Knowledge nugget of the day: Gulf of Mexico

Knowledge Nugget: Gulf of Mexico

Subject: International Relations and Geography 

(Relevance: Various locations successful the quality clasp significance, arsenic the UPSC has antecedently asked questions astir these places. In this context, it is important to recognize the Gulf of Mexico and Greenland owed to their roles successful planetary geopolitics, marine biodiversity, vigor resources, and biology concerns. Additionally, cognition astir their geographical, economic, ecological, and strategical aspects tin assistance successful preparing for topics related to the situation and geography.)

Why successful the news?

On his archetypal time successful office, Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States, confirmed his volition to instrumentality swift enactment by announcing a bid of enforcement orders that helium planned to motion immediately. In addition, helium reiterated his committedness to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” This announcement follows a signifier of confrontational rhetoric successful which Trump has made statements astir US neighbours, including threats to instrumentality power of Greenland and the Panama Canal. He has besides referred to Canada arsenic the “51st state” of the United States.

Donald J Trump speaks aft being sworn arsenic the 47th US President successful the US Capitol Rotunda successful Washington, DC, Monday. (Reuters)

Key Takeaways :

 “We assistance Mexico a lot, they are fundamentally tally by the cartels… we’re going to change, due to the fact that we bash astir of the enactment determination and it’s ours… we’re gonna beryllium changing the sanction of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beauteous ring… and it’s appropriate.”- Trump

1. Trump’s connection astir the “Gulf of America” was portion of a broader tirade concerning commercialized deficits and amerciable migration from Mexico.

2. In response, President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters that North America should beryllium renamed “Mexican America”. She referenced this sanction arsenic it appeared connected immoderate 17th-century maps. During a briefing, lasting successful beforehand of aged maps displayed connected a screen, Sheinbaum remarked sarcastically, “Mexican America—that sounds nice.”

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum shows a 1661 satellite representation showing the Americas and the Gulf of Mexico successful effect to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s comments astir renaming the assemblage of water, during a property league astatine National Palace successful Mexico City (Reuters)

3. According to The New York Times, “The gulf’s sanction archetypal appeared connected maps utilized by Spanish explorers successful the 16th century, good earlier the founding of the United States. On 8th January, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico displayed a representation from 1607 that included the Gulf of Mexico.”

4. The Associated Press reported that renaming of Gulf of Mexico would not beryllium a “unilateral decision” of the US, and different countries don’t person to agree.

5. John Nyberg, the manager of the International Hydrographic Organization, told The NYT there is “no ceremonial planetary statement oregon protocol successful spot for naming maritime areas”.

Gulf of Mexico

1. Bordered by Cuba, Mexico, and the United States, Gulf of Mexico is the world’s largest gulf by aboveground area. It is besides considered the ninth-largest assemblage of h2o successful the world.

2. The Gulf of Mexico connects to the Atlantic Ocean done the Straits of Florida, which tally betwixt the Florida peninsula and the land of Cuba. It besides connects to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel, located betwixt the Yucatán Peninsula and Cuba.

Significance of Gulf of Mexico

1. The Gulf of Mexico is recognized globally arsenic a immense and productive waterbody with important ecological and economical value. It is location to 1 of the world’s astir productive marine ecosystems, making it an important planetary reservoir of biodiversity. Its marine biodiversity supports captious ecosystems and a ample assemblage of the region’s economy.

2. Gulf of Mexico has played a important relation successful shaping the earthy heritage, culture, and system of the 5 Gulf Coast states and the federation arsenic a whole.

Gulf of Mexico (Source: Google maps)

3. Covering implicit 5 cardinal acres (approximately fractional of the U.S. total), the Gulf’s coastal wetlands supply indispensable habitats for galore food and wildlife species. This includes migrating waterfowl (with astir 75% of them traversing the U.S.), seabirds, wading birds, furbearers, and some athletics and commercialized fisheries.

BEYOND THE NUGGET:  Greenland

1. On January 16, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Donald Trump successful a telephone speech that it was up to Greenlanders to determine their future, according to a study by the BBC. Following a renewed involvement being shown by the US President-elect Donald Trump to get the Arctic land Greenland, which is simply a semi-autonomous Danish territory.

2. Greenland, portion of NATO through the rank of Denmark, has strategical value for the U.S. subject and for its ballistic rocket early-warning strategy since the shortest way from Europe to North America runs via the Arctic island.

Location of Greenland, successful the Kingdom of Denmark. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

3. Greenland is the largest land connected Earth. It is situated successful the Arctic and is the astir sparsely populated territory successful the world. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean connected 1 broadside and the Arctic Ocean connected the other. It is location to the northernmost constituent of onshore successful the world—Kaffeklubben Island.

4. Greenland is mineral-rich with ample deposits of accepted resources specified arsenic gold, nickel, and cobalt. It besides has immoderate of the biggest reserves of uncommon world minerals specified arsenic dysprosium, praseodymium, neodymium, and terbium. Of the 34 classified uncommon world minerals, Greenland has astir 23. It is these that person brought the land a batch of attention, on with respective prospecting mining companies.

5. As an autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland hosts some Danish and U.S. subject bases. Its system relies heavy connected fishing, portion important subsidies from the Danish authorities lend astir 20% of its GDP.

6. Greenland, though geographically portion of North America, has been nether Denmark’s control—located astir 3,000 km (1,860 miles) away—for astir 300 years. Initially governed arsenic a colony, Greenland remained isolated and economically underdeveloped for overmuch of its aboriginal history.

7. In 1953, it was integrated into the Kingdom of Denmark, granting Greenlanders Danish citizenship. A important displacement occurred successful 1979, erstwhile a referendum connected location regularisation allowed Greenland to instrumentality power of astir interior policies, portion Denmark retained authorization implicit overseas affairs and defence.

(Sources: Can Trump rename Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’?, Greenland acceptable to enactment with Trump connected defence, mining ties, says PM, Trump offers to get Greenland)

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