We all know the names of the four oceans thatwash the shores of the continents. This knowledge in the school age gives us the science of geography. The Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic - these are the largest water areas of our planet. The largest of these is the Pacific Ocean, which is sometimes called the Great Ocean. Let's find out what the Pacific is interesting for, why it is so named and how it differs from the rest.
general characteristics
The area of the largest ocean is 178.68million km2, which is more than all the land on the planet Earth. These dimensions are difficult for ordinary people to imagine, even more difficult - to imagine how many interesting and surprising things can hide in the depths of its waters.
The Pacific Ocean is washed by the shores of five continents:
- North-West of Eurasia.
- Southwest of Australia.
- Western shores of South and North America.
- Antarctica from the south.

Тихий океан среди всех остальных является самым deep. The average depth is 3984 m. But the records do not end there. The deepest place of the whole World Ocean is located here - the Mariana Trench, the depth of which is 11022 m. This ocean is also considered the warmest. The shores of the Pacific Ocean overlook the shores of 50 countries. Almost half of the world's population has the opportunity to swim in its saline waters, without leaving the territory of their country, and many think, visiting the Pacific Ocean, why it is so named. After all, in fact, storms and tsunamis are not such a rarity here.
Stormy stormy ocean - why is it Quiet?
So, let's see who got the name of the Pacific Ocean, why it is so named and how it happened that the name does not correspond to its behavior at all.
Who is the first navigator who crossed thisocean and gave him that name? Everything happened in 1520. Making an expedition around the world, Fernan Magellan sailed on this ship for several months through this, at that time still nameless, ocean. Surprisingly, all the time of his journey there was calm, calm weather, no storm occurred on the way. This fact impressed Magellan so much that he didn’t like the Pacific Ocean.

In fact, the Pacific lithospheric plate,on which this ocean is located, surrounds a ring of volcanoes, the eruptions of which cause frequent storms and tsunamis. But even after this feature became clear, the Pacific Ocean was not renamed. This name was assigned to the largest water object of the planet in all geographical directories.
The history of the Pacific Ocean knows its other names. Until receiving its official name in different parts of the world it was styled differently. For example, the South Sea or the Eastern Ocean.
Why is the Pacific Ocean so named? The answer to this question is no longer a mystery to us.
Islands
There are more islands in the Pacific than in the other three. They number up to 30,000. Some stand apart, while others gather in archipelagoes.
There are several types of islands: coral, volcanic and continental (continental).
The largest islands in the Pacific: Kalimantan, New Guinea, Japan Islands, Philippine Islands, New Zealand, Hawaiian and many others.
Все мы слышали выражение «райский остров».It can be safely applied to many islands of the Pacific Ocean, because they are a real paradise. Rich vegetation, amazing wildlife, clean air and azure waves - this is what attracts lovers of beauty to these places.

Pacific Seas
By the number of seas, the Pacific Ocean is also a record holder. Thirty-one sea is included.
Most Pacific seas are alongEurasia in the western part of the ocean: Okhotsk, Japan, Bering, East China, Yellow; off the Australian coast: Solomon, Novogvine, Fiji, Tasman Sea; near Antarctica: the sea of Durville, Somov, Ross, the Amundsen sea. There are no seas along the North and South America, but there are large bays.