Statistics. 1  Tram and light rail systems operate in 388 cities across the world, 206 of which are in Europe; 2  Since 1985 120 light rail systems have opened; 3  Since 2000 78 systems have opened while 13 have closed. 4  15,618 km of track is in operation, with 850 km in construction and a further 2,350 km planned;
Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and stretches to the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
What is the Gulf Stream? The Gulf Stream is one of the strongest and most important ocean currents in the world. Driven by water density and wind patterns, the Gulf Stream currents move warm water in the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea northeast to northern Europe and the British Isles. Surface water in the north Atlantic is cooled by winds from the Arctic, making it more salty. Water without a high level of salt in it does not drop easily to the ocean depths, which is what usually happens to the Gulf Stream to the north of Iceland. This is where the current plunges to the ocean floor before returning to the tropics and then towards the Antarctic Ocean. As the cold water travels towards the equator it warms slowly.