Detailed map of the seas and oceans of the world. Mediterranean Sea on the world map - where it is located, which countries it washes

The Earth's surface has an extremely uneven relief. The deep depressions are filled with water, the rest of the planet is represented by land. All this together - oceans and continents. They differ in size, climate, shape, and geographical location.

Interaction of oceans and continents

Despite the fact that the world's water and land have close distinctive properties, they are inseparably connected with each other. The map of continents and oceans is evidence of this (see below). Water continuously influences processes occurring on land. In turn, the continents shape the features of the world's oceans. In addition, interaction occurs in both the animal and plant worlds.

The geography of continents and oceans demonstrates clear boundaries between water and land areas. Continents are distributed unevenly on the surface of the planet. Most of them are located in That is why the South is called hydrological in science. The continents are also divided into two groups relative to the equator. Those above the line belong to the northern half, the rest to the southern half.

Each continent borders the world's waters. So which oceans wash the continents? The Atlantic and Indian border on four continents, the Arctic on three, and the Pacific on all except Africa. In total, there are 6 continents and 4 oceans on the planet. The boundaries between them are uneven and prominent.

Pacific Ocean

It has the largest water area among other pools. A map of continents and oceans shows that it washes all continents except Africa. It includes dozens of large seas, the total area of ​​which is about 180 million square meters. km. Through it connects with the Arctic Ocean. It shares a swimming pool with the other two.

The maximum depth of the water area is the Mariana Trench - more than 11 km. The total volume of the basin is 724 million cubic meters. km. Seas occupy only 8% of the area Pacific Ocean. The study of the water area began in the 15th century by Chinese geographers.

Atlantic Ocean

It ranks second in size in the world basin. As is customary, each is derived from an ancient term or deity. Atlantic is named after the famous Greek titan Atlas. The water area extends from Antarctica to subarctic latitudes. It borders on all other oceans, even the Pacific (via Cape Horn). One of the largest straits is the Hudson. It connects the Atlantic basin with the Arctic basin.

The seas make up about 16% of the total ocean area. The basin area is just over 91.5 million square meters. km. Most of the Atlantic seas are inland, and only a small part of them are coastal (up to 1%).

Arctic Ocean

It has the smallest water area on the planet. It is entirely located in the Northern Hemisphere. Occupied territory - 14.75 million square meters. km. At the same time, the volume of the pool is about 18.1 million cubic meters. km of water. The deepest point in the Greenland Sea is considered to be 5527 m.

The bottom relief of the water area is represented by the outskirts of continents and a large shelf. The Arctic Ocean is conventionally divided into the Arctic, Canadian and European basins. Distinctive feature The water area is covered with thick ice cover, which can persist all 12 months of the year, constantly drifting. Due to the harsh cold climate, the ocean is not as rich in fauna and flora as the rest. However, important trade shipping routes pass through it.

Indian Ocean

Occupies a fifth of the world's total water surface. It is noteworthy that each name of the oceans has either a geographical or theological background. The only difference is the Indian Pool. Its name has rather a historical background. The ocean was named after the first Asian country that became known to the Old World - in honor of India.

The water area covers an area of ​​76.17 million square meters. km. Its volume is about 282.6 million cubic km. It washes 4 continents and borders the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It has the widest basin in the world's waters - more than 10 thousand kilometers.

Eurasian continent

It is the largest continent on the planet. Eurasia is located primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. In terms of territory, the continent occupies almost half of the world's landmass. Its area is about 53.6 million square meters. km. The islands occupy only 5% of Eurasia - less than 3 million square meters. km.

All oceans and continents are interconnected. As for the Eurasian continent, it is washed by all 4 oceans. The border line is heavily indented and deep. The continent consists of 2 parts of the world: Asia and Europe. The border between them runs along the Ural Mountains, the Manych, Ural, Kuma rivers, the Black, Caspian, Marmara, Mediterranean seas and a number of straits.

