Map of Atlantic Ocean | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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 St. 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.


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Location: body of water between Africa Europe the Southern Ocean and the Western Hemisphere

Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N 25 00 W

Map reference: World

Area
Total: 76.762 million km²
Note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative: slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US

Land boundaries

Coastline: 111,866 km

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December but are most frequent from August to November

Terrain: surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea Denmark Strait and Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m
Extremes highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources: oil and gas fields fish marine mammals (seals and whales) sand and gravel aggregates placer deposits polymetallic nodules precious stones

Land use

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: icebergs common in Davis Strait Denmark Strait and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December)

Geography
Note: major chokepoints include the Dardanelles Strait of Gibraltar access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover Straits of Florida Mona Passage The Sound (Oresund) and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean


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Population

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate

Death rate

Net migration rate

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: endangered marine species include the manatee seals sea lions turtles and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US southern Brazil and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea Gulf of Mexico Lake Maracaibo Mediterranean Sea and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea North Sea and Mediterranean Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources e.g. fishing the dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas) and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea Gulf of Mexico and North Sea).

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports

Imports

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs