Up to 1513 people did not know what the ocean is the largest.Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa was lucky enough to see the first large expanses of water.The largest ocean was named them the Great.Seven years later, in 1520, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan from carry out world tour.Thanks to him, became aware of the passage from the Atlantic to the largest ocean in the world - the Pacific.
should be noted that until the late 19th century, almost nobody has been able to settle on the islands in the South Seas.But the biggest ocean was (and is now) special strategic importance.That is why the primary and the conquest of the islands took place by the colonial powers.From strategic considerations and the state of the world today are trying to maintain their position in the Pacific region.So, America has Marianas and Palau islands of Hawaii.Russia belong to the Kuril Islands, France - New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, French Polynesia.Some areas owned by the British, turned into military bases.
largest ocean in the Atlantic twice.Closer to the outskirts of the continents divided into its waters of the sea.Thus, in the coastal zone of the South-East and East Asia, Celebes Sea and formed Banda, Japan, Yellow, South China and South.Off the coast of Kamchatka formed the Sea of Okhotsk, above (north) - Bering.
located in the Pacific waters of the deepest in the world maritime basin.For example, Mariana has a depth of eleven thousand and thirty-four meters.The land on which is located the biggest ocean, includes thousands of scattered islands, which are conventionally divided into two categories.The first group consists of the island of volcanic origin (Japan, Hawaii, for example).Small Kuril and Aleutian Islands are formed in the northern part of the waters of "fire zone".The second category includes coral reefs.They are located along the equator.His appearance coral islands owe activity polyps.
area's largest ocean - about one hundred and eighty million square kilometers.The maximum height of the wave, which was officially recorded, was thirty-four meters.The volume of water in the Pacific Ocean - over seven hundred twenty million cubic kilometers.
It should be noted that the flora and fauna of the waters developed well enough.This is particularly marked between the Australian and Asian coasts.Where the vast territory inhabited by coral reefs and mangroves.In shallow water, concentrated about thirty species of flowering plants and more than four thousand different algae.Among them there are even real giants, whose height - about two hundred meters.
Among the more than two thousand species of fish can be seen and the most ancient representatives, are not found in other waters.In the waters of the Pacific often found fauna.For example, contains clams - a huge bivalves.Its weight reaches three hundred kilograms.You can meet and giant oysters.
about sixty percent of the world fish catch accounts for Pacific waters.Among the flatfish fishery should be noted, salmon, cod, perch, Clupeiformes.In the Pacific, it is mined invertebrates (clams, oysters, crab), mammals (sperm whales, sea lions), plants (seaweed, for example).At the bottom of the great reservoir developed mineral deposits.There is mined tin, oil, gas, copper, nickel, cobalt, etc.
Equally important is the transit route, which runs along the water area and connects a variety of countries, including Russia, China, Taiwan, USA, Japan, Canada and others.