South America

The oceans and continents in this part of the planet are located mainly in the Western Hemisphere. The continent is washed by the Atlantic and Pacific basins. It borders North America through the Caribbean Sea and the Isthmus of Panama.

The mainland includes dozens of medium and small islands. Most of the inland water basin is represented by rivers such as the Orinoco, Amazon and Paraná. Together they make up a water area of ​​7 million square meters. km. total area South America- about 17.8 million sq. km. There are few lakes on the continent, most of them are located near the Andes mountains, for example Lake Titicaca.

It is worth noting that on the mainland there is the world's highest waterfall - Angel.

North America

Located in, washed by all oceans except the Indian. The coastal waters include the seas (Bering, Labrador, Caribbean, Beaufort, Greenland, Baffin) and St. Lawrence, Hudson, Mexican). North America has common borders with the South along the Panama Canal.

The most significant island systems are the Canadian and Alexandria archipelagos, Greenland and Vancouver. The continent covers an area of ​​more than 24 million square meters. km, excluding islands - about 20 million square meters. km.

African continent

In terms of territorial area, it ranks second after Eurasia, with which it borders in the northeast. It is washed only by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The largest coastal sea is the Mediterranean. It is noteworthy that Africa is both a continent and a part of the world.

In this area of ​​the planet, oceans and continents cross several climatic zones and the equator. In turn, Africa stretches from the northern to southern subtropical zone. That is why the level of precipitation here is extremely low. This leads to problems with fresh water and irrigation.

Mainland Antarctica

This is the coldest and most lifeless continent. Located at the South Pole of the Earth. Antarctica, like Africa, is a continent and part of the world. All adjacent islands belong to the territorial possessions.

Antarctica is considered the highest continent in the world. Its average height fluctuates around 2040 meters. Most of the land is occupied by glaciers. There is no population on the mainland, only a few dozen stations with scientists. There are about 150 subglacial lakes within the continent.

Australian mainland

The continent is located in the Southern Hemisphere. The entire territory it occupies belongs to the state of Australia. It is washed by the seas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, such as the Coral, Timor, Arafura and others. The largest adjacent islands are Tasmania and New Guinea.

The continent is part of a part of the world called Australia and Oceania. Its area is about 7.7 million square meters. km.

There are 4 time zones across Australia. In the northeast of the mainland, the coast is represented by the largest coral reef in the world.

The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean in the west through the Strait of Gibraltar. This enclosed sea is surrounded on all sides by land. The ancient Greeks called the Mediterranean Sea the sea in the middle of the Earth. At that time, this name was fully justified, because all the ancient European and North African civilizations appeared in the basin of this sea. And it was the Mediterranean Sea that served as the main route for contacts between them.

Interesting fact: they say that the Mediterranean Sea is the remnants of its former greatness. Previously, in its place was the ancient Tethys Ocean. It extended far to the east and was much wider. Today, from Tethys, in addition to the Mediterranean Sea, only the drying up Aral and Caspian seas, as well as the Black, Azov and Marmara seas remain. The last three seas are included in the Mediterranean basin.

In addition, within the Mediterranean Sea, the Alboran, Balearic, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, Cretan, Libyan, Cyprus and Levantine seas are distinguished as separate seas.

Detailed physical map seas of the Mediterranean Sea in Russian. To enlarge, just click on the picture.

The currents of the Mediterranean Sea are not entirely normal. Under the influence of high temperatures, a lot of water evaporates and, therefore, the flow of fresh water prevails over its inflow. This naturally leads to a decrease in the water level and it has to be drawn from Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea. Interestingly, at depth in more saline layers the reverse process occurs and salty water flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to the above factors, the currents of the Mediterranean Sea are mainly caused by wind processes. Their speed in open parts of the sea is 0.5-1.0 km/h; in the straits it can increase to 2-4 km/h. (for comparison, the Gulf Stream moves north at a speed of 6–10 km/h).

