OCEANS
About 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water. These large water bodies which surround the continents are called oceans. let us look at these oceans in order from the largest to the smallest.
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Antarctic Ocean or the Southern Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
Pacific Ocean:
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean. It has North and South America to its east and Asia and Australia to its west.
- There are more than 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean and the International Date Line runs through the middle.
- the term ‘Pacific’ means ‘peaceful’.
- Most of the earth’s volcanoes are located in the Pacific Ocean, forming a horseshoe-shaped ring known as ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’.
- The deepest point on the earth, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, is found in the Pacific Ocean.
Atlantic Ocean:
This is the second largest ocean and is found between the America continents on one side, and Europe and Africa on the other.
- The Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean.
- The world’s largest island, Greenland, is found in the North Atlantic Ocean.
- The ocean has been a popular route for trade and colonization.
- The ocean is shaped like an ‘S’ and has a long underwater mountain range called the Mid Atlantic Ridge running through it.
Indian Ocean:
This ocean gets its name from the Indian peninsula and is found below Asia and between Africa and Australia.
- ‘Singapore‘ is a busy sea port in the Indian Ocean.
- It is an important trade route for huge ships called oil tankers, carrying oil from the Gulf of Arabia to other countries.
Antarctic Ocean or the Southern Ocean:
- The Southern Ocean lies near the South Pole and surrounded the continent of Antarctica.
- It is connected to the waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.
- This beautiful ocean is home to nearly 10,000 spices, many of which cannot be found anywhere else.
Arctic Ocean:
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest among all the other ocean and is situated in the North Pole.
- It lies entirely within the Arctic Circle and remains frozen for most part of the year.
- It is connected to the Pacific Ocean through a narrow strait called the Bering Strait that runs between Asia and North America.
- It is also connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Greenland Sea and Labrador Sea.