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Philippine Sea

 
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Philippine Sea
 
 
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The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea
Marginal sea

A marginal sea is a part of ocean partially enclosed by Landform such as islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas. Unlike mediterranean sea s, marginal seas have ocean currents caused by ocean winds....
 east and north of the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
 occupying an estimated surface area
Surface area

Surface area is how much exposed area an object has. It is expressed in square units. If an object has flat Face , its surface area can be calculated by adding together the areas of its faces....
 of 90, 000 mi˛ (1, 000, 000 km˛) on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by the Philippine archipelago
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
 (Luzon
Luzon

Luzon is the largest and most economically and politically important island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country, with Visayas and Mindanao being the other two....
, Samar
Samar

Samar, formerly Western Samar, is a Provinces of the Philippines in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas Regions of the Philippines....
, Leyte
Leyte

Leyte is a Provinces of the Philippines of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas Regions of the Philippines. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island....
 and Mindanao
Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also one of the three island groups in the country, along with Luzon and Visayas....
) on the southwest; Palau
Palau

Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an borderless country in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles south of Tokyo....
, Yap
YAP

Yet Another Previewer or Yet Another Prolog are two document previewing applications and one Prolog compiler often referred to as YAP....
, and Ulithi
Ulithi

Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling 4.5 km? , surrounding a lagoon about 30 km long and 15 km wide?at 548 km? the fourth largest in the world....
 (of the Carolines) on the southeast; the Marianas, including Guam
Guam

Guam , officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States....
, Saipan
Saipan

Saipan is the largest island and Capital of the United States Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of 115.39 km? ....
, and Tinian
Tinian

Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands . It is perhaps best known for being the base from which the United States atomic bomb attacks on Japan during World War II were launched....
, on the east; the Bonin and Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which makes up the southern end of the Ogasawara Islands. The island is located 1,200 kilometers south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Bonin Islands, one of eight villages of Tokyo....
 on the northeast; the Japanese islands of Honshu
Honshu

or Honshu is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait....
, Shikoku
Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
, and Kyushu
Kyushu

or Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its Japanese Archipelago. Its alternate ancient names include Kyukoku , Chinzei , and Tsukushi-no-shima ....
 on the north; the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands are part of the . From around 1800 on, they have spelled Luchu, Loo-choo, or Lewchew, from the Chinese Liuqiu. They consist of a chain of Islands of Japan in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea and stretch southwest from the island of Kyushu to the island of Taiwan....
 (Okinawa
Okinawa Island

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of . It is the 'home' of karate....
, Miyako, and Yaeyama
Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands are an archipelago in the Okinawa Prefecture, a part of the nation of Japan.The isles are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains both the most southern and most western inhabited islands of the island nation of Japan....
) on the northwest; and Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
 in the extreme west.

The sea has a complex and diverse undersea relief
Relief

A relief is a sculptured artwork where a modelled form is raised, or in sunken-relief lowered, from a flatish background plane without being disconnected from it....
.






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Philippine Sea Location
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea
Marginal sea

A marginal sea is a part of ocean partially enclosed by Landform such as islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas. Unlike mediterranean sea s, marginal seas have ocean currents caused by ocean winds....
 east and north of the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
 occupying an estimated surface area
Surface area

Surface area is how much exposed area an object has. It is expressed in square units. If an object has flat Face , its surface area can be calculated by adding together the areas of its faces....
 of 90, 000 mi˛ (1, 000, 000 km˛) on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by the Philippine archipelago
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
 (Luzon
Luzon

Luzon is the largest and most economically and politically important island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country, with Visayas and Mindanao being the other two....
, Samar
Samar

Samar, formerly Western Samar, is a Provinces of the Philippines in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas Regions of the Philippines....
, Leyte
Leyte

Leyte is a Provinces of the Philippines of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas Regions of the Philippines. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island....
 and Mindanao
Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also one of the three island groups in the country, along with Luzon and Visayas....
) on the southwest; Palau
Palau

Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an borderless country in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles south of Tokyo....
, Yap
YAP

Yet Another Previewer or Yet Another Prolog are two document previewing applications and one Prolog compiler often referred to as YAP....
, and Ulithi
Ulithi

Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling 4.5 km? , surrounding a lagoon about 30 km long and 15 km wide?at 548 km? the fourth largest in the world....
 (of the Carolines) on the southeast; the Marianas, including Guam
Guam

Guam , officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States....
, Saipan
Saipan

Saipan is the largest island and Capital of the United States Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of 115.39 km? ....
, and Tinian
Tinian

Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands . It is perhaps best known for being the base from which the United States atomic bomb attacks on Japan during World War II were launched....
, on the east; the Bonin and Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which makes up the southern end of the Ogasawara Islands. The island is located 1,200 kilometers south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Bonin Islands, one of eight villages of Tokyo....
 on the northeast; the Japanese islands of Honshu
Honshu

or Honshu is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait....
, Shikoku
Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
, and Kyushu
Kyushu

or Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its Japanese Archipelago. Its alternate ancient names include Kyukoku , Chinzei , and Tsukushi-no-shima ....
 on the north; the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands are part of the . From around 1800 on, they have spelled Luchu, Loo-choo, or Lewchew, from the Chinese Liuqiu. They consist of a chain of Islands of Japan in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea and stretch southwest from the island of Kyushu to the island of Taiwan....
 (Okinawa
Okinawa Island

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of . It is the 'home' of karate....
, Miyako, and Yaeyama
Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands are an archipelago in the Okinawa Prefecture, a part of the nation of Japan.The isles are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains both the most southern and most western inhabited islands of the island nation of Japan....
) on the northwest; and Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
 in the extreme west.

