Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin and marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is approximately 1.6 million square kilometers in size and its floor consists of sedimentary rocks and recent sediments. The Gulf of Mexico is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida and to the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatán Channel, resulting in very small tidal ranges. The gulf is a significant offshore petroleum production region, accounting for one-sixth of the United States' total production. The Gulf of Mexico took shape approximately 300 million years ago as a result of plate tectonics, with its formation involving the rifting and thinning of continental crust.learn more on wikipedia