Title: Caribbean Sea - Wikipedia
Headings: Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
Contents
History
Extent
Geology
Oceanography
Ecology
Climate
Flora and fauna
Vegetation
Fauna
Economy and human activity
Gallery
See also
References
Further reading
External links

Content: The Caribbean coastline has many gulfs and bays: the Gulf of Gonâve, Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Darién, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of Paria and Gulf of Honduras . Coral reef, near Soufrière Quarter, Saint Lucia
The Caribbean Sea has the world's second largest barrier reef, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. It runs 1,000 km (620 mi) along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Contents
1 History
2 Extent
3 Geology
4 Oceanography
5 Ecology
6 Climate
7 Flora and fauna
7.1 Vegetation
7.2 Fauna
8 Economy and human activity
9 Gallery
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
History
Main article: History of the Caribbean
Christopher Columbus landing on Hispaniola in 1492. The name "Caribbean" derives from the Caribs, one of the region's dominant Native American groups at the time of European contact during the late 15th century. After Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492, the Spanish term Antillas applied to the lands; stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" became a common alternative name for "Caribbean Sea" in various European languages. During the first century of development, Spanish dominance in the region remained undisputed.