What is the Darien Gap?

About Darien Gap

• It is a stretch of densely forested jungle across northern Colombia and southern Panama. Roughly 60 miles (97 kilometres) across, the terrain is muddy, wet and unstable.
• It has become a major route for global human migration.
• It is the geographic region of the easternmost Isthmus of Panama that extends into northwestern Colombia, around the Gulf of Urabá (a section of the Gulf of Darién).
• It forms the physiographic link between Central and South America.
• A hot, humid area typified by tropical rainforests, mangrove swamps, and low mountain ranges with cloud forest vegetation, Darién has always been sparsely populated.

Key facts about Isthmus of Panama 

• It links Central and South America.
• It borders Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
• This strategic position allows it to be a natural conduit for international maritime trade, especially through the well-known Panama Canal.

Q1) What is called a gulf?

It is a portion of the ocean that penetrates land. Gulfs vary greatly in size, shape, and depth. They are generally larger and more deeply indented than bays. Like bays, they often make excellent harbors. Many important trading centers are located on gulfs.

Source: What is the Darien Gap? And why are more migrants risking this Latin American route to get to the US?

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