Sea

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Sea

Home

The term sea refers to certain large bodies of water, but there is inconsistency as to its precise definition and application. Most commonly, a sea may refer to a large expanse of saline water

Salinity

Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. Salinity in Australian English and North American English may also refer to the salt in soil ....
connected with an ocean

Ocean

An ocean is a major body of Seawater, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a World Ocean that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas....
, but it is also used sometimes of a large saline lake

Lake

A lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all....
that lacks a natural outlet, e.g. the Caspian Sea

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the List of lakes by area or a full-fledged sea. It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers ....
. Colloquially, the term is used as a synonym for ocean. Additionally, large lakes, such as the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The St. Lawrence River Great Lakes are a chain of fresh water lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada ? United States border. Consisting of Lakes Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth....
, are occasionally referred to as inland seas.

International Hydrographic Organization

The International Hydrographic Organization

International Hydrographic Organization

The International Hydrographic Organization was originally established in 1921 as the International Hydrographic Bureau . The present name was adopted in 1970 as a result of a revised international agreement among member nations....
(IHO) is the international authority that sets forth nomenclature

Nomenclature

Nomenclature can refer to a system of names or terms, or the rules used for forming the names, as used by an individual or community, especially those used in a particular science or art....
and definition of bodies of water. The IHO's Limits of Oceans and Seas was first published in 1928, with its current working document the third edition published in 1953. A fourth draft edition was proposed in 1986 but has yet to be ratified due to outstanding issues such as the Sea of Japan naming dispute

Sea of Japan naming dispute

There is a dispute over using the name "Sea of Japan" to refer to the sea bordered by Russia, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. Although Sea of Japan, or equivalent translations, are commonly used in international productions, North and South Korea are proposing different names....
.

