Dive In: The Five Oceans of Our World

Here is a surprising fact: if you dropped a pin randomly on a globe, it would land on water about 71 times out of every 100. That is because most of our planet is covered by ocean! All that ocean water is split into five named areas. How many of those ocean names can you already guess? Think for a moment before we find out.

All the world's ocean water is connected, but we divide it into five oceans. Each one has a name and a location. **1. Pacific Ocean** — The biggest ocean on Earth. It stretches from Asia and Australia in the west all the way to North and South America in the east. It is so wide that it covers almost one third of the whole planet. **2. Atlantic Ocean** — The second largest ocean. It sits between the Americas on one side and Europe and Africa on the other. Many ships and planes cross it every day. **3. Indian Ocean** — The third largest ocean. It is mostly in the Southern Hemisphere (the bottom half of Earth). It is bordered by Africa, Asia, and Australia. **4. Southern Ocean** — This ocean surrounds Antarctica, the icy continent at the very bottom of the world. It is the fourth largest and was officially recognised as a separate ocean in 2000. **5. Arctic Ocean** — The smallest and coldest ocean. It sits around the North Pole, at the very top of the world. Much of it is covered in sea ice. A helpful way to remember them: **P-A-I-S-A** — Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic.