The most southern and warm sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean. The smallest seas of the Pacific Ocean. Seas of Russia: a list of unique seas

The largest water area on our planet is the Pacific Ocean, which occupies more than 178 million square meters. km. It holds the record for many indicators, including the number of seas - the Pacific Ocean includes 31 seas. Find out which seas are included in the Pacific Ocean.

The largest seas of the Pacific Ocean

The largest seas of the Pacific basin include seas whose area exceeds 1 million square meters. km.

  • Philippine Sea - one of the largest seas in the world, located in the southwest of the ocean. Since it does not have clear geographical boundaries, some scientists tend to consider it not a sea, but a huge stretch of the Pacific Ocean.
  • - covers an area of ​​4.5 million square meters. km, and has borders in the form of the islands of New Guinea and Caledonia, as well as mainland Australia. The Coral Sea is famous, first of all, for a unique natural structure - the Barrier Reef, which is on the list world heritage UNESCO.

Rice. 1. Coral Sea.

  • South China Sea - the area leaves 3.5 million square meters. km. On all sides, the sea is surrounded by countries: Malaysia, Vietnam, China and the Philippines.
  • tasman sea - the southernmost sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, located on the border with the Indian Ocean. Its borders are "outlined" by the coasts of New Zealand and Australia.

Salinity - the concentration of salts in the water - all the seas of the Pacific Ocean is almost the same and is about 35%. It can vary slightly from the location of the seas: it rises in tropical and subtropical regions, and decreases to the east under the influence of cold currents.

  • Bering Sea - unlike most of the Pacific seas, this is the coldest sea located in the north of the ocean. Water Bering Sea separate Alaska and Chukotka. This is the largest sea in Russia.
  • - its area is slightly less than 1 million square meters. km. It is located between Japan, Korea and Russia.

Rice. 2. Sea of ​​Japan.

The smallest seas in the Pacific

The main problem of small seas is the definition of their exact boundaries. In most cases, such seas are part of large seas or are a kind of “pockets” between archipelagos and single big islands.

  • Sea of ​​Aki - the tiniest sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich does not even reach 2 thousand square meters. km. It belongs entirely to Japan, dividing the Sea of ​​Japan into eastern and western parts. But, despite such a modest size, it is here that powerful cyclones form. South-East Asia.
  • Inland Sea of ​​Japan - Another small sea, which in Japan is called Seto-Nikai. Its area is 18 thousand square meters. km. It is characterized big amount picturesque islands and bays.
  • - a small calm sea in the South Pacific Ocean, where storms are extremely rare. This real paradise for divers, because the underwater world of this sea is surprisingly rich and diverse.

Rice. 3. Sea Bali.

  • Sea Gang - the area is 740 thousand square meters. km. Despite its small size, this sea has great depths. This is due to its location in the zone of seismic activity. Since one of the faults in the earth's crust passes in this region, the depth of the Banda Sea reaches 2800 meters.

Sea Gang is not only different great depth, beautiful bottom and comfortable climate. Here, until the 19th century, tiny islands cultivated nutmeg. It was the only place on Earth where a rare nut grew, which was worth its weight in gold, and the location of the islands was kept in the strictest confidence for a long time.

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He is a champion in many respects: here is the deepest earthly cavity, and the most powerful typhoons (despite the "mild" name). Here is the largest number of seas, which is natural, based on its size. Now we will look at the seas of the Pacific Ocean, a list of their names, learn something interesting about them.

How many seas are there in the world?

To start a conversation follows from the fact that it is impossible to count the number of seas in the world, as well as in the Pacific Ocean. After all, the sea is not a lake, it never has clear boundaries. Which part of the ocean is considered a sea and which is not - this is a decision, where often subjective, and even political and economic factors play an important role.

The list of terrestrial seas is constantly changing, especially in the part where we are talking about tiny seas. Some of them, in fact, are large bays. From time to time, scientists and economists gather at special conferences to clarify the “marine” lists at them. The latest UNESCO recommendations suggest that seas should be considered 59 water regions planets. But again, these recommendations always find their opponents.

Large seas of the Pacific Ocean

To please all points of view, we first highlight the 6 largest seas of the Pacific Ocean. The area of ​​each of them is more than 1 million km² or very close to it. The existence of these marine basins is indisputable, and no one doubts. So here are our champions:

Other Pacific seas, list

Having paid tribute to these giant seas, we will add the rest of the seas of the Pacific Ocean to the list. At the moment it looks like this (although we repeat - it may differ slightly in different sources):

  1. Amundsen.
  2. Yellow.
  3. Visayan Sea.
  4. East Chinese.
  5. Sea of ​​Koro.
  6. Camotes.
  7. Sea of ​​Mindanao.
  8. Moluccan.
  9. New Guinea.
  10. Savu.
  11. Samar.
  12. Seram.
  13. Sibuyan.
  14. Sulu.
  15. Sulawesi.
  16. Solomonovo.
  17. Okhotsk.
  18. Fiji.
  19. Flores.
  20. Halmahera.
  21. Javanese.

If we have singled out separately the largest seas of this ocean, we will pay tribute to the smallest ones. Although with them, as already mentioned, most of all arise controversial issues. As a rule, these seas are bays, parts of larger seas (and sometimes just large "pockets" between large islands). The big problem is the definition of their boundaries.

It seems to be the smallest on our list, completely owned by Japan. Its area does not even reach 2 thousand km². Aki separates east and west Sea of ​​Japan. Despite the size, it is in the zone of this reservoir that the powerful monsoons of Southeast Asia originate. In addition, the Aki Sea is rich in fish, primarily mackerel.

The second from the bottom in our list in terms of area, only 40 thousand km² (although this is not so small compared to the previous sea). Paradise for divers quiet place where storms rarely blow. Located between the islands of Bali and Java. The climate here is subequatorial, humid.

The area is 740 thousand km². Despite its small size, the Banda has great depths. It is located within Malay Archipelago, in the zone of active seismicity. One of the faults in the earth's crust passes here, therefore average depth reaches 2800 meters.

It is warm all year round in its water area, the seabed is beautiful, which also attracts scuba diving enthusiasts. Interestingly, nutmeg was grown on the tiny Banda Islands until the 19th century, keeping their location a secret. It was the only place on Earth where this nut grew.

A little more interesting

There is a lot to be said about the Pacific Ocean. Still, because its area is larger than the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entire earth's land! The seas are the outskirts of this giant reservoir, but they also have their own characteristics and mysteries. We have already mentioned some, we will supplement what has been said with some more information:

  • The Bering and Okhotsk seas are periodically covered with ice, although not continuous. Among the other seas of the Pacific Ocean, ice occurs only in the Sea of ​​Japan.
  • The Sea of ​​Okhotsk has the highest sea tides in Russia.
  • The Savu Sea is " disputed territory» two oceans. Hydrologists have not decided: it is part of the Pacific Ocean or the Indian.
  • The Yellow Sea is the shallowest in the ocean, its average depth is only about 60 meters. It cuts deep into the land, taking into itself very big river Juanhe. In the spring, it overflows, carrying millions of cubic meters of dirty water mixed with sand into the sea. Given the shallow depths, this water is capable of tinting the entire sea area in a yellowish color for several months.
  • The Java Sea is considered one of the youngest not only in the Pacific Ocean, but throughout the world. It was formed in the last quarter ice age, and until that time it remained a dry land, along which, probably, the ancestors of people came to the lands of Australia from Asia.
  • The Solomon Sea, which stretches east of New Guinea, is distinguished by a particularly restless geological nature. Two small oceanic plates collide here, so there are many sharp elevation changes in the sea. There are two depressions, each with a depth of more than 9 thousand meters, as well as a number underwater volcanoes. It is also distinguished by the richness of nature and numerous coral reefs.

Similar enumeration interesting facts could go on for a long time. In the Pacific Ocean, you can find something special, your own, which distinguishes this sea basin from others. And this is the value, it is not for nothing that this ocean is often called the Great!

Location: West Side Pacific Ocean between the shores of Eurasia, Japanese islands and Sakhalin Island.

Area: 1,062 thousand square meters km.

Average depth: 1,536 m.

Maximum depth: 3,742 m.