The sea has a complex and diverse undersea relief
Relief

A relief is a sculptured artwork where a modelled form is raised, or in sunken-relief lowered, from a flatish background plane without being disconnected from it....
. The floor is formed into a structural basin by a series of geologic faults and fracture zones. Island arcs, which are actually extended ridges protruding above the ocean surface due to plate tectonic activity in the area, enclose the Philippine Sea to the north, east and south. The Philippine archipelago
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, Ryuku Islands, and the Marianas are examples. Another prominent feature of the Philippine Sea is the presence of deep sea trench, among them the Philippine Deep and the Marianas Trench, the deepest point in the planet.

Geography


Location

The Philippine Sea is bordered by the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
 and Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
 to the west, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 to the north, the Marianas to the east and Palau
Palau

Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an borderless country in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles south of Tokyo....
 to the south. Adjacent seas include Celebes Sea
Celebes Sea

The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia ....
 which is separated by Mindanao
Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also one of the three island groups in the country, along with Luzon and Visayas....
 and smaller islands to the south, South China Sea
South China Sea

The South China Sea is a marginal sea*south of China,*west of the Philippines,*north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,*north of Indonesia,...
 which is separated by Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, and East China Sea
East China Sea

The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km?. In China, the sea is called the East Sea....
 which is separated by Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands are part of the . From around 1800 on, they have spelled Luchu, Loo-choo, or Lewchew, from the Chinese Liuqiu. They consist of a chain of Islands of Japan in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea and stretch southwest from the island of Kyushu to the island of Taiwan....
.

Geology

The Philippine Plate
Philippine Plate

File:Philippine Sea plate.JPGThe Philippine Sea Plate is a tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean to the east of the Philippines. The Philippine Sea Plate comprises oceanic lithosphere that lies beneath the Philippine Sea, and so has been referred to in the scientific literature of the last 50 years as the Philippine Sea Plate....
 forms the floor of this sea
SEA

See also: Sea and seasThe three-letter acronym SEA may refer to:People/organizations/businesses*Scientists and Engineers for America, a pro-science political advocacy group....
 and it subducts under the Eurasian Plate
Eurasian Plate

The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia....
 which formed the Philippine archipelago. Between the two plates is the Philippine Trench
Philippine Trench

The Philippine Trench or Philippine Deep or Mindanao Trench or Mindanao Deep is a submarine trench to the east of the Philippines....
.The Philippine Islands are tropical.

Biology

The Philippine Sea hosts an exotic marine ecosystem. About five hundred species of hard and soft corals occur in the coastal waters and 20 per cent of the worldwide known shellfish
Shellfish

Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton bearing aquatic invertebrate used as food, including various species of Molluscas, crustaceans, and echinoderms....
 species are found in Philippine waters. Sea turtles, shark
Shark

Sharks are a type of fish with a full Cartilage skeleton and a highly Streamlines, streaklines and pathlinesd body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits....
s, moray eels, octopus
Octopus

The octopus is a cephalopod of the order Octopoda that inhabits many diverse regions of the ocean, especially coral reefs. The term may also refer to only those creatures in the genus Octopus ....
es and sea snakes
Sea Snakes

Sea Snakes were a Canada indie rock band, formed in 2002 and disbanded in 2005. The band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Jimmy McIntyre, guitarist Kristian Galberg, bass guitar and saxophone Jeremy Strachan, keyboard instrument Shaw-Han Liem and drum Nathan Lawr....
 along with numerous species of fish
Fish

A fish is any marine biology vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scale , and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins....
 such as tuna
Tuna

Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tunas are fast swimmers?they have been clocked at 70 km/h ?and include several species that are warm-blooded....
 can commonly be observed. Additionally, the Philippine Sea serves as spawning ground for Japanese eel
Japanese eel

The Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, is a species of eel found in Japan, Korea, the East China Sea and the northern Philippines. Like the all the eels of its family, it is catadromous, meaning it lives parts of its life in both freshwater and saltwater....
, tuna and different whale
Whale

Whales are marine mammals of order Cetacea which are neither dolphinsmembers, in other words, of the families Oceanic dolphin or River dolphinnor porpoises....
 species.

History

In June 1944 the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II, and the largest aircraft carrier battle in history. It was fought between the navies of the United States and the Empire of Japan....
, a very large and decisive World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 naval battle between Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, took place in the eastern Philippine Sea, near the Mariana Islands.