Geography · Continents & oceans
Five oceans
Name the world's oceans.
What is an ocean?
An ocean is a huge body of salt water. Oceans cover most of our planet Earth. They are much bigger than seas or lakes. Fish, whales and many other creatures live in oceans. Oceans connect all the continents together with water.
How many oceans are there?
Earth has five oceans. They are the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern oceans. The Pacific is the biggest ocean of all. The Arctic is the smallest and coldest ocean. The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica at the bottom of the world.
Where are the oceans?
The Pacific Ocean sits between Asia and America. The Atlantic Ocean lies between Europe, Africa and America. The Indian Ocean is below Asia, between Africa and Australia. The Arctic Ocean is at the top of the world. The Southern Ocean circles Antarctica at the bottom.
Why oceans matter
Oceans give us food like fish and seaweed. They help control the weather and keep our planet cool. Many people travel across oceans in ships. Oceans are home to millions of amazing animals. We must keep our oceans clean and healthy.
Worked examples
1. Which ocean is between Europe and North America?
- Look at a world map or globe.
- Find Europe on the right and North America on the left.
- The ocean between them is the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Name the ocean at the very top of the Earth.
- The top of the Earth is called the North Pole.
- This area is extremely cold and icy.
- The ocean here is the Arctic Ocean.
3. Which is the largest ocean in the world?
- Compare the sizes of all five oceans.
- The Pacific Ocean covers the most area.
- It is bigger than all the other oceans.
Try it yourself
Which ocean surrounds the continent of Antarctica?
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