Bottom relief: shelf, continental slope, deep-water basins and underwater heights (Yamato, Kita-Oki, Oki), depressions (Central, Honshu, Tsushima)

Average annual temperature: 0-12°С in the north, 17-26°С in the south.

Currents: Tsushima, Primorskoe.

Salinity: 34-35‰.

Inhabitants: fish (Pacific herring, cod, pollock, saffron cod, flounder, salmon (chum salmon, pink salmon, chinook salmon), sardine-ivasi, anchovy, mackerel), crabs, trepangs, mammals, shrimps, oysters, scallops, mussels, cuttlefish, squid , seaweed.

Additional information: the length of the Sea of ​​Japan from north to south is 2,255 km, from west to east, about 1,070 km; winter Northern part the sea freezes.

Location: Western Pacific, between the Indochina Peninsula, Kalimantan, Palawan, Luzon and Taiwan.

Area: 3,537 thousand sq. km.

Maximum depth: 5,560 m.

The bottom relief is indented by numerous underwater reefs, corals, banks and underwater atolls.

Salinity: 32-34‰.

Inhabitants: fish (tuna, herring, sardines and others), shrimps, squids, crabs.

Further information: soil South China Sea consists of silt, sand, shell rock and corals; rocky ground off the coast of rocky islands; Typhoons frequently occur in the South China Sea.

Location: western part of the Pacific Ocean, between the Japanese Islands, Taiwan Islands, Philippine, Izu, Ogasawara, Kazan, Marianas, Yap, Palau.

Area: 5,726 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 4,108 m.

Maximum depth: 10,265 m (Philippine Trench).

Bottom relief: Philippine, West Mariana basins, an underwater ridge stretched between them.

Average annual water temperatures: 21°С in the north, 28°С.

Currents: North trade wind, Kuroshio.

Salinity: 34.3-35.1‰.

Inhabitants: fish, shellfish, whales.

Further information: The Philippine Sea is the most big sea Pacific Ocean.

Location: southwestern part Pacific Ocean, the sea is limited by the islands of Fiji, Kermadec, New Zealand, the waters of the Tasman and Coral Seas.

Area: 3.2 million sq. km.

Average depth: 2,741 m.

Maximum depth: 7,633 m.

Bottom relief: central part occupies a deep-water basin, underwater ridges and volcanoes.

Average annual water temperature: 18-23 °С in the southeast, 25-28 °С in the north.

Salinity: 34.9-35.5‰.

Location: Southwest Pacific Ocean, between Australia and New Zealand (south of parallel 30º S).

Area: 3.3 million sq. km.

Average depth: 3,285 km.

Maximum depth: about 5200 m.

Average annual temperatures: 9-15 °С in the south, 23-27 °С in the north.

Salinity: 35-35.5 ‰.

Bottom relief: deep-sea basin with seamounts.

Abode: tuna, horse mackerel, mackerel and others.

Further information: The sea is named after Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, who was the first European to reach Tasmania and New Zealand; in the Tasman Sea are Lord Howe Island, Bol's Pyramid, Norfolk Island.

Location: between Solomon Islands, the islands of New Britain and New Guinea.

Area: 755 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 2,652 m.

Maximum depth: 9,103 m.

Water temperature: about 27 ºС.

Salinity: 34.5‰.

Bottom relief: deep-sea basins, underwater active volcanoes, coral reefs.

Location: northeastern coast of Asia, separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands, the island of Hokkaido.

Area: 1,583 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 821 m.

Maximum depth: 3,372 m.

Average temperatures: -1.8 -2 °С in February, 1.5-15 °С in August.

Salinity: 7-32‰.

Bottom relief: continental shallows, deep sea trenches, uplands of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology, TINRO depression, Deryugin depression, Kuril basin.

Inhabitants: about 300 species of fish live in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, including herring, flounder, cod, pollock, nagava, capelin, pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, chinyga; king crabs, seals, sea lions, sperm whales.

Further information: extent Sea of ​​Okhotsk from northwest to southeast is 2500 km; The Amur, Penzhina, Okhota, Uda, and Bolshaya rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Location: bounded by the coasts of Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the southern border conditionally runs along 30 ° S. sh.

