58. Tides are the periodical risings and fallings of
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9. Ocean Currents are vast streams of water flow-ing through the ocean. They are produced by thecombined action of the heat of the sun, the rotation ofthe earth, and the tides and winds. 60. The Great Equatorial Current is the most im-portant of the ocean currents. It is a broad stream ofwarm water, and flows constantly on both sides of theequator. | 61. The Atlantic Equatorial Current flows from thewestern coast of Africa towards America. It dividesinto two branches, one flowing south along the coastof Brazil, and the other flowing north-west into theCaribbean Sea, and thence, passing around the Gulf ofMexico, it is finally driven through the Florida Strait,where it receives the name of the Gulf Stream. 62. The Gulf Stream flows north-east from FloridaStrait to Newfoundland, where it turns and dividesinto two branches. One of these branches flows to-wards Great Britain, and thence to Norway; the other,passing around the Azores, unites with the EquatorialCurrent. 63. The Pacific Equatorial Current flows west fromSouth Americato Asia. It divides into two branches.One of these branches flows along the coast of NewGuinea and Australia, and passes into the AntarcticCurrent; the other branch flows north-east along thecoast of Asia to the Aleutian Islands, and thence pass-es down the coast of America to California. This iscalled the Japan Current. GEOGRAPHY. ae
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