Pacific Ocean Facts

The largest ocean in the world, the Pacific Ocean extends from the Arctic Ocean, in the north, to the Southern Ocean, in the south. This enormous water body is bordered by North America and South America, in the east, and Asia and Australia, in the west. The equator divides the Pacific Ocean into two parts - the North Pacific and the South Pacific. Other than being the largest, this is also the deepest ocean in the world. Interestingly enough, Pacific Ocean facts are not just restricted to its enormous size, as there is much more to know about this vast water body, which houses a whole lot of lifeforms on the planet.
Facts About Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean, spanning over an area of 65.3 million square miles, is the largest among the various oceans of the world. It makes up a third of the total surface, and half of the total water surface of the planet. In fact, it is larger than all the continents of the world put together. At the Equator, the Pacific Ocean stretches for a distance of 11,000 miles, which is almost half way around the planet. Some more Pacific Ocean facts, which are bound to leave you baffled are given below.

Pacific Ocean History
Even though it is the largest ocean in the world, the Pacific Ocean was the last ocean discovered by the European sailors. In fact, the Europeans discovered it only in 1513, when Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a Spanish explorer, ventured in this region. However, the natives from the nearby areas, such as the Maori people of New Zealand, were known to venture in this ocean with their canoes way before the Europeans reached here. The ocean derived its name from the word Tepre Pacificum, meaning the peaceful sea.

Deepest Part of the Ocean
Yet another fascinating Pacific Ocean fact is that it is the deepest ocean in the world. The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is approximately 4000 m. Pacific basin features some of the deepest ocean trenches in the world, including the Mariana Trench and the Izu-Ogasawara Trench. In fact, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the deepest point on the planet, with a depth of 11,034 m. That is deep enough to submerge the tallest structure in the world, Mount Everest, with a height of 8,848 m.

Great Barrier Reef: Largest Living Structure on the Planet
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most interesting structures among the various wonders of the Pacific Ocean. Lying off the coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the longest reef in the world, with a length of 2,300 km. This reef is basically made up of approximately 3000 individual reefs and around a thousand islands. It also boasts of being the largest living structure on the planet, and the only one which can be seen from space.

Islands in the Pacific Ocean
Amazingly enough, there are around 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The number far exceeds the total number of islands in the other parts of the world put together. Most of these islands are found to the south of the Equator, in the South Pacific Ocean. These islands range from small islands, such as Micronesia and Polynesia, to huge islands, such as Taiwan and New Guinea. The large number of these islands can be attributed to a number of active volcanoes found in this region.

Volcanic Activity and Earthquakes in the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean basin is also marked by several volcanoes and some earthquake prone areas. In fact, the total number of volcanoes in the periphery of its basin alone account for approximately 75 percent of the total volcanoes in the world. This natural formation of volcanoes along the periphery of the Pacific basin is referred to as the Ring of Fire. The ocean floor in Pacific is highly prone to earthquakes. These earthquakes quite often lead to tectonic movements, which in turn trigger destructive gigantic waves, known as the Tsunamis, which have the capability of clocking speeds of around 800 kph with ease.

Important Ports of the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean also forms an integral part of waterways around the world. Several important trade routes lie in this ocean making it one of the busiest oceans in the world. Important ports and harbors in the Pacific Ocean include Sydney Harbor, Port of Shanghai, Port of Hong Kong, Port of Singapore, Port of Bangkok, Port of San Francisco and Port of Los Angeles.

These were some of the most prominent Pacific Ocean facts, for kids as well as adults, which make this enormous water body one of the most amazing elements on planet Earth. The Pacific Ocean doesn't just sustain the various lifeforms in it, but also sustains several economies, especially of those countries which share the waters of the Pacific.