Area: 4,068 thousand square meters km.

Average depth: 2,468 m.

Maximum depth: 9,174 m.

Average water temperatures: 24°C in February, 16°C in August.

Salinity: up to 35.5 ‰.

Bottom relief: Large barrier reef, Queensland plateau, Bellona, ​​many coral atolls and reefs.

Additional information: the unique and largest in the world is located in the Coral Sea coral reef.

Location: Pacific Ocean, west of the Korean Peninsula.

Area: 416 thousand square meters km.

Average depth: 38 m.

Maximum depth: 106 m.

Average temperatures: 0-8 °С in February, 24-28 °С in August.

Salinity: 26-34‰.

Inhabitants: fish (cod, herring, sea bream and many others), oysters, mussels.

Additional information: the sea was named after the color of the muddy water of the Huang He and Haihe rivers flowing into it

Since the Pacific Ocean is the largest, then there should be many seas in it. And indeed, let's start from the north: our Bering Sea, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Next come the Sea of ​​Japan, Yellow, East China, Philippine, South China. In addition to these marginal seas, geographers distinguish between the islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku the inland Sea of ​​Japan.

The basin of the "Asian-Australian Mediterranean Sea" (as the part of the World Ocean between Asia and Australia is sometimes called) is not without reason called by geographers the "country of thousands of islands".

Oceanographers also place many seas in it:

Javanese, Bali Sea, Flores, Sulawesi, Moluccas, Hal - Mahera, Sulu, Seram, Banda, Arafura.

And inland seas Philippines: Mindanao, Sibuyan, Visayan, Samar...

From the east, the boundaries of the Philippine Sea are Philippine Islands. This is a region of deep-water trenches - the deepest cracks in the earth's crust in crowned underwater and surface volcanoes.

It is home to frequent earthquakes and typhoons. Tropical cyclones usually originate in the sea areas off the Marshall and Caroline Islands. From here they begin their destructive movement along sea, where the water temperature is above 26-27 degrees, gain strength and become hurricanes.

The continent of Australia is not very rich in bays and bays, but Polynesia, located almost nearby, makes up for this “lack”.

Here, among the numerous islands and bays, there are several seas at once: the Solomon Sea, and the New Guinea (formerly the Bismarck Sea), Coral, Fiji, Tasmanovo ...

View interesting entry: How many oceans are there on Earth?

With the seas of the Southern Ocean, things are more complicated.

But if we consider it off the coast of Antarctica as a continuation of the Pacific Ocean, then there are many seas, and all of them bear the names of their discoverers, fearless travelers who overcame ice and snowstorms. Their list includes: East End the seas of D'Urville, the seas of Somov, Ross, Amundsen, Bellingshausen.

But to list the islands Pacific Ocean and I will not describe their beauty, there are too many of them, although there are surprisingly interesting pieces of land.

But our book is about the ocean.

Let us summarize and list all the seas of the Pacific Ocean.

Many seas wash the shores of one or more countries. Some of these seas are huge, others are very small... Only the inland seas are not part of the ocean.

largest seas

After the Earth formed from a bunch of gas and dust 4.5 billion years ago, the temperature on the planet dropped and the vapor contained in the atmosphere condensed (turned into liquid when cooled), settling on the surface in the form of rain.

From this water, the world ocean was formed, subsequently divided by the continents into four oceans. These oceans include many coastal seas often interconnected.

The largest seas of the Pacific Ocean

Philippine Sea
Area: 5.7 million km2, located between Taiwan in the north, the Mariana Islands in the east, the Caroline Islands in the southeast and the Philippines in the west.

coral sea
Area: 4 million

km2, bounded on the west by Australia, Papua New Guinea on the north, Vanuatu on the east and New Caledonia

South China Sea
Area: 3.5 million km2, located between the Philippines in the east, Malaysia in the south, Vietnam in the west and China in the north

tasman sea
Area: 3.3 million

km2, washes Australia in the west and New Zealand in the east and separates the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Bering Sea
Area: 2.3 million km2, located between Chukotka (Russia) in the west and Alaska (USA) in the east.

Japanese Sea
Area: 970,000 km2, located between the Russian Far East in the northwest, Korea in the west, and Japan in the east.