List of seas

Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface.... Adriatic Sea Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges.... Aegean Sea Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkans and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey respectively.... Alboran Sea Alboran Sea File:Alboran Sea map.pngThe Alboran Sea is the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between Spain on the north and Morocco and Algeria on the south.... Argentine Sea Argentine Sea The Argentine Sea refers to the sea within the continental shelf off the Argentina mainland. It is a term often related to the Argentine claims to both the Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.... Bay of Biscay Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay is a Headlands and bays of the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest, France south to the Spain border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Punta de Estaca de Bares, and is named for the Spanish province of Biscay.... Bay of Bothnia Bay of Campeche Bay of Campeche The Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexico States of Mexico of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz.... Bay of Fundy Bay of Fundy The *Bay of Fundy* is a Headlands and bays on the Atlantic Ocean coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canada Provinces of Canada of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the United States U.S.... Baltic Sea Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53?N to 66?N latitude and from 20?E to 26?E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Denmark islands.... Black Sea Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolia and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Seas and various straits.... Bothnian Sea Bothnian Sea The Bothnian Sea links the Bothnian Bay with the Baltic Sea. Kvarken is situated between the two. Together, the Bothnian Sea and Bay make up a larger geographical entity, the Gulf of Bothnia.... Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the mid-latitudes of the Western Hemisphere, bounded to the south and west by the Americas, with the North Atlantic Ocean proper to the northeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest.... Celtic Sea Celtic Sea The Celtic Sea is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Ireland. It is bounded to the east by Saint George's Channel, the Bristol Channel and the English Channel, as well as adjacent portions of Wales, Cornwall, Devon, and Brittany.... Central Baltic Sea Chesapeake Bay Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.... English Channel English Channel The English Channel is an Arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover.... Gulf of Bothnia Gulf of Bothnia The Gulf of Bothnia is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the ?land, between the Sea of ?land and the Archipelago Sea.... Gulf of Guinea Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Africa. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf. According to the International Hydrographic Organization, the Gulf's oceanic border is the rhumb line that runs from Cape Palmas in Liberia to Cape Lopez in Gabon .... Gulf of Finland Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea that extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it.... Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba.... Gulf of Sidra Gulf of Sidra Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte. It is located by the city of Sirt.... Gulf of St. Lawrence Gulf of Venezuela Gulf of Venezuela The Gulf of Venezuela or gulf of Coquivacoa is a Headlands and bays of the Caribbean Sea bounded by the Venezuelan states of Zulia State and Falc?n State and the Colombian department of Guajira.... Ionian Sea Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy, including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula, to the west, by southwestern Albania, including Saranda and Himara, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and Lefkas to the east.... Ligurian Sea Ligurian Sea The Ligurian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, between the Italian Riviera and the islands of Corsica and Elba. The sea is probably named after the ancient Ligures people.... Irish Sea Irish Sea The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of... Marmara Sea Mediterranean Sea Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia.... Mirtoon Sea North Sea North Sea The North Sea is a marginal sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean.... Sea of Azov Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov is the world's shallowest sea, linked by the Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea to the south. It is bounded on the north by Ukraine, on the east by Russia and on the west by the Crimean peninsula.... Sea of Crete Sea of Crete The Sea of Crete is the sea south of the Aegean Sea, north of the island Crete, and south of the Cyclades. The sea also stretches from Kythera east to the Dodecanese islands of Karpathos and Kassos.... Sea of the Hebrides Sea of the Hebrides The Sea of Hebrides is a portion of the North Atlantic Ocean, located off the coast of western Scotland, that contains an archipelago of about 500 islands known as the Hebrides.... Sargasso Sea Sargasso Sea The Sargasso Sea is an elongated region in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf Stream; on the north, by the North Atlantic Current; on the east, by the Canary Current; and on the south, by the North Equatorial Current.... Thracian Sea Thracian Sea The Thracian Sea is a sea that is part of the Aegean Sea and forms the northernmost point of the sea. Regions surrounding the sea are Macedonia and Thrace as well as northwestern Turkey.... Tyrrhenian Sea Tyrrhenian Sea The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.It is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, and Calabria , and Sicily ....	Arctic Ocean Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions.... Amundsen Gulf Amundsen Gulf Amundsen Gulf is a Headlands and bays located in Canada Northwest Territories, between Banks Island and Victoria Island and the mainland . It is approximately 250 miles in length and about 93 miles across where it meets the Beaufort Sea.... Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Bay is a sea between the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean oceans. It is 1,130 km across from north to south. It is not navigable most of the year because of the presence of large numbers of icebergs.... Barents Sea Barents Sea The Barents Sea is a part of the Arctic Ocean located north of Norway and Russia. It is a rather deep Continental shelf sea , bordered by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya in the northeast and east.... Beaufort Sea Beaufort Sea The Beaufort Sea is the portion of the Arctic Ocean located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska and west of Canadian Arctic islands.... Bering Sea Bering Sea The Bering Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelf.... Chukchi Sea Chukchi Sea Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the De Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea.... Davis Strait Davis Strait Davis Strait ; lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in the Canada territory of Nunavut.With a water depth of between one and two thousand meters the strait is substantially shallower than the Labrador Sea to the south or Baffin Bay to the north.... Denmark Strait Denmark Strait The Denmark Strait is a strait between Greenland and Iceland . The Norway island of Jan Mayen is located northeast of the strait.It connects the Greenland Sea, an extension of the Arctic Ocean, to the Atlantic Ocean and is 300 miles long and 180 