The large body of water that surrounds the continents can be termed a single global ocean. However, due to various regional, historical, and scientific reasons, the large global ocean is divided into 5 divisions. These 5 divisions are the 5 oceans of the world.
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
- Antarctic Ocean (Southern Ocean)
5 oceans of the world

Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean in the world. It has an approximate area of 165 million square km (64 million square miles). Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer named the ocean “Pacific” because of its relatively calm waters.
The Pacific Ocean extends from the Antarctic Ocean (Southern Ocean) in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the north. The Ocean borders Asia and Australia in the west and the American continents (Americas) in the east.
The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is about 4,280 m (14,040 ft). The deepest oceanic trench in the world, the Mariana trench is located in the Pacific Ocean. The trench has a maximum depth of about 11,920 m at Challenger Deep.

Some of the largest seas of the Pacific ocean are the Philippine Sea, Coral Sea, South China sea, etc.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic ocean is the second largest ocean in the world. It has an approximate area of 106.5 million square km (41.1 million square miles).
The Atlantic Ocean extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south. It is also connected to the Indian ocean in the southeast and the Pacific Ocean in the southwest. The ocean is roughly S-shaped and borders the American continent in the west and Afro-Eurasia in the east.
The Atlantic ocean is the busiest ocean in the world as it connects Western Europe and North America. The average depth of the Atlantic is about 3,646 m. Many large rivers like Amazon, Congo, Mississippi, etc drain into the Atlantic ocean. The ocean was named Atlantic after the Greek Titan “Atlas”.

Some of the largest seas of the Atlantic ocean are the Sargasso Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, etc. The Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific on average, especially between 10 and 30 degrees latitudes on either side of the equator.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world. The area of the Indian Ocean is about 71 million square km (27 million square miles), and it makes up about 20 % of the total ocean area.
The Indian Ocean is the only ocean to be named after a country. It borders South Asia in the north, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in the west, Australia and Southeast Asia in the east, and the Southern Ocean in the south.
The Indian Ocean also connects with the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest and the Pacific Ocean in the southeast. The average depth of the Indian Ocean is 3,740 m, making it even deeper than the Atlantic Ocean.

Some of the largest seas of the Indian ocean are the Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman sea, etc.
Arctic ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and the shallowest among all oceans. It has an approximate area of 14 million square km (5.4 million square miles). The Arctic Ocean is almost completely covered with sea ice during the winters in the Northern Hemisphere.

The major marginal seas of the Arctic ocean include Hudson Bay, Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, etc.
Southern Ocean (Antarctic Ocean)
The fifth ocean of the world, the Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean is the second smallest among all oceans. The Southern Ocean surrounds the continent of Antarctica and is connected with the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans in the North at 60 degrees south latitude.
In a recent study, it has been found that the Southern Ocean absorbs more carbon than it emits hence lessening the effects of greenhouse gases. The Antarctic ocean waters are home to many whale species including the mighty blue whale and dangerous killer whale.

The major seas of the Southern ocean are the Weddell Sea, Ross Sea, etc.
Approximate areas of the 5 oceans of the world
Ocean name | Approximate Area (million square km) | |
---|---|---|
1 | Pacific Ocean | 165 |
2 | Atlantic ocean | 106.5 |
3 | Indian Ocean | 71 |
4 | Arctic Ocean | 14 |
5 | Southern Ocean (Antarctic Ocean) | 20.3 |
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