The Bermuda Triangle is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of ships and planes have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. It is bounded by points in Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico, encompassing about 500,000 square miles of ocean. Various theories have attempted to explain the disappearances, including unusual magnetic fields interfering with compasses, methane gas explosions, and paranormal phenomena such as remnants of the lost city of Atlantis or alien activity. While estimates vary, hundreds of vessels and aircraft are believed to have gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle over the past 500 years.