the Atlantic blacktip (pictured), call the Gulf home. The most commonly found shark is the Atlantic sharpnose.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
Spring migration
- In 2019 over an 18-day period from April 19 to May 7, over one billion birds crossed the entire length of the Gulf Coast at night during the spring migration, according to the journal Global Change Biology.
© Shutterstock
14 / 31 Fotos
Gulf sea turtle species
- Five species of sea turtle—the Kemp's ridley, hawksbill, loggerhead, and leatherback—are found in Gulf waters. All are either critically endangered or threatened.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
Seafood bonanza
- The Gulf has approximately 1,443 different species of fish in its waters. Shellfish, too, thrive in the Gulf. In fact, 75% of the shrimp in the United States comes from the Gulf of Mexico.
© Shutterstock
16 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico shipwrecks
- Over the centuries, the Gulf of Mexico has claimed numerous ships, including over 2,000 that sunk between 1625 and 1951, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
© NL Beeld
17 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico mineral wealth
- The Gulf is a rich reservoir of natural gas and oil. In March 1938, the first production of oil from a well drilled in the basin marked the birth of the offshore industry.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Oil and gas production
- According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Gulf of Mexico federal offshore oil production presently accounts for 14% of total US crude oil production. Similarly, natural gas production in the Gulf accounts for 5% of total US dry production.
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Refining capacity
- And 48% of the nation's petroleum refining capacity is located along the Gulf Coast, as well as 51% of total US natural gas processing plant capacity.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
Abandoned wells
- There are an estimated 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells beneath the Gulf. Many of these wells were drilled in the 1950s. Most are unattended and the source of regular small leaks.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
Deepwater Horizon disaster
- On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig located off the coast of Louisiana killed 11 people, injured 17, and released 134 million gallons (507 million liters) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the largest US marine oil spill ever.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Gulf states industry
- Some of the largest industries in areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast are related to oil and gas drilling, shipping, and leisure and hospitality.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
Navarre Beach Pier
- Navarre Beach Pier in Florida is the longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico. It's set 30 feet (9 m) above the water and arrows out 1,545 (470 m) from the coastline.
© Shutterstock
24 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico coastline
- The total coastline of the Gulf measures approximately 3,540 miles (5,697 km) from the tip of Florida to the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. And that's not including the additional 236 miles (379 km) along Cuba.
© Shutterstock
25 / 31 Fotos
Population boom
- The population in US states along the Gulf is set to reach 61 million people by 2025, a 40% increase.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico watershed
- The Mississippi River watershed is the largest drainage basin of the Gulf of Mexico watershed. Around 41% of the contiguous US drains into the Mississippi River, bringing with it pollution and significant runoff from farmland.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
The Gulf Stream
- The Gulf Stream, an Atlantic ocean current, originates in the Gulf of Mexico. It carries warm water up the eastern coast of the United states and Canada and on to western Europe. It's one of the strongest ocean currents in the world.
© Public Domain
28 / 31 Fotos
Extreme weather zone
- The Gulf of Mexico's warm water temperature can feed powerful Atlantic hurricanes such as Katrina, which swept across the region in 2005 and caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at US$125 billion.
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
Chicxulub impact crater
- And it's worth noting that the Gulf of Mexico is the scene of the Cretaceous extinction event, when a cataclysmic asteroid impact likely caused the demise of most life on Earth, including the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. In the upper left portion of this photograph, a faint arc of dark green is visible indicating the remnants of what's known as Chicxulub impact crater, located on the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Sources: (Associated Press) (Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council) (Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism) (American Association for the Advancement of Science) (IUCN) (BOEM) (Offshore Magazine) (Natural History Museum)
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
How the Gulf of Mexico was formed
- The Gulf of Mexico took shape approximately 300 million years ago, the result of plate tectonics.
© NL Beeld
1 / 31 Fotos
Vital statistics
- The Gulf of Mexico averages 5,299 feet (1,615 m) in depth. At 14,383 feet (4,384 m), the Sigsbee Deep, 200 miles (321 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas, is the deepest and flattest sector of the basin.
© Public Domain
2 / 31 Fotos
A big basin
- Roughly oval in shape, the basin is approximately 810 nautical miles (930 miles, or 1,500 km) wide.
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
The largest gulf in the world
- Considered part of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world and the 10th biggest body of water on the planet. It's seen here from the Space Shuttle.
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Which European first explored the Gulf?
- The first alleged European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico was by the Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci in 1497, for whom "America" is named.
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
First map of the Gulf
- Spanish conquistador and cartographer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda (1494–1520) was the first person to sail along the Gulf of Mexico's coast. By doing so, he created the first map to depict what is now Texas and parts of the Gulf Coast of the United States, in 1519.