The magnitude of the tides is usually less than one meter, but there are places where, together with wind surges, it can reach up to four meters (for example, the northern coast of the island of Corsica or the Strait of Genoa). In narrow straits (the Strait of Messina), tides can cause strong currents. In winter, waves reach their maximum and wave heights can reach 6-8 m.

The water of the Mediterranean Sea has an intense blue color and a relative transparency of 50-60 m. It is one of the saltiest and warmest seas in the world. In summer, the water temperature varies from 19 to 25 degrees, while in the east it can reach 27-3°C. In winter, the average water temperature decreases from north to south and varies between 8-17°C in the east and central part of the sea. At the same time, in the west the temperature regime is more stable and the temperature stays between 11-15°C.

There are many large and not very large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and almost each of them is an attraction for many tourists. Let's name just a few of them:

The islands of Mallorca and Ibiza in Spain, Sardinia and Sicily in Italy, Corfu, Crete and Rhodes in Greece, Corsica in France, as well as Cyprus and Malta.

The oceans and seas of the Earth are the theme of our story. The world's oceans are divided into large parts - oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic. Previously, they also added the Southern Ocean, located around Antarctica, but now scientists have divided these waters between three other oceans. It was too inconvenient to look for the border beyond which the Southern Ocean ended and others began!

Oceans and seas of the Earth - boundaries

In fact, the remaining oceans can be separated from each other at least on a map. The Pacific Ocean is connected to the Arctic Ocean only by a narrow Strait, the Bering Strait, along which the border passes. It is a little wider near the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans - along the Strait of Magellan and the Drake Passage, but it is also clearly visible.

The Indian Ocean is not so lucky; it has a natural “fence” from its neighbors only in the east, and even then it is not complete: it passes through the islands of Indonesia, across Australia, and there is nothing at all to the south of the island of Tasmania. Therefore, we had to draw a conventional line from Tasmania south to Antarctica itself. The same conventional line runs from the southern edge of Africa and separates the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic.

But the border of the Atlantic Ocean with the Arctic Ocean is clearly visible, but not immediately and not on every map. Only on the one where the sea depths are indicated in different shades of blue and blue - the lighter, the shallower.

A light strip of shallow depths runs from Norway to the Faroe Islands (just north of Great Britain), then to Iceland and to the ice-capped largest island in the world, Greenland.

Further, the boundary of the oceans does not pass across the strait, as usual, but along it - this is the Hudson Strait between the Canadian coast and Baffin Island. The Great Hudson Bay is considered part of the Atlantic, and all waters to the north are considered to be the Arctic Ocean.

Oceans and seas of the Earth - the size of the oceans

The largest ocean is the Pacific. Previously, it was also called the Great, and this is not surprising: it occupies almost the same area - 180 million km - as all the other oceans together! Such a huge territory could accommodate all the continents and islands, and there would be quite a lot of free space left. This same ocean is also the deepest, because its average depth is neither more nor less - 4280 m.

The smallest and shallowest ocean is the Arctic Ocean. It fully lives up to its name - in winter almost its entire surface is covered with ice. In summer, the boundary of the ice fields moves closer to the pole, and a strip of relatively clean water appears along the continental shores of this ocean, through which ships can pass. Passing across the entire ocean, across the pole, is only possible under water (more precisely, under ice) or on the most powerful icebreakers - nuclear ones.

Oceans and seas of the Earth - how much water

The oceans share almost all the world's water. After all, most rivers flow into the sea - independently or by joining a more powerful flow. Thus, Siberian rivers flow into the seas of the Arctic Ocean, European ones - into the Atlantic. The part of the continent from which an ocean is replenished with water is called the drainage zone of that ocean by scientists.

Caspian Sea

There are, however, also places that do not want to share moisture with others - drainless zones that have no communication with the oceans. For example, the Caspian Sea - the world's largest lake - was connected to the World Ocean in prehistoric times, but then lost this connection, separated and now “uses” the Volga and many other rivers alone.

