Oceans

Asia has both the highest and the lowest points on the surface of the Earth, has the longest coastline of any continent, is subject to the world’s widest climatic extremes, and, consequently, produces the most varied forms of vegetation and animal life on Earth. In addition, the peoples of Asia have established the broadest variety of human adaptation found on any of the continents.

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Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is the fifth largest, and covers an area of 15.6 million square kilometres. The ocean has an average depth of 1,205 metres and a total volume of 18.8 million cubic kilometres, which is 1.4 percent of the Earth’s waters. Despite being the world’s shallowest and smallest ocean, it is the second biggest drainage basin, after the Atlantic Ocean basin. The ocean’s coastline has a length of approximately 45,389 kilometres.

Oceans of the World

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean covers an area of 85.1 million square kilometres, making it the second-largest ocean in the world. The ocean’s area is about 23.5 percent of the Earth’s total surface area. The Atlantic is divided into two parts, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, which are separated by the equator. The ocean has an average depth of 3,646 metres and has a volume of 310.4 million cubic kilometres, which is about 23.3 percent of the Earth’s total water.

The Atlantic Ocean is connected to Antarctica to the south, the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, the Arctic Ocean in the north, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and its coastline has a total length of 111,866 kilometres.

Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean, also referred to as the Antarctic Ocean, is the fourth largest, with an area of 22 million square kilometres. Its area makes up 6.1% of the Earth’s total surface. The Southern Ocean consists of the southernmost waters and has a volume of 71.8 million cubic kilometres. It has an average depth of 3,270 metres and its coastline has total length of 17,968 kilometres. The Southern Ocean is unique since it forms a region in which cold waters from Antarctica and warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic mix.

Pacific Ocean