Between the continents are the oceans. Most people name five of them.
Key idea
The five oceans are the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Arctic and the Southern. The Pacific is the biggest, and the Arctic is the smallest.
Why it works
All the oceans are connected; together they make one big world ocean. People gave its parts names to help find places. The Southern Ocean, all around Antarctica, is the newest name on many maps; the United States recognizes it as the fifth ocean.
- Pacific: between Asia and Australia and the Americas.
- Atlantic: between the Americas and Europe and Africa.
- Indian: south of Asia, between Africa and Australia.
- Arctic: around the North Pole.
- Southern: all around Antarctica.
Worked example: Which ocean?
You sail from the United States to Europe. Which ocean do you cross?
- The United States is in North America, on the left of the map.
- Europe is across the water to the right.
- That water is the Atlantic Ocean.
Answer: The Atlantic Ocean.
Common mistake
Children may think the oceans are separate pools. A ship could sail from one ocean into the next without ever touching land.
For the grown-up. Trace a path with your finger from ocean to ocean on a globe without crossing land.