Major seas of the Atlantic Ocean

Sargasso Sea
Area: 4 million

km2, located between Florida (USA) in the west and northern Antilles on South.

Composition of sea water

Sea water is approximately 96% water and 4% salt.

Not to mention Dead Sea, the saltiest sea in the world is the Red Sea: it contains 44 grams of salt per liter of water (against 35 grams on average for most seas).

Such a high salt content is due to the fact that in this hot region, water evaporates faster.

gulf of guinea
Area: 1.5 million km2, located at the latitude of the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Mediterranean Sea
Area: 2.5 million km2, surrounded by Europe in the north, Western Asia in the east and North Africa on South.

Antilles Sea
Area: 2.5 million

km2, located between the Antilles in the east, the coast South America in the South and Central America in the West.

Gulf of Mexico
Area: 1.5 million

km2, it is adjacent to the southern coast of the United States from the north and Mexico from the west.

Baltic Sea
Area: 372,730 km2, bordering Russia and Finland in the north, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the east, Poland and Germany in the south, and Denmark and Sweden in the west.

North Sea
Area: 570,000 km2, bordered by Scandinavia to the east, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France to the south, and Great Britain to the west.

Major seas of the Indian Ocean

Arabian Sea
Area: 3.5 million

km2, washes Arabian Peninsula in the west, Pakistan in the north and India in the east.

bay of bengal
Area: 2.1 million km2, located between the coasts of India in the west, Bangladesh in the north, Myanmar (Burma) in the northeast, Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the southeast and Sri Lanka in the southwest.

Great Australian Bight (Australian Bight)
Area: 1.3 million

km2, stretches along south coast Australia.

Arafura Sea
Area: 1 million km2, located between papua new guinea in the northwest, Indonesia in the west and Australia in the south.

mozambique channel
Area: 1.4 million km2, located near Africa, between the coasts of Mozambique in the west and Madagascar in the east.

The largest seas of the Arctic Ocean

Barencevo sea
Area: 1.4 million

km2, washes the coast of Norway in the west and Russia in the east.

Greenland Sea
Area: 1.2 million km2, bounded by Greenland in the west and the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the east.

East-Siberian Sea
Area: 900,000 km2, washes the coast of Siberia.

The largest seas of Antarctica

inland seas

Inland, or closed, seas are completely surrounded by land.

Black and Caspian Sea- the largest of them.

Black Sea
Area: 461,000 km2. It is surrounded by Romania and Bulgaria to the west, Russia and Ukraine to the north, Georgia to the east and Turkey to the south. It communicates with mediterranean sea through Marble.

Bellingshausen Sea
Area: 1.2 million km2, located near Antarctica.

Caspian Sea
Area: 376,000 km2, located between Azerbaijan in the west, Russia in the northwest, Kazakhstan in the north and east, Turkmenistan in the southeast and Iran in the south.

Ross Sea
Area: 960,000 km2, located north of Antarctica.

Weddell Sea
Area: 1.9 million

km2, located between the South Orkney Islands (UK) and the South Shetland Islands(Great Britain) in the north and Antarctica in the south.

The Dead Sea is so salty that there are no living organisms in it.

Education

The largest bay in the Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is considered the largest and deepest body of water in the world. Its area is estimated at 179 million square meters. km. This is 30 square kilometers more than all the land on earth.

The maximum width of the basin is about 17.2 thousand km, and the length is 15.5 thousand km. The ocean area extends from the shores American continent all the way to Australia. The basin includes dozens of large seas and bays.

How did the Pacific Ocean form?

The water area of ​​the current basin began to emerge in the Mesozoic era.

The first stage was the breakup of the Pangea continent into Laurasia and Gondwana. As a result of this, the Panthalassa reservoir began to decrease. The seas and bays of the Pacific began to form between the fault of Laurasia and Gondwana.

In the Jurassic period, several tectonic plates. At the end of the Cretaceous era, the Arctic continent began to split. At the same time, the Australian plate took a course to the equator, and the Pacific - to the west. In the Miocene, active tectonic movement of the layers ceased.

