We all know the names of the four oceans that wash the coast of the continents. This knowledge at school age gives us the science of geography. The Pacific Ocean, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic are the most vast water areas of our planet. The largest of them is the Pacific Ocean, which is sometimes called the Great. Let's find out how interesting the Pacific Ocean is, why it is so named and how it differs from the rest.
general characteristics
The area of the largest ocean is 178.68 million km², which is more than all the land on planet Earth. It’s even difficult for an ordinary person to imagine these sizes, and even more difficult to imagine how many interesting and surprising things can be hidden in the depths of his waters.
The Pacific Ocean washes the shores of five continents:
- Northwest Eurasia.
- Southwest Australia.
- Western shores of South and North America.
- Antarctica on the south side.
The Pacific Ocean is the deepest among all the others. The average depth is 3984 m. But the records do not end there. Here is the deepest place of the entire oceans - the Mariana Trench, the depth of which is 11022 m. This ocean is considered the warmest. The shores of 50 countries overlook the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Almost half of the world's population has the opportunity to swim in its salt waters without leaving the territory of their country, and many think, visiting the Pacific Ocean, why it is so named. After all, in fact, storms and tsunamis here are not so rare.
The stormy stormy ocean - why is it Pacific?
So, let's figure out from whom the name Pacific came from, why it is so named, and how it happened that the name does not at all correspond to its behavior.
Who is the first seafarer to cross this ocean and give him such a name? Everything happened in 1520. Making a round-the-world expedition, Fernand Magellan sailed on his ships for several months through this ocean, which was still nameless at that time. Surprisingly, calm weather was calm throughout his journey; not a single storm happened on the way. This fact struck Magellan so much that he called the Pacific Ocean.
In fact, the Pacific lithospheric plate on which this ocean is located is surrounded by a ring of volcanoes, the eruptions of which cause frequent storms and tsunamis. But even after this feature became clear, the Pacific Ocean did not become renamed. This name was assigned to the largest water body in the world in all geographical directories.
The history of the Pacific Ocean also knows its other names. Before receiving its official name in different parts of the world, it was called differently. For example, the South Sea or the Eastern Ocean.
Why is the Pacific called so? The answer to this question is no longer a mystery to us.
The islands
There are more islands in the Pacific than in the other three. There are up to 30,000 of them. Some stand alone, while others gather in archipelagos.
There are several types of islands: coral, volcanic and continental (continental).
The largest islands in the Pacific Ocean: Kalimantan, New Guinea, Japan Islands, Philippine Islands, New Zealand, Hawaiian and many others.
We all heard the expression "paradise island." It can be safely applied to many islands of the Pacific Ocean, because they are a true paradise. Rich vegetation, amazing wildlife, clean air and azure waves - these are what attract connoisseurs of beauty to these places.
Pacific seas
By the number of seas, the Pacific Ocean is also a record holder. Thirty-one sea is part of it.
Most of the Pacific seas are located along Eurasia in the western part of the ocean: Okhotsk, Japan, Bering, East China, Yellow; off the Australian coast: Solomon, New Guinea, Fiji, Tasman Sea; Near Antarctica: Durville, Somov, Ross Sea, Amundsen Sea. There are no seas along North and South America, but there are large bays.