The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the oceans of our planet. Its area with all the seas is 178.6 million square meters. kilometers, an average depth of 3980 meters, the volume of water - 710 million cubic meters. kilometers. It occupies about 40% of the entire earth's surface and about half of its water territory. Thus, the original name "The Great", given by the Spanish navigator Vasco de Balboa in 1513, fully justifies itself.
In 1520, Magellan swam across the Pacific Ocean and named it because during the three-month journey the expedition members never got into a storm. Subsequently, he repeatedly denied his name and more than once demonstrated to the travelers all the immense power of the elements.
By the number of islands, the giant ocean also holds the palm. Their number is about 10 thousand, the total area is about 3.6 million square meters. kilometers. In the northern part are the Aleutian Islands, in the western - Sakhalin, the Japanese and Kuril Islands, as well as the Philippine, Tasmania, New Zealand and New Guinea, the Small and Big Sunda Islands. In the central and southern part of the ocean there are numerous small islands and archipelagos.
The currents of the Pacific Ocean are divided into warm (North Pacific, Alaskan, Kuroshio - in its northern part, East Australian, South-Passat - in the southern) and cold (Peruvian and Western Winds in the south, Kuril and California in the north). The water temperature at the equator is about 27-28 ° C, in the polar regions - about 0 ° C.
The bays of the Pacific Ocean together with the seas and straits occupy more than 30 million square meters. kilometers, which is 18% of its area. Most of the seas are located along the shores of Eurasia (Bering, Japan, Okhotsk, etc.), along the Australian coast, and also washed by the islands of Southeast Asia. Off the coast of Antarctica are the Amundsen, Ross and Bellingshausen Seas .
The largest bays of the Pacific Ocean (Alaska, Panama and California) wash the shores of South and North America.
The flora of the ocean is represented in all its diversity, mainly at a shallow depth off the coasts of islands and coral reefs. The largest number is concentrated in tropical and equatorial latitudes. The fauna of the ocean includes more than 100 thousand species from simple organisms to a variety of fish, species of which in tropical latitudes, there are more than 2000.
Due to its vast extent, the Pacific Ocean includes several different climatic zones. Most of it is located in the equatorial, tropical and subtropical zones. Atmospheric circulation over the ocean leads to strong winds and storms, especially in the southern temperate latitudes. Typhoons are frequent in the western part of the ocean. The air temperature of the western and eastern parts can vary in the same latitudes due to the predominant dominance of warm or cold currents.
In the northern Pacific seas located in the Arctic, water freezes in winter due to low temperatures, icebergs are found. In the cold seas washing the coast of Antarctica, icebergs formed by the current and the winds are carried into the open space of the water surface.
The most important sea and air routes connecting the countries of the Pacific basin cross the Pacific Ocean. Transit routes to the countries of the Indian and Atlantic oceans pass through it . The largest international seaports are located on its coast. These are Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Vladivostok, Nakhodka. About half of the world's total fish catch is in the Pacific. The most common types of commercial fish are the following: herring, cod, salmon, pollock, sea bass. Crab, oyster and shrimp are also caught.
The “borderline” 180th meridian (date change boundary) is also located on its territory.