© Public Domain
6 / 31 Fotos
Charting the region
- By the mid-16th century, much of the Gulf Coast had been charted by Spanish conquistadors, including Hernán Cortés, who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
Piracy in the Gulf of Mexico
- During the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Gulf of Mexico was plagued by pirates. One of the most notorious was the French privateer Jean Lafitte (pictured). Another hoodlum of the high seas was the American pirate Charles Gibbs, born James D. Jeffers. Gibbs was among the last persons to be executed for piracy by the United States.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
America's Gulf states
- The Gulf borders five US states—Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. It also borders Cuba and parts of Mexico. Pictured is Mobile, Alabama.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Marine life
- The black corals (Antipatharians) that thrive in the Gulf of Mexico rank among the oldest living organisms on Earth. A colony discovered in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is estimated to be 2,000 years old.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Mammal species
- There are 29 marine mammal species found in the Gulf of Mexico, species that include humpback whales, sperm whales, and the West Indian manatee, listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
Bottlenose dolphin
- A near-7,500 bottlenose dolphins live in the northern coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico alone, according to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
© Shutterstock
12 / 31 Fotos
Shark species
- At least 50 different species of shark, including the Atlantic blacktip (pictured), call the Gulf home. The most commonly found shark is the Atlantic sharpnose.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
Spring migration
- In 2019 over an 18-day period from April 19 to May 7, over one billion birds crossed the entire length of the Gulf Coast at night during the spring migration, according to the journal Global Change Biology.
© Shutterstock
14 / 31 Fotos
Gulf sea turtle species
- Five species of sea turtle—the Kemp's ridley, hawksbill, loggerhead, and leatherback—are found in Gulf waters. All are either critically endangered or threatened.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
Seafood bonanza
- The Gulf has approximately 1,443 different species of fish in its waters. Shellfish, too, thrive in the Gulf. In fact, 75% of the shrimp in the United States comes from the Gulf of Mexico.
© Shutterstock
16 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico shipwrecks
- Over the centuries, the Gulf of Mexico has claimed numerous ships, including over 2,000 that sunk between 1625 and 1951, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
© NL Beeld
17 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico mineral wealth
- The Gulf is a rich reservoir of natural gas and oil. In March 1938, the first production of oil from a well drilled in the basin marked the birth of the offshore industry.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Oil and gas production
- According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Gulf of Mexico federal offshore oil production presently accounts for 14% of total US crude oil production. Similarly, natural gas production in the Gulf accounts for 5% of total US dry production.
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Refining capacity
- And 48% of the nation's petroleum refining capacity is located along the Gulf Coast, as well as 51% of total US natural gas processing plant capacity.
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
Abandoned wells
- There are an estimated 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells beneath the Gulf. Many of these wells were drilled in the 1950s. Most are unattended and the source of regular small leaks.
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
Deepwater Horizon disaster
- On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig located off the coast of Louisiana killed 11 people, injured 17, and released 134 million gallons (507 million liters) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the largest US marine oil spill ever.
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Gulf states industry
- Some of the largest industries in areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast are related to oil and gas drilling, shipping, and leisure and hospitality.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
Navarre Beach Pier
- Navarre Beach Pier in Florida is the longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico. It's set 30 feet (9 m) above the water and arrows out 1,545 (470 m) from the coastline.
© Shutterstock
24 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico coastline
- The total coastline of the Gulf measures approximately 3,540 miles (5,697 km) from the tip of Florida to the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. And that's not including the additional 236 miles (379 km) along Cuba.
© Shutterstock
25 / 31 Fotos
Population boom
- The population in US states along the Gulf is set to reach 61 million people by 2025, a 40% increase.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
Gulf of Mexico watershed
- The Mississippi River watershed is the largest drainage basin of the Gulf of Mexico watershed. Around 41% of the contiguous US drains into the Mississippi River, bringing with it pollution and significant runoff from farmland.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
The Gulf Stream
- The Gulf Stream, an Atlantic ocean current, originates in the Gulf of Mexico. It carries warm water up the eastern coast of the United states and Canada and on to western Europe. It's one of the strongest ocean currents in the world.
© Public Domain
28 / 31 Fotos
Extreme weather zone
- The Gulf of Mexico's warm water temperature can feed powerful Atlantic hurricanes such as Katrina, which swept across the region in 2005 and caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at US$125 billion.
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
Chicxulub impact crater
- And it's worth noting that the Gulf of Mexico is the scene of the Cretaceous extinction event, when a cataclysmic asteroid impact likely caused the demise of most life on Earth, including the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. In the upper left portion of this photograph, a faint arc of dark green is visible indicating the remnants of what's known as Chicxulub impact crater, located on the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Sources: (Associated Press) (Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council) (Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism) (American Association for the Advancement of Science) (IUCN) (BOEM) (Offshore Magazine) (Natural History Museum)
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
Trump to rename Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America”
The change will take effect in the US, but other countries won’t be required to follow
© Getty Images
In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump reiterated his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America,” marking one of his first executive orders as the country’s once-again president. He also indicated that currently the territory is being run by cartels, and that the change would be “beautiful” and “appropriate.”
"We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America," Trump said during his speech. "What a beautiful name. And it's appropriate. It's appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country."
President Trump would be able to change the name within the US, but in terms of international law there is no binding agreement that requires other countries conform.
The Gulf of Mexico has carried its name for over 400 years. It borders five US states but also shares a coastline with parts of Mexico and Cuba. While the US claims control over a significant portion of the gulf, international agreements have clarified territorial waters.
So, what exactly do we know about this universally recognized gulf located between Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula? Click through the following gallery and travel its length and breadth.
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