In general, the Caspian is the strangest of seas. Or is it from the lakes? According to strict geographical rules, the sea is a part of the ocean that is separated from it by land or underwater elevations - shallows, ridges, chains of islands. Each sea differs in some way from its neighbors - for example, in temperature or salinity of water, but is also similar to them. After all, they are relatives, they came from the same ocean. What about the Caspian?

The water in it is sea water: it is just as salty, and its composition is similar to that of the ocean. In ordinary salt lakes there may be the same substances, but only in different ratios: some more, and some not at all. The Caspian Sea has retained the composition that it inherited from its father, the ocean. But which ocean exactly did it separate from?

If you look at the map, everything is almost clear: the Black Sea is nearby, very close to it, and there is a suitable depression on land - the Kumo-Manychskaya. Many scientists believe that it was at this place that there once was a strait. This means that the Caspian is a descendant of the Atlantic, isn’t it?

"Not this way!" - said other scientists. If the Caspian Sea had simply separated from the Black Sea, then the same fish and other animals would have been found in them. But it turns out just the opposite: in the Black Sea there are dolphins, but in the Caspian there are no dolphins, but there are seals.

In the Black Sea, Atlantic fish such as sardines and red mullet are caught, but there are almost no sturgeons, for which the Caspian Sea is famous. But there are a lot of sturgeon in Siberian rivers... On the other hand, there are still fish common to both seas...

History of the Earth's seas

Several million years ago, neither the Caspian nor the Black Seas existed, but there was a huge Sarmatian Sea, larger than the current Mediterranean. Of course, no one called him that in those days - simply because there was no one to call him. The man has not yet appeared. But today, scientists have given this sea the name of one of the ancient peoples. And they found out that sea waves could travel in the vast expanse from the Aral Sea to modern Hungary and Austria. The Caucasus and Crimean mountains were then a long chain of large islands, and the Carpathians were a peninsula, slightly reminiscent of Italy in shape.

This sea was not very salty: many rivers flowed into it, and straits to other seas appeared and disappeared in different eras. Living creatures have adapted to brackish water and frequent visits to rivers, but the inhabitants of the ocean did not penetrate into the Sarmatian Sea. However, over time, the land began to gradually rise - mainly in the Caucasus and the Balkan Peninsula.

Gradually, two large depressions, or basins, as they are also called, formed - the Black Sea and the Caspian-Aral. They either connected with each other and with the Mediterranean Sea, then separated again. And then the great glaciation began: the climate became colder and a huge glacier advanced from the north, covering almost half of Eurasia. All of Siberia and northern Europe were under a kilometer-thick layer of ice...

Not all animals of the Sarmatian Sea adapted to the cold; many species became extinct. But warming came, the glacier melted, retreated to the north, new hills, rivers and lakes formed... and the level of the World Ocean rose. The Black Sea finally received a permanent connection with the Mediterranean, and the Caspian and Aral were separated.

But in parting, the glacier gave these seas an interesting “gift.” Through the rivers and lakes formed by the melting of the ice mountains, some animals that had previously lived in the Arctic Ocean basin fell into them. It is believed that it was then that seals and some species of fish, such as salmon, appeared in the Caspian Sea.

Therefore, geographers consider the Caspian Sea to be a huge salt lake, but biologists rightfully call it a sea. The Caspian Sea is a unique natural formation, a living heir of the Ancient World.

Oceans and seas of the Earth - Black Sea

The Black Sea is also very interesting. Despite almost the same area as the Caspian or Baltic seas, its volume is much larger - 6 and 12.5 times, respectively! The great depth has an effect - with the exception of the shallow northern part, the seabed drops quite sharply; a dozen or two kilometers from the coast you can already find depths of over a kilometer.

