Which continent is washed by the Pacific Ocean: a list

On Earth, there are four oceans, scientists are considering the idea of documenting and fifth. One of the largest water bodies is the Pacific Ocean. About what he is known for, what continents and countries he washes, read in the article.

History

To know which continents the Pacific is washing is interesting, but it is much more interesting to study the history of the largest reservoir on the planet. It began in 1513, when the conquistador from Spain Vasco Nunez de Balboa, crossing the Isthmus of Panama, discovered an unknown water basin. He called it the Southern Ocean, because the way of the Spaniard lay to the south.

Another navigator Magellan also discovered this space in 1520 and gave him the name that he carries to this day. Why not noisy ocean? The fact is that on that day there was a calm, quiet weather and the water was an ideal smooth surface.

Even later, when people also asked themselves about which continents the Pacific was washing, another name was proposed. In 1753, it was decided to be called Great, but this name, though characterized by a reservoir, did not settle down, and geographers still call it the Pacific Ocean.

Characteristic

Before answering the question: "What is washing the Pacific?", It is necessary to tell about it in more detail. So, this is the largest ocean, its area is a little less than 180 million square kilometers, to be precise - 178.7. Surprisingly, this is more than the sum of the areas of all the continents located on the planet Earth, and this is more than one third of its surface and half the area of the World Ocean.

This water body contains many mysteries. Many unexplored places are on its territory. For example, it is here that the famous Mariana Trench is located, its depth is eleven kilometers and twenty-two meters.

The Pacific Ocean is so huge that its waters are washed by five of the six continents of the planet called Earth. The only place where its currents have not reached is Africa, which is surrounded by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The waters of this basin somehow touch the rest of the continents. This is due to the presence of marginal seas.

Outskirts of the sea - what is it?

How many continents does the Pacific wash? Five. Its waters reach them from different directions. Often this is due to the seas, which are called marginal. These are those water objects that are separated from the ocean, in this case the Quiet, because of any peninsulas and islands. They are not deep-water, as they are located, as a rule, on the shelves.

The total area of all marginal seas, straits, and also bays that belong to the Pacific Ocean, is 31.64 million square kilometers. For the most part, they are located in the western region of the ocean. Not everywhere there are marginal seas, for example, they are absent near continents with the generalized name America, but here there are a large number of bays: Panama, California and others.

Neighboring oceans

Speaking of which continents are washed by the Pacific Ocean, it should be noted that several continents are washed by several water bodies at once. For example, Eurasia is surrounded by four oceans - the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and, of course, the Pacific. This continent is the only one on the planet that comes into contact with the waters of the four largest water bodies at once.

As for Australia, it is washed by the waters of not only the Pacific, but also the Indian Ocean, North America - the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific, South America - the same, except the Arctic. Antarctica is in contact with the waters of the Southern Ocean (the conventional name for the waters of the three oceans), which includes a certain part of the Pacific.

Based on this information, it can be understood that the largest water body is adjacent to all oceans. Since it has a huge area and extends for many kilometers, it is connected with other spaces.

Which countries are washed by the Pacific Ocean?

Speaking of which continents are washed by the Pacific, it is necessary to mention the countries lying on its coast. This water body is the largest on our planet, it is washed by many continents. On their territory there is a huge number of countries, different in area and population.

In total, it is washed by more than fifty states. Their population is almost half of all inhabitants of the planet called Earth. So, which states are in contact with the Pacific Ocean: the United States of America and Canada, Peru and Guatemala, Nicaragua and Vietnam, Chile and the People's Republic of China, Japan and the Russian Federation.

Of course, this is not the whole list, because the countries washed by this giant pond are a great many. In addition, to the shores of the Pacific Ocean are the states of Oceania.

This water body is of great importance in the world economy. Therefore, a number of ports are located on its coast. For example, this city under the names of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Shanghai, Yokohama and others.

What seas of the Pacific wash Russia?

The Russian Federation occupies vast expanses that are washed by only thirteen seas. Twelve of them belong to the basins of three oceans, and only three - to the largest reservoir of the planet. This Bering, Japanese, as well as the Sea of Okhotsk.

They are separated by an island Sakhalin and Kamchatka, while the second part of the peninsula is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean itself. These seas can be considered a boundary between the largest continent and the ocean of the Earth. You can build a list of the seas that wash the territory of Russia, by their size. The deepest will be the Bering Sea, and the smallest - the Okhotsk Sea.