Sea · United States, Mexico, Cuba
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a large, warm sea of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the United States, Mexico and Cuba. The mighty Mississippi River flows into it, and the warm Gulf Stream grows out of a current that loops through it.
Picture credit: Commander Grady Tuell, NOAA Corps (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Gulf of Mexico?
Part of: Atlantic Ocean.
Countries on its coasts: the United States, Mexico, Cuba.
The story behind it
The Gulf of Mexico covers about 1.55 million km² and is about 1 500 km wide. It is almost surrounded by land: the Straits of Florida lead to the open Atlantic, and the Yucatán Channel leads to the Caribbean Sea. On average it is about 1 615 metres deep. Its deepest area is the Sigsbee Deep, but experts do not agree how deep it is: estimates range from about 3 750 to 4 384 metres, and some sources give even more. The Mississippi, the Rio Grande and many other rivers flow in. Fishers catch red snapper, swordfish, shrimp and crabs, and oysters are gathered in many bays. A special kind of Bryde's whale lives only in the gulf. The warm water can feed powerful hurricanes. About 66 million years ago, a space rock 10 to 15 km wide crashed here and left the Chicxulub crater. Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, Veracruz, Cancún and Havana lie on its shores.
Find it on the globe
Gulf of Mexico is there as a name written across its water — tap the water and its card opens. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
Questions children ask
How big is the Gulf of Mexico?
The Gulf of Mexico covers about 1.55 million km² and is about 1 500 km wide. On average it is about 1 615 metres deep.
What is the Chicxulub crater?
About 66 million years ago, a meteorite or comet 10 to 15 km wide crashed into the area of the Gulf of Mexico. It left behind a huge crater called Chicxulub.
Why are there hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico?
The water at the surface of the gulf is very warm. This warmth gives energy to storms, so they can grow into powerful hurricanes.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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