The average depth of the Black Sea is 400 m, the largest is 2211 m. However, only 1/6 of the volume and a quarter of the bottom area of ​​this sea is accessible to ordinary marine inhabitants.

The fact is that below 150-200 m in the Black Sea the “death zone” begins. There are only some bacteria that do not need oxygen. The culprit is hydrogen sulfide gas, dissolved in sea water and poisonous to ordinary marine inhabitants. In other seas it is also sometimes found, but in much smaller quantities, most often in small depressions. But the Black Sea is unlucky: the water hardly mixes.

Salt water is heavier than fresh water, and large, powerful rivers flow into the Black Sea: Danube, Dnieper, Don... There is so much fresh river water that it does not have time to evaporate. The Bosphorus Strait, through which the Black Sea basin is connected to all the oceans, is narrow and rather shallow, with a powerful current running across its surface - it is almost half desalinated (compared to the ocean) water that flows into the Marmara and Mediterranean Seas.

If it were not for the countercurrent along the bottom of the Bosphorus, which arises due to different densities of water in the neighboring seas, vacationers on the beaches of Sochi would swim in fresh water, may taste a little salty.

Such a stagnant system also has one more drawback, which is very significant for sea life. Rivers carry a lot nutrients, But most of of them settles to the bottom. In other seas, the mixing of water and the movement of marine inhabitants gradually returns these substances to the upper, most convenient layers for life, but in the Black Sea everything remains at the bottom.

Oceans and seas of the Earth - the Sea of ​​Azov

The small Sea of ​​Azov, connected to the Black Sea, is in many ways reminiscent of its large neighbor. Its water also has little salt; it is also connected to the rest of the ocean by a narrow strait - the Kerch Strait, even shallower than the Bosporus.

True, live Sea of ​​Azov much easier. Firstly, it evaporates excess water in the salty lake Sivash, which is shallow and well heated in the summer months. Secondly, there is no such deep basin. There are no great depths at all.

The Sea of ​​Azov is the shallowest on the planet. Its average depth is only 8 m, 50 times less than that of the Black Sea, and the greatest depth is 15 m. Living conditions are much better, and some Black Sea fish, such as herring and anchovy, constantly come here to leave offspring and feed. For the winter they return to the Black Sea - they get away from the ice.

However, shallow depth also has its drawbacks: in the summer the sea begins to literally suffocate. Shallow water warms up quickly, and less oxygen dissolves in warm water. At the same time, algae and various microorganisms that absorb oxygen also rapidly develop - the sea “blooms”. Such “blooming” does not bring joy to anyone; it is a big disaster for fish and other inhabitants. Only a storm can save them, which will mix the water almost to the very bottom, cool it and fill it with oxygen.

That is, each sea has its own characteristics, problems, advantages and disadvantages.

How is the sea different from the ocean?

This is what distinguishes each sea from the rest of the body of water. According to the definition of geographers, the sea is a part of the World Ocean, separated from it by land or underwater elevations, differing from the open ocean in its climatic (weather), water (hydrological, as scientists say) and other features.

The more closed the sea is, fenced off from the rest of the ocean, the more features there are. Usually there are internal seas (such as the Black, Azov, Mediterranean, surrounded on all sides by land), marginal seas (adjacent to the land with one or two shores, like most seas of the Arctic Ocean) and interisland seas (separated from the ocean by chains of islands, for example the Fiji Sea in the Pacific Ocean).

At the same time, they pay attention not to the size of the sea, but precisely to its life, in scientific terms - to the regime. On the map you can find quite significant expanses of water that are not worthy of the name sea. These are bays.

What is a bay on the sea or ocean

A bay is a part of a body of water that extends deeply into the land (a special international rule even determines exactly how far), but freely communicates with its “parent” body of water and preserves all its features.

In turn, the bays are divided into different types: narrow and deep fjords with steep rocky shores, shallow lagoons and estuaries, bays protected from waves or winds and many others. It also happens that almost half of the sea consists of various bays, for example the Baltic or White. There are also ocean bays: the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic, famous for its storms, and the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. They are not inferior in size to many seas, as well as in depth.

