did you know this about the Atlantic Ocean…

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world’s five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean).

The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways.

The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Total area: 76.762 million sq km

note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait,

part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea,

North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea,

and other tributary water bodies.

Ports and terminals:

Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain),

Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama),

Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland),

Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain),

Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France),

Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy),

New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway),

Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil),

Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)

Transportation – note:

Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways;

significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway

on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US;

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states

and offshore Atlantic waters as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships,

particularly in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, the east coast of Brazil, and

the Caribbean Sea; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked

and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;

hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen;

crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen.

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