miles wide at its narrowest.... East Siberian Sea East Siberian Sea The East Siberian Sea is a marginal sea in the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the Arctic Cape in the North, the coast of Siberia in the South, the New Siberian Islands in the West and Cape Billings, close to Gytkhelen, Chukotka, and Wrangel Island in the East.... Greenland Sea Greenland Sea The Greenland Sea is the northernmost part of the North Atlantic Ocean immediately south of the Arctic Ocean. It encompasses some 1,205,000 square km .... Hudson Bay Hudson Bay Hudson Bay is a large , relatively shallow body of water in northeastern Canada. It is approximately 850 miles long and 650 miles wide. It drains a very large area that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana, and the southeastern area of Nunavut... James Bay James Bay James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut.... Kara Sea Kara Sea The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya.... Kara Strait Kara Strait The Kara Strait is a 56 km wide channel of water between the southern end of Novaya Zemlya and the northern tip of Vaygach Island. This strait connects the Kara Sea and the Barents Sea in northern Russia.... Labrador Sea Labrador Sea Labrador Sea is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between Labrador and Greenland.Water depths in the center of Labrador Sea are around and it is flanked by continental shelf to the southwest, northwest, and northeast.... Laptev Sea Laptev Sea The Laptev Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the eastern coast of Siberia, Taimyr Peninsula, the Severnaya Zemlya and the New Siberian Islands.... Lincoln Sea Lincoln Sea Lincoln Sea is a body of water in the Arctic Ocean, stretching from Cape Columbia, Canada in the west to Cape Morris Jesup, Greenland in the east.... Norwegian Sea Norwegian Sea The Norwegian Sea is part of the North Atlantic Ocean northwest of Norway, located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea.It adjoins the Iceland Sea to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast.... White Sea White Sea The White Sea is an inlet of the Barents Sea on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast.... Indian Ocean Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean .... Andaman Sea Andaman Sea The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands; it is part of the Indian Ocean.... Arabian Sea Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui, the north-east point of Somalia, Socotra, Kanyakumari in India, and the western coast of Sri Lanka.... Bay of Bengal Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is a Headlands and bays that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered by India and Sri Lanka to the West, Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal to the North , and Myanmar, southern part of Thailand and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the East.... Gulf of Aden Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.... Gulf of Oman Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman , or Gulf of Makran , is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf.... Mozambique Channel Mozambique Channel The Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean between the island of Madagascar and southeast Africa, namely Mozambique. It was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar.... Persian Gulf Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes Persian Gulf naming dispute referred to as the Arabian Gulf by certain Arab countries or simply The Gulf, although nei... Red Sea Red Sea The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden.... Timor Sea Timor Sea The Timor Sea is a sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, to the south by Australia and to the west by the Indian Ocean....	Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan.... Arafura Sea Arafura Sea The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf between Australia and New Guinea. It is bordered by Torres Strait and through that the Coral Sea to the east, the Gulf of Carpentaria to the south, the Timor Sea to the west and the Banda Sea and Ceram Sea seas to the northwest.... Banda Sea Banda Sea The Banda Sea is the sea of the South Moluccas in Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera Sea and Ceram Seas.... Bering Sea Bering Sea The Bering Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelf.... Bismarck Sea Bismarck Sea The Bismarck Sea lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the north of the island of Papua New Guinea and to the south of the Bismarck Archipelago and Admiralty Islands.... Bohai Sea Bohai Sea Bo Hai , also known as Bohai Sea or Bohai Gulf, is the innermost Headlands and bays of the Yellow Sea on the coast of northeastern China.... Bohol Sea Bohol Sea The Bohol Sea, also called the Mindanao Sea, is located between Visayas and Mindanao in the Philippines. It lies south of Bohol and Leyte and north of Mindanao.... (Mindanao Sea) Camotes Sea Camotes Sea The Camotes Sea is a small sea within the Philippines archipelago, between the Eastern Visayas and the Central Visayas. It is bordered by the islands of Leyte to the north and east, Bohol to the south, and Cebu Island to the west.... 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 .... Ceram Sea Ceram Sea The Ceram Sea is one of several small seas between the scattered islands of Indonesia. It is a section of the Pacific Ocean with an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometers located between Buru and Seram, which are two of the islands once called the South Moluccas.... Chilean Sea Chilean Sea The Chilean Sea was defined on 1974-05-30 when the Diario oficial de la Republica de Chile published Supreme Decree #346, which declared that "the waters surrounding or touching the shores of the national territory shall be known as Mar Chileno.... Coral Sea Coral Sea The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the north-east coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands.... 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.... Flores Sea Flores Sea The Flores Sea covers 93,000 square miles of water in Indonesia.The seas that border the Flores Sea are the Java Sea , Banda Sea , and the Savu Sea .... Gulf of Alaska Gulf of Alaska The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.... Gulf of California Gulf of California The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexico mainland. It is bordered by the States of Mexico of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa.... (Sea of Cortés) Gulf of Carpentaria Gulf of Carpentaria File:Gulf of Carpentaria map.pngFile:Gulf-of-Carpentaria-Australia-Otto-Petri-1859-Rotterdam.jpgThe Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea .... Gulf of Thailand Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand is a body of water that borders, but is not part of the South China Sea . The gulf is bordered by Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.... Halmahera Sea Halmahera Sea Halmahera Sea is a regional sea located in the central eastern part of the Australasian Mediterranean Sea. It is centered at about 1st parallel south and 129th meridian east and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the north, Halmahera to the west, Waigeo and Irian Jaya to the east, and the Seram Sea to the south.... Java Sea Java Sea The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east.... Koro Sea Koro Sea The Koro Sea or Sea of Koro is a sea in the Pacific Ocean lying between Viti Levu to the west and the Lau Islands to the east, surrounded by the islands of the Fiji.... Molucca Sea Molucca Sea The Molucca Sea is located in the western Pacific Ocean, within the country of Indonesia. The region is rich in coral and has many diving