We all know the names of the four oceans that wash the shores of continents.This knowledge is still at school age gives us the science of geography.Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic - that's the most vast water area of our planet.The biggest of them - this is the Pacific Ocean, which is sometimes still called the Great.Let's see what the Pacific Ocean, is why it is called and how it differs from the others.
General characteristics of the largest ocean area is 178,680,000 sq. Km, which is more than all the land on Earth.These dimensions of the common man it is difficult to imagine more difficult - imagine how many interesting and surprising may be hiding in the depths of its waters.
Pacific Ocean washes the shores of five continents:
- Northwest Eurasia.
- Southwest Australia.
- western coast of South and North America.
- Antarctica on the south side.
Pacific among all the others is the deepest.Average depth - 3984 m. But the records do not end there.Here is located the deepest place in all the world's oceans - the Mariana Trench, the depth of which - 11022 m. It is believed that the ocean and the warmest.By the waters of the Pacific Ocean shore out of 50 countries.Nearly half the world's population has the opportunity to swim in its salty waters without leaving the territory of the country, and many think visiting the Pacific, why it is so named.After all, in fact, storms and tsunamis here - not such a rarity.
stormy stormy ocean - why it quiet?
So, let's see, who received the name of the Pacific Ocean, it is why it is called and how it happened that the name does not match its behavior.
Who was the first explorer who crossed the ocean and gave him a name?Everything happened in 1520.Making the world expedition, Ferdinand Magellan on their ships sailed a few months after this, at the time still nameless ocean.Surprisingly, all the time of his journey was a windless calm weather on the way did not happen none of the storm.This fact is so struck Magellan that he narёk Pacific Ocean.
In fact, the Pacific plate, which is the ocean, surrounded by a ring of volcanoes whose eruptions and cause frequent storms and tsunamis.But even after it became clear this feature, the Pacific Ocean did not rename.That name stuck for the largest water body in the world all the Gazetteer.
history of the Pacific know his other names.Prior to receipt of the official names in different parts of the world it was called differently.For example, South or East Sea ocean.
Pacific is why it is called?The answer to this question is no longer a mystery to us.
Islands
Islands in the Pacific than in the other three.They are there to 30000. Some are separate, while others gather in the archipelago.
several types of islands, coral, volcanic and continental (continental).
biggest island in the Pacific: Borneo, New Guinea, the islands of Japan, the Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii and many more.
We have all heard the expression "island paradise."It can be easily applied to many of the Pacific islands, because they are a real paradise.The rich vegetation, amazing wildlife, clean air and azure waves - that's what attracts these places connoisseurs.
Sea Pacific
By number seas Pacific - also champion.Thirty-one sea enters into its composition.
Most are located along the Pacific seas of Eurasia in the western part of the ocean: Okhotsk, Japan, the Bering Sea, East China, Yellow;the Australian coast: Solomon, of New Guinea, Fiji, the Tasman Sea;near Antarctica: sea d'Urville, Somov, Ross, Amundsen Sea.Along the North Sea and South America, but there are large bays.
