The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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СКАЧАТЬ access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only

      Government

       Ashmore and Cartier Islands

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands

      Dependency status:

      territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

      Legal system:

      the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

      none (territory of Australia)

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

      none (territory of Australia)

      Flag description:

      the flag of Australia is used

      Economy

       Ashmore and Cartier Islands

      Economy - overview:

      no economic activity

      Transportation

       Ashmore and Cartier Islands

      Ports and terminals:

      none; offshore anchorage only

      Military

       Ashmore and Cartier Islands

      Military - note:

      defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

      Transnational Issues

       Ashmore and Cartier Islands

      Disputes - international:

      as the closest Australian territory to Indonesia, these islands became the target of human traffickers for the landing of illegal immigrants; in 2001, the Australian government removed these islands from the Australian Migration Zone making illegal arrivals ineligible for temporary visas and entry into Australia

      This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

      ======================================================================

      @Atlantic Ocean

      Introduction

       Atlantic Ocean

      Background:

      The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (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, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

      Geography

       Atlantic Ocean

      Location:

      body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere

      Geographic coordinates:

      0 00 N, 25 00 W

      Map references:

      Political Map of the World

      Area:

      total: 76.762 million sq km

       note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait,

       Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador

       Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the

       Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies

      Area - comparative:

      slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US

      Coastline:

      111,866 km

      Climate:

      tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November

      Terrain:

      surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin

      Elevation extremes:

      lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench −8,605 m highest point: sea level 0 m

      Natural resources:

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

      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)

      Environment - current issues:

      endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea

      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

      Economy

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