sites.... Philippine Sea Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 90, 000 mi? on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean.... Salish Sea Salish Sea The Salish Sea is claimed to be the traditional name used by first nations peoples for the inland waterway stretching from Tumwater, Washington, Washington to before the Johnstone Strait, British Columbia.... Savu Sea Savu Sea The Savu Sea is a small sea within Indonesia named for the island of Savu on its southern boundary. It is bounded by Savu and Rai Jua to the south, the islands of Rote Island and Timor to the east, Flores and the Alor archipelago to the north/northwest, and the island of Sumba to the east/northeast.... Sea of Japan Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, bordered by Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Russia. It is referred to in North Korea as the Korea East Sea and in South Korea as the East Sea.... Sea of Okhotsk Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk is a part of the western Pacific Ocean, lying between the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, the island of Hokkaido to the far south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a long stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and north.... Seto Inland Sea Solomon Sea Solomon Sea The Solomon Sea is a sea located within the Pacific Ocean. It lies between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Many major battles were fought there during World War II.... South China Sea South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal seasouth of China,west of the Philippines,north west of Sabah , Sarawak and Brunei,north of Indonesia,... Sulu Sea Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea is a large sea in the southwestern area of the Philippines. It is separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan, and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago.... Tasman Sea Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately 2000 kilometres across. It extends 2800 km from north to south.... Yellow Sea Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean peninsula....	Southern Ocean Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean south of 60th parallel south latitude.... Amundsen Sea Amundsen Sea The Amundsen Sea is an arm of the Southern Ocean off Marie Byrd Land in western Antarctica. It is bounded by Thurston Island to the east and Cape Dart to the west.... Bass Strait Bass Strait Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland specifically the state of Victoria .... Bellingshausen Sea Bellingshausen Sea The Bellingshausen Sea is an area along the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, between Alexander Island and Thurston Island. It takes its name from Admiral Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen , who explored in the area in 1821.... Davis Sea Davis Sea Davis Sea is an area of the sea along the coast of Antarctica between West Ice Shelf in the west and the Shackleton Ice Shelf in the east. East of it, on the eastern side of Shackleton Ice Shelf, is Mawson Sea.... Great Australian Bight Great Australian Bight File:Great Australian Bight map.pngThe Great Australian Bight is a large bight , or open bay located off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.... Gulf Saint Vincent Gulf Saint Vincent St Vincent's Gulf is a large inlet of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia. It is bordered by two peninsulas: the Yorke Peninsula to the west, and the Fleurieu Peninsula to the south east.... Ross Sea Ross Sea The Ross Sea is a deep Headlands and bays of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land. It was discovered by James Clark Ross in 1841.... Scotia Sea Scotia Sea The Scotia Sea is partly in the Southern Ocean and mostly in the Atlantic Ocean between Tierra del Fuego , Burdwood Bank , Isla de los Estados, Shag Rocks, Black Rock , South Georgia, Clerke Rocks, South Sandwich Islands, South Orkney Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula, and bordered on the west by Drake Passage.... Spencer Gulf Spencer Gulf The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight.... Weddell Sea Weddell Sea The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula.... Landlocked seas Aral Sea Aral Sea The Aral Sea is a landlocked endorheic basin in Central Asia; it lies between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south.... Lake Balkhash Lake Balkhash Lake Balkhash is a lake in southeastern Kazakhstan, the second largest in Central Asia after the Aral Sea. It is a Endorheic that is part of the endorheic basin that includes the Caspian Sea and Aral seas.... Caspian Sea Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the List of lakes by area or a full-fledged sea. It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers .... Lake Chad Lake Chad Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow lake in Africa, whose size has varied greatly over the centuries. It is economically very important, providing water to more than 20 million people living in the four countries which surround it — Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria.... Lake Chilwa Lake Chilwa Lake Chilwa is the third-largest lake in Malawi after Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe. It is in western Zomba District, near the border with Mozambique.... Chott Melrhir Chott Melrhir Chott Melrhir is a large endorheic salt lake in northeastern Algeria, located at .Chott Melrhir has an area of about 6700 km? and is the largest lake in Algeria.... Dead Sea Dead Sea For the Brian Keene book of the same name, see Dead Sea The Dead Sea is a salt lake between Israel and the West Bank to the west, and Jordan to the east.... Lake Eyre Lake Eyre Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia.... Pyramid Lake Pyramid Lake Pyramid Lake is an endorheic salt lake , approximately 188 square miles in area, in the Great Basin in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada.... Issyk Kul Issyk Kul Issyk Kul is an endorheic lake in the northern Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the List of lakes by volume and the second largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea.... Namtso Namtso Namtso is a mountain lake at the border between Damxung County of Lhasa Prefecture and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, approximately 112 km [70 miles] NNW of Lhasa.... Sea of Galilee Sea of Galilee The Sea of Galilee, also Sea of Genneseret, Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias , is Israel's largest freshwater lake, being approximately 53 km in circumference, about 21 km long, and 13 km wide.... Great Salt Lake Great Salt Lake Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest Endorheic in the world, and the 37th largest lake on Earth.... Qinghai Lake Qinghai Lake Qinghai Lake , historically known as Koko Nor , is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai, and is the largest lake in China. The names Qinghai and Kokonor both mean "Blue/Teal Sea" in Standard Mandarin and classical Mongolian.... Salton Sea Salton Sea The Salton Sea is a saline lake, occupying the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink, part of the larger Colorado Desert in Southern California, United States, north of the Imperial Valley .... Tonle Sap Tonlé Sap The Tonl? Sap , i.e., large body of water is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia. It is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997.... Lake Torrens Lake Turkana Lake Turkana Lake Turkana , formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia.... Lake Van Lake Van Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country. It is a salt lakes and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains....