Today, plate displacement is at a minimum, but it continues. Movement is carried out along the axis of the mid-rift underwater zones.

Because of this, the seas and bays of the Pacific Ocean shrink or expand. The displacement of the largest plates occurs at a rate of up to 10 cm/year.

This mainly concerns the Australian and Eurasian plates. Smaller slabs can achieve displacement rates of up to 12-14 cm/yr. The slowest - up to 3 cm per year. Thanks to this unceasing movement, largest bays Pacific Ocean. Behind last years the water area of ​​the basin has changed by several meters.

Location of the Pacific Ocean

The water area of ​​the reservoir is usually divided into two parts: southern and northern. The equator is the boundary of the regions.

The largest bays of the Pacific Ocean are located in the northern part, as are the most large seas and straits. However, many experts consider this division into regions inaccurate, since it does not take into account the direction of the flow.

Therefore, there is an alternative classification of water areas into southern, central and northern.
The largest seas, bays, straits of the Pacific Ocean are in close proximity to the American mainland.

This primarily concerns such countries as the USA, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Nicaragua, etc. southern region there are many water areas small seas between the islands: Tasmanovo, Arafura, Coral, Flores, Yavan and others.

They are adjacent to such bays and straits of the Pacific Ocean as Carpentaria, Siam, Bakbo, Makassar.

The Sulu Sea occupies a special place in the northern region of the basin. It is located within the Philippine archipelago. It includes about a dozen small bays and bays.

Close to Asia most significant seas are Japanese, Yellow, Chinese, Okhotsk.

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gulf of alaska

The basin is bordered by the coastline from the Alexander Archipelago to the Alaska Peninsula. This is the most big bay Pacific Ocean. Its depth in some places exceeds the mark of 5.5 thousand meters.

The main ports are Prince Rupert and Seward. The coastal boundary of the water area is uneven and indented. It is presented not only azure sands, but also high mountains, forests, waterfalls and even glaciers like Hubbard. The bay includes many estuaries and bays.

To date, the Alaska offshore area is considered the main source of large storms moving in the direction of everything American coast including the states of Oregon and Washington.

In addition, the bay is enriched with natural hydrocarbons. Seasonal rains in the water area do not stop even for a week. Some islands of the basin are classified as a national reserve.

Panamanian

Situated along the coast Central America. It borders with Panama along the isthmus 140 km.

Its minimum width is about 185 km, and the maximum reaches 250. The deepest point of the basin is a depression of 100 m. This bay of the Pacific Ocean in a total area reaches 2400 square meters. km.
The largest bays are Parita and San Miguel. The straits here are semi-diurnal, and their average height is 6.4 meters. In the east of the water area are the famous Pearl Islands.

The Panama Canal originates in the northern part of the bay.

At the entrance to it is based largest port the Balboa basin. The canal itself connects the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Panama and Atlantic Ocean. The river Tuira also flows into the water area.

Largest bays: California

This basin is also known as the Sea of ​​Cortez. This bay of the Pacific Ocean separates the Mexican coast from the California peninsula. The Sea of ​​Cortez has one of the oldest water areas. Its age is 5.3 million years. Thanks to the bay, the Colorado River received direct access to the ocean.
The pool area is 177 thousand square meters.

km. The most deep point reaches 3400 meters, and the average mark is 820 m. The ford near the bay is uneven. To date, the California water area is considered the deepest in the Pacific Ocean. Maximum point- in the estuary near the city of Yuma.

The largest islands in the bay are Tiburon and Angel de la Guarda. Smaller ports include Isla Partida and Espiritu Santo.

Gulf of Fonseca

Washes the coast of Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

It is the easternmost bay of the Pacific Ocean.

It was discovered in the early 16th century by the Spaniards and named after an archbishop named Juan Fonseca.
The water area is about 3.2 thousand square meters. km. The basin is up to 35 km wide and up to 74 km long. It is worth noting that this is the most shallow bay in the Pacific Ocean (peak - 27 meters).

Semi-diurnal straits flow into Fonseca, the height of which varies from 2 to 4.5 m. The length of the coastline is 261 km. Most of it is in Honduras (70%). The rest is shared by Nicaragua and El Salvador.