Interesting things about the oceans and seas of the Earth

Thus, the area of ​​the Hudson Bay, deeply cut into the Canadian shores, is larger than that of the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas combined, and the depth is respectable - up to 258 m. But they do not call it a sea. The Gulf of Mexico is almost twice the size of the Hudson, its area is 1555 thousand km, its maximum depth is 3822 m. But it is not considered a sea either. The bay, and that's it!

And the Sea of ​​Marmara, with an area of ​​11.5 thousand km, which barely managed to squeeze in between the Black and Mediterranean seas, is called only a sea. With the Mediterranean, there is real confusion; it is divided into several more seas: the Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian... And you won’t even find the Ligurian Sea on every map: it looks more like a small bay located between the shores of Italy and France, north of the island of Corsica.

That's it for the story about Oceans and seas of the Earth Let's pause, there will be a continuation! The whole essay turned out great!

More than 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water. This water is mainly contained in, as well as in many other bodies of water.

A sea is defined as a large object, filled with and sometimes associated with. However, the sea does not necessarily have to be tied to the ocean, since there are inland or closed seas in the world, such as the Caspian Sea.

Since sea waters make up a significant portion of the , it may be useful to know where the largest seas of our planet. This article provides a list, maps, photos and descriptions of the ten largest seas on Earth, in descending order.

Sargasso Sea

Sargasso Sea on the map

According to some sources, the Sargasso Sea is considered the largest in the world. But unlike other seas, it does not wash land and does not have permanent boundaries or area (which varies from 4.0 to 8.5 million km²), so calling it the largest is quite controversial. The Sargasso Sea is located in the Atlantic Ocean and is limited by ocean currents: in the west by the Gulf Stream, in the north by the North Atlantic Current, in the east by the Canary Current, and in the south by the North Equatorial Current.

The Sargasso Sea was first mentioned by Christopher Columbus, who crossed it on his original voyage in 1492.

The sea reaches a depth of 1500-7000 m and is characterized by weak currents, low precipitation, high evaporation, light winds and warm salty water. These factors create a biological desert largely devoid of plankton, the staple food. The Sargasso Sea is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocean by its characteristic brown Sargassum algae. In addition, the water in the sea is transparent and visibility is maintained even at a depth of about 60 m.

Sargassum algae in the Sargasso Sea

This sea is home to amazing diversity marine species. Turtles use algae to shelter and feed their young. The Sargasso Sea also provides essential food for shrimp, crabs, fish and other marine species that have specially adapted to this floating algae. The sea is a breeding ground for the endangered eel, as well as the Atlantic white marlin, Atlantic herring shark and finfish. migrate annually through the Sargasso Sea.

Philippine Sea

Philippine Sea on the map

The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea located northeast of the Philippine archipelago and in the western North Pacific Ocean. It borders the Philippines and Taiwan in the west, Japan in the north, the Mariana Islands in the east, and the Palau archipelago in the south. The surface area is about 5.7 million km². The sea has a complex and varied underwater terrain. The bottom was formed during the process of geological faulting. A special feature of the Philippine Sea is the presence, among which are the Philippine Trench and the Mariana Trench, which contains the deepest point on the planet. Numerous underwater mountains are located in the waters of the sea, and some of them are of volcanic origin.

Islands of the Palau archipelago in the Philippine Sea

The first European to travel the Philippine Sea was Ferdinand Magellan. This happened in 1521.

