The Gulf of Mexico is a body of water located between the United States and Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida in the United States, and the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. The Gulf of Mexico is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Straits of Florida.
So is the Gulf of Mexico a sea or an ocean? The answer depends on how you define these terms. Generally speaking, an ocean is a large body of saltwater that covers more than 20% of Earth’s surface. Seas are smaller bodies of saltwater that are partially enclosed by land. By this definition, the Gulf of Mexico would be considered a sea since it is partially enclosed by land.
However, some people consider any large body of water to be an ocean regardless of its size or location. In this case, the Gulf of Mexico would be considered an ocean since it covers an area larger than 600 thousand square miles (1.5 million square kilometers).
No matter how you define it though, one thing is certain: The Gulf of Mexico plays an important role in both US and Mexican economies. It provides a vital source for fishing and tourism as well as oil and gas production. It also serves as a major shipping route for goods traveling between North America and South America.
Whether you consider it to be a sea or an ocean doesn’t really matter; what matters most is that we recognize its importance to our economies and take steps to protect it from pollution and other environmental threats.