Answers to Questions Kids Ask! - Where "Why?" Turns to "Wow!"
Born on this day
September 19, 20111931 - Brook Benton
1934 - Brian Epstein
1928 - Pete Murray
1933 - David McCallum
1940 - Zandra Rhodes
1940 - Bill Medley
1945 - Kate Adie
1946 - Michael Elphick
1948 - Jeremy Irons
1949 - Twiggy
1963 - David Seaman
The planet is approximately 71% water and although the oceans of the earth are all connected (you can sail in a boat in every known “ocean” and “sea”) and truly one “World Ocean,” most often the world is divided into five major “oceans”.
Those five oceans, are the Indian, Pacific, Arctic, Atlantic, and, most recently, Southern.
For many years there were only four oceans officially recognized, and then in the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization established the Southern Ocean. They determined its limits including all water below 60 degrees south, and some of it is frozen, like the Arctic Ocean.
Oceans by size:
#1 Pacific (155,557,000 sq km)
#2 Atlantic (76,762,000 sq km)
#3 Indian (68,556,000 sq km)
#4 Southern (20,327,000 sq km)
#5 Arctic (14,056,000 sq km)
Greatest depths in the each ocean:
* Mariana Trench, in the Pacific 35,827 ft
* Puerto Rico Trench, in the Atlantic 30,246 ft
* Java Trench, in the Indian 24,460 ft
* Arctic Basin, in the Arctic 18,456 ft
* Southern Ocean (greatest depth is in dispute)
Link to this question!
What’s the deepest ocean in the world?
The deepest ocean in the world is the Pacific Ocean, with an average depth of 13,215 feet. The greatest known depth of the Pacific Ocean is 36,198 feet, found in…
Why is the ocean salty but rivers aren’t?
As rivers run toward the ocean, they pick up salt and other minerals from the rocks and sand they pass by. The rivers’ waters are constantly being replenished by fresh…
What is a “sea” compared to an “ocean”?
A sea is a branch of one of the five “oceans”. A sea is partially enclosed by land. For example, the Indian Ocean is divided in two by the country…
How many people are there in the world?
The world population is the population of humans on the planet Earth. There are currently over six billion people on the planet–we passed the six billion mark on October 12th,…
How many countries are there in the world?
According to the InfoPlease Kids’ Almanac in Yahooligans!, there are currently 190 independent countries worldwide. Russia is the largest country, while Vatican City in Rome is the smallest–it’s less than…