The World’s Oceans
Boundaries and Other Physical Characteristics
The oceans cover 70.8 percent of planet Earth. Distinct boundaries of oceans occur only where they border on continents, such as the Arctic Ocean. Ocean boundaries in the Southern Hemisphere were arbitrarily established. In that region, the Atlantic is separated from the Pacific by a man-drawn line from Cape Horn across Drake Passage to Antarctica. Similarly, the Pacific is separated from the Indian Ocean by a string of islands extending from the Straits of Malacca to Australia, and southward from Tasmania to Antarctica. The four oceans contain various seas and gulfs, although common usage has made the terms "seas" and…
