Statistical information Atlantic Ocean 2024

Atlantic Ocean in the World

Atlantic Ocean - Introduction 2024

top of page

Background: The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five ocean basins (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 basin, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude. For convenience and because of its immense size, the Atlantic Ocean is often divided at the Equator and designated as the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic Ocean - Geography 2024

top of page

Location: body of water between Africa, Europe, the Arctic Ocean, the Americas, and the Southern Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 W

Map reference: Map of the world oceans

Area
Total: 85.133 million km²
Note: includes Baffin Bay, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative: about 7.5 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 Cabo Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December but are most frequent from August to November

Terrain

Elevation
Highest point: sea level
Lowest point: Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m
Mean depth:

-3,646 m; ocean zones: Composed of water and in a fluid state, the ocean is delimited differently than the solid continents. It is divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the ocean under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.
The upper 200 m (656 ft) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or 'sunlight,' zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth.
The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the 'twilight' zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.
The aphotic, or 'midnight,' zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths, and the zone is bathed in darkness.

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

Land use

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

Atlantic Ocean - People 2024

top of page

Population

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure