The eastern coast of North America that abuts the Atlantic Ocean is known as the Atlantic Seaboard. The following are some salient features of the Atlantic Seaboard:
Geographical: The Atlantic Ocean divides the continents of North and South America to the west from those of Europe and Africa to the east, making up around one-fifth of the planet’s area.
History: During World War II, the Western Allies and the Axis powers—especially Germany—competed to control the Atlantic marine routes. This struggle was known as the Battle of the Atlantic. Africans who were sold into slavery and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to North America were mostly traded along the Atlantic Seaboard.
Wildlife: The North Atlantic right whale is a seasonal migratory whale species that travels along
the coast of the Atlantic. Surveys from the air and aboard ships are used to track individuals and gather information about their preferred habitats and feeding ecology.
Aviation: On a remote stretch of sand on the mid-Atlantic coast, in the little fishing community of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Brothers made their first flight.
Politics: Power struggles between the coastal states and the western states over representation have taken place throughout the Atlantic Seaboard.