There is an exotic fish in the Philippine Sea. About five hundred species of hard and soft corals, and 20% of generally known species, are found in the waters of the sea. Here you can observe sea turtles, sharks, moray eels, and sea snakes, as well as numerous species of fish, including tuna. In addition, the Philippine Sea serves as a spawning ground for Japanese eel, tuna and various types.

coral sea

Coral Sea on the map

The Coral Sea is a marginal sea located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. In the east it washes the coasts of Australia and New Guinea, in the west - New Caledonia, and in the south - the Solomon Islands. This sea has a length of about 2250 km from north to south and covers an area of ​​4.8 million km². In the south, the Coral Sea merges with the Tasman Sea, in the north with the Solomon Sea and in the east with the Pacific Ocean; it is connected to the Arafura Sea in the west through the Torres Strait.

The sea was named after its numerous coral formations, which formed a stretch of 1,900 km along the north-eastern coast of Australia. The sea has and is prone to typhoons, especially from January to April.

Bird's eye view of the Coral Sea reefs

The sea is home to a variety of living organisms, including anemones, worms, gastropods, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp and crabs. Red algae colors many coral reefs purple-red, while green algae Halimeda, found throughout the Coral Sea.

In the northern part there are coastal plants consisting of only 30-40 species, and. The reefs are home to about 400 species of coral species, and there are also more than 1,500 species of fish. Five hundred species of algae settle on corals, creating mini-ecosystems on their surface, comparable to a coating. The coral sea is also home to a large number of fish species, and.

Arabian Sea

Arabian Sea on the map

The Arabian Sea is a marginal sea and is located in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean. Its total area is about 3.86 million km². This sea is part of the main sea route between and India. It is bounded on the west by the Somali and Arabian Peninsulas, on the north by Iran and Pakistan, on the east by India, and on the south by the rest of the Indian Ocean. In the north, the Gulf of Oman connects the sea with the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. To the west, the Gulf of Aden connects it to the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Arabian Sea has an average depth of 2734 m and a maximum depth of 5803 m.

Island in the Arabian Sea

The sea is dominated by a monsoon climate. During the rainy season, which occurs from April to November, the water salinity is less than 35‰, and during the dry season (November to March) it is more than 36‰.

Vast oil and gas deposits have been discovered in the Arabian Sea. natural gas.

Lives in the sea a large number of organisms, but a periodic phenomenon in the Arabian Sea is. This phenomenon is explained by a subsurface layer of water of tropical origin, which is poorly enriched in oxygen, but rich in phosphates. Under certain conditions, this layer comes to the surface, which leads to the death of fish due to lack of oxygen.

South China Sea

South China Sea on the map

The South China Sea is a marginal sea in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, it washes the mainland of the Southeast. The sea is limited in the northeast by the Taiwan Strait; in the east - the islands of Taiwan and the Philippines; in the southeast and south - Kalimantan, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia; and in the west and north - Asia. The South China Sea covers an area of ​​about 3.69 million km², with an average depth of 1212 m and a maximum depth of 5016 m.

The climate in the sea is tropical and is largely determined by the monsoons. Monsoons control currents as well as the exchange of water between the South China Sea and adjacent bodies of water.

Landscape of the South China Sea

Found in the South China Sea large deposits oil and natural gas. This sea provides some of the world's most important shipping lanes. Typically, oil and minerals are concentrated in the north, and marine foods and industrial goods are concentrated in the south. Some areas in the central South China Sea are still poorly understood.

The shallow-water marine fauna and flora of the Caribbean are concentrated around submerged fringed coral reefs that support a variety of fish and other marine life.

Tourism is an important part of the Caribbean economy, serving primarily the populations of the United States and Canada in the north, and Brazil and Argentina in the south. With a typically sunny climate and recreational resources, the Caribbean has become one of the world's major winter resorts.

Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea on the map

The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to Asia in the east, and separates Europe from. This sea has an area of ​​2.5 million km² and coastline with a length of about 46 thousand km, and is considered the largest inland sea on Earth. The Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of 1,500 m, and the deepest recorded point is 5,267 m, in the Ionian Sea. The Mediterranean Sea basin contains some of the most fertile, beautiful and therefore most desirable land on the planet. Typical is characterized by hot, humid and dry summers and mild, rainy winters. is one of the most populated and developed areas in the world. However, it is also one of the least secure regions in the world.

Beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea

This sea contains significant reserves of oil and natural gas. While Mediterranean oil and natural gas production accounts for only a small portion of global production, a significant portion of total global oil refining occurs in the Mediterranean region. In addition, petroleum products are produced for domestic consumption and export.

The Mediterranean Sea is stable due to the strong closed nature of the currents, which favorably affects even the smallest macroscopic organisms. The Mediterranean's stable sea temperatures provide a breeding ground for life at depth, which allows organisms to thrive, maintaining a balanced aquatic ecosystem. The Mediterranean Sea has a rich diversity of marine biota. Almost one third (about 12 thousand) of species are endemic.

Commercial fishing is of great economic importance to the region. There is a high demand for fish and seafood, and the total catch for consumption in Mediterranean countries - both within and outside the region - represents a significant proportion of the world's catch.

Tasman Sea

Tasman Sea on the map

The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, between the southeast coast of Australia and Tasmania in the west, and New Zealand in the east; it merges with the Coral Sea in the north, and covers an area of ​​about 2.3 million km². Maximum depth, exceeding 5200 m, was recorded in the East Australian Basin.

The sea was named after the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, who sailed across it in 1642.

Paradise island in the Caribbean

The South Trade Wind Current and prevailing winds feed the East Australian Current, which is dominant along the coast of Australia. From July to December its effect is minimal, and colder waters from the south can penetrate far to the north. Lord Howe Island, located on this parallel, represents the southernmost development of the modern coral reef. In the east, water circulation is controlled by currents from the western Pacific Ocean from January to June and colder subantarctic water moving north through Cook Strait from July to December. These various currents tend to make the climate in the south of the Tasman Sea temperate and that in the north subtropical.

The sea is crossed by shipping lanes between New Zealand and south-eastern Australia, and Tasmania, and its economic resources include fisheries, and oil fields in the Gippsland Basin in the eastern Bass Strait.

About 90% of the Tasman Sea's marine life is found nowhere else, as it is the meeting point of three ocean currents. It serves as habitat for a huge number of species; from microscopic life forms to a giant squid that can form rings the size of car tires.

Bering Sea

Bering Sea on the map

The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean. Covering an area of ​​more than 2 million km², the sea borders on the west the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Russian Far East; in the south - with the Aleutian Islands; in the east - with Alaska.

The sea ends at the Bering Strait, located south of the Arctic Circle. This strait is a narrow sea passage between the easternmost point of the Asian continent (Russia) and the westernmost point (Alaska).

The sea (and the strait) are named after the Danish-born Russian sailor Vitus Bering, who first saw the lands of Alaska while exploring the area with the Kamchatka expedition in the mid-18th century.

Stormy Bering Sea

Although the Bering Sea is located at the same latitude as Great Britain, its climate is much harsher. The southern and western parts are characterized by cool, rainy summer with frequent fogs and relatively warm snowy winters. Winters are extreme in the northern and eastern parts, with temperatures ranging from -35° to -45° C and strong winds. Summers in the north and east are cool, with relatively low precipitation. January and February are the coldest months, July and August are the warmest. Severe storms caused by low centers atmospheric pressure, sometimes penetrate into the southern part of the sea.

It is believed that oil and gas fields exist under the Bering Sea shelf, and along the edge - Kamchatka. However, the volume of potential reserves is unknown.

There are more than 300 species of fish in the Bering Sea, including 50 deep-sea species. The most important among them are salmon, herring, cod, flounder, halibut and pollock. Found on the islands seals and sea otters. The northern regions are home to walruses, seals and sea lions. Several species of whales, especially gray whales, migrate to the Bering Sea to feed during the summer. Intensive fishing has sharply reduced some of the most valuable species fish, and this has led to greater exploitation of other species.

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