Childrens Illustrated World Atlas

32

Labrador Sea

North

Sea Ba

lt

ic

S

ea

Sargasso

Gulf of Sea

Mexico

Caribbean Sea

Gulf of

Guinea

Me di te rr an ean Sea

Scotia Sea

Gulf of San Jorge

Gulf of San Matías

Dra

ke^ Pa

ssage^

Bay of

Biscay

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

PACIFIC

OCEAN

SOUTHERN OCEAN

Newfoundland

Basin

Guinea Basin

W

al

v

is

R

id

g

e^

O

ar n g e F an

Santos

Plateau

Ch

ile

(^) R

is

e

Zapiola^ Ridge

Ascens

ion^ Fr

actu

re^ Z

one

Cear

á (^) P

la

in

Sierra

Leone

Basin

Sierra

Leone

Rise

Doldrums Fra

cture Zone

Kane

Fractu

re (^) Zone
Iceland
Basin
Reykjanes
Basin
Chile
Basin

Pernambuco

Plain

Panama

Basin

Colombian

Basin

Grand^ Banks

of^

Newfoundlan

d^

Guatemala

Basin

Ro

ck

all

B

an

k^

Gough

Frac

ture^

Zon

e^

M i d - A t l a n t i c R i d g e

Argentine

Basin

Cape

Basin

Rio Grande

Rise

Brazil

Basin

Angola

Basin

Cape Verde

Plain

Cape Verde

Basin

M

i

d

A

t

l

a

n

t

i

c

R

i

d

g

e

P

er

u

- C

h

il

e

(^) T

r

en

c

h

P

e

r

u

- C

h

il

e

(^) T

re

n

ch

Puerto (^) R
ico
Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Z
one

East Azores Fracture^

Zone

Madeira

Plain

Great Meteor Tablemount

Sohm

Plain

H

at

te

ra

s^

Nares

Plain

Dem

era

ra

(^)

Pla

in

East Scotia Basin

P er u

(^) B
as
in
Trench

Be

rm

ud

a^

Labrador

Basin

De

nm

ark

Str

ait^

Vitória Seamount

Zubov Seamount

Amazon

Fan

P

la

in

R

is

e^

British

Isles

Newfoundland

Canary Islands

(to Spain)

Madeira (to Portugal)

Azores

(to Portugal)

Fernando de Noronha (to Brazil)

Galápagos Islands

(to Ecuador)

Gough Island (to Tristan da Cunha)

Ilha da Trindade (to Brazil)

Gr eat er Ant illes

Lesser

An

til

le

s^

ST HELENA

(to UK)

SOUTH SANDWICH

ISLANDS

(to UK)

SOUTH GEORGIA

(to UK)

FALKLAND ISLANDS

(to UK)

TRISTAN DA CUNHA

(to UK)

BOUVET

ISLAND

(to Norway)

FAROE ISLANDS

(to Denmark)

GREENLAND

(to Denmark)

BERMUDA

(to UK)

ASCENSION ISLAND

(to UK)

REYKJAVIK

PRAIA

CAPE VERDE

ICELAND

SOUTH AMERICA

NORTH

AMERICA

EUROPE

AFRICA

A

tla

s^ M

oun

tains^

Cape

Horn

Cape of Good Hope

Sahara

Sahel

A

n

d

e

s

A

lp

s^

Atlantic Ocean

The world’s second-largest ocean, the Atlantic

separates the Americas from Europe and Africa. The

Atlantic is the world’s youngest ocean, starting to form

about 180 million years ago, as the continental plates

began to separate. This movement continues

today, as the oceanic plates that meet at

the Mid-Atlantic Ridge continue to pull

apart. The Atlantic is a major source of fish

but, due to overfishing, stocks are now low.

Many shipping routes cross the Atlantic,

and pollution is an international problem

as ships dump chemicals and waste. There

are substantial reserves of oil and gas in

the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of west

Africa, and in the north Atlantic.

A

B

C

D

E

F G H

H

I

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

GREENLAND

The largest island in the world,

Greenland is a self-governing

part of Denmark. Most

Greenlanders live on the

southwest coast. Mainly

Inuit, with some Danish-

Norwegian influences,

they make their living

by seal hunting, fishing,

and fur trapping.

TOURISM

The volcanic islands and black

beaches of the eastern Atlantic,

especially the Canaries (left),

Madeira, and the Azores, are

popular with tourists, who are

attracted by the scenery and

subtropical climate.

Fishing for

halibut

Mid-Atlantic

Ridge

Tristan da

Cunha island

At the

center of

the ridge

is a valley

at least 10 miles

(16 km) wide.

UNDERWATER MOUNTAINS

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a great

underwater mountain chain that runs

the entire length of the Atlantic. It was

formed by magma that oozed up from

the sea bed, cooled to create solid rock,

and gradually built up to form a ridge.

Some peaks are so high that they break

the surface to form volcanic islands, such

as the country of Iceland.

WARM CURRENTS

The Gulf Stream flows up the

east coast of North America

and across the Atlantic. It brings

warm water and a mild climate

to northern Europe, which would

otherwise be cooler.

WHALES

Many whales

live in the Atlantic,

migrating from

summer feeding

grounds in the cold polar

regions to warmer waters

in the Caribbean for the

winter. They give

birth and mate

again before

returning

north.

FALKLANDS

Set in the windy south Atlantic

off the coast of Argentina,

the Falkland Islands belong

to the UK but are also

claimed by Argentina.

Fishing and sheep farming

are important. The land is

rocky, mountainous, boggy,

and almost treeless.

ATLANTIC FISHING INDUSTRY

The Atlantic Ocean contains more than half the

world’s total stock of fish. Herring, anchovy, sardine,

cod, flounder, and tuna are among the most important

fish found here. However, overfishing, particularly of cod

and tuna, has caused a significant decline in numbers.

Humpback whale

breaching

Atlantic Ocean

US_032-033_Atlantic_Ocean.indd 32 21/02/17 1:10 pm