SEAS AND THEIR SIZES

Body of water Square miles

Pacific Ocean 64,196,000
Atlantic Ocean 33,400,000
Indian Ocean 28,400,000
Arctic Ocean 5,100,000
South China Sea 1,148,000
Caribbean Sea 971,000
Mediterranean Sea 969,000
Bering Sea 873,000
Gulf of Mexico 582,000
Sea of Okhotsk 537,000
Sea of Japan 391,000
Hudson Bay 282,000
East China Sea 257,000
Andaman Sea 218,100
Red Sea 175,000
North Sea 165,000
Baltic Sea 147,000
Yellow Sea 113,500
Persian Gulf 88,800
Gulf of California 59,000

Nomenclature

Some bodies of water that are called "seas" are not actually seas; there are also some seas that are not called "seas". The following is an incomplete list of such potentially confusing names.

The Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee, also Sea of Genneseret, Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias , is Israel's largest freshwater lake, being approximately 53 km in circumference, about 21 km long, and 13 km wide....
is a small freshwater lake with a natural outlet, which is called Lake Tiberias or Lake Kinneret on modern Israeli maps, but its original name remains in use.
The Sea of Cortés is more commonly known as the Gulf of California
Gulf of California

The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexico mainland. It is bordered by the States of Mexico of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa....
.
The Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes Persian Gulf naming dispute referred to as the Arabian Gulf by certain Arab countries or simply The Gulf, although nei...
is a sea.
The Dead Sea
Dead Sea

For the Brian Keene book of the same name, see Dead Sea The Dead Sea is a salt lake between Israel and the West Bank to the west, and Jordan to the east....
is actually a lake, as is the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the List of lakes by area or a full-fledged sea. It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers ....
.

Science

The term "sea" has also been used in quantum physics. Dirac sea

Dirac sea

The Dirac sea is a theoretical model of the vacuum as an infinite sea of particles possessing negative energy. It was invented by the United Kingdom physicist Paul Dirac in 1930 to explain the anomalous negative-energy quantum states predicted by the Dirac equation for theory of relativity electrons....
is an interpretation of the negative energy states that comprises the vacuum.

Sea

International Hydrographic Organization

List of seas

Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....

Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions....

Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....

Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean south of 60th parallel south latitude....

Landlocked seas

Nomenclature

Science

See also

Sea

International Hydrographic Organization

List of seas

Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....

Arctic OceanArctic OceanThe Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions....

Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....

Southern OceanSouthern OceanThe Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean south of 60th parallel south latitude....

Landlocked seas

Nomenclature

Science

See also

Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....

Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions....

Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....

Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean south of 60th parallel south latitude....