The largest islands in the basin are El Tigre, Meanguera, Zacate Grande and Conchaguita. The Fonseca water area is located in a seismically active zone, so earthquakes and minor tsunamis regularly occur within it.

At the beginning of the bay there are two active volcano Cosiguin and Conchagua.

Interestingly, Honduras and El Salvador fought for sole dominance in Fonseca for a long time.

A compromise was reached only in 1992.

Sea of ​​Aki- the open sea connecting the east and west of the Sea of ​​Japan. It is small in size - only 35 * 45 km. In Japan, this sea is called "Aki Nada" (in honor of historical province Aki), and its eastern part has its own name - Itsuki.

The Sea of ​​Aki is located in the monsoon zone at temperate latitudes - a rare phenomenon that has endowed the sea with an unusual climate: in summer there is more rainfall than in winter. The Aki Sea is considered a seismically hazardous area. During the monsoon period, powerful typhoons are born here, and the waves grow up to 12 meters. But the Japanese really appreciate the Aki Sea for its richest underwater world and abundance of fish. The sea is especially famous for mackerel and crucian carp.

Sea Bali

Sea Bali. The Bali Sea stretches between the islands of Bali, Lombok, Subawa, Java and Madura. Its area is 40 thousand km. The subequatorial zone provides a mild and humid climate. Storms are rare here, and the water temperature rarely drops below 28°C. It is for this that divers love the Bali Sea. Undersea world almost indistinguishable in beauty Indian Ocean. In the sea there are such unusual fish as barracudas, crocodile fish, angelfish, hammerhead sharks and giant tortoises. But swimming here is not very convenient, since coral thickets begin almost at the edge of the sea.

- one of the deepest in the world (average depth - 2744 m), located within the Malay Archipelago. Great depth, low tides (up to 2 m) and warm water (average temperature 26-28°C) have made the Banda Sea one of the favorite meeting places for divers.

The underwater world here is exceptionally diverse. One of the most interesting views fish - talking umbrine fish. They make a sound like grunting, and very loud. Local fishermen simply listen to the water and easily determine the places where fish gather. And the catch of umbrine brought to the deck rolls up a deafening concert.

The sea got its name in honor of the Banda archipelago. Until the middle of the 19th century, these islands were the only place in the world where nutmeg was grown - the most valuable spice that Arab merchants sold at exorbitant prices. And the location of the islands was kept in the strictest confidence.

- the largest (area 2304 sq. km) and the deepest sea in Russia. Its average depth is 1640m, the greatest is 4151m. This sea is also the most northerly, ice is formed here already in September, and disappears only by the end of June. In winter, more than half of the sea is under ice, and in the Gulf of Laurentia, for example, the ice crust stays for years.

The Bering Sea is often called the "sea of ​​abundance", because. it is one of the richest ecoregions in the world. It is home to over 450 species of fish, about 50 species of seabirds and more than 20 species of marine animals.

- an inland sea located between the islands of the Philippine archipelago. clear waters, white sandy beaches, cozy bays and magnificent weather made the sea popular tourist place. The sea is shallow (average depth is only 80 m), but very warm, as it is located near the equator. The underwater world of the sea is, first of all, coral thickets, which attract numerous species of fish and shellfish. Pearls are mined in shallow waters.

(Seto-Nankai Sea) is located between the Japanese islands and connects through the Shimonoseki Strait with the Sea of ​​Japan, which washes these islands. The sea is shallow - the average depth is 22 meters. But in this water area there are over 1000 islands. Most major islands connected by bridges.

Since ancient times, this sea has served as the most important transport artery. In the Middle Ages, the power of the sea was seized by pirates who had a huge fleet and completely controlled maritime trade in this region. The most influential were the pirates from the Murakami family clan, who received the status of samurai for their activities.

Unique natural conditions became the reason that it was the water area of ​​the Inland Sea of ​​Japan that became the first in the world marine reserve(since 1934).

Located between the coast of China and the Japanese islands. Its area is 836 thousand square kilometers, the average depth is 309 m, the largest is 2718 m. This sea is very dangerous for navigators, since there are still huge unexplored areas water areas, and navigation equipment is installed only near the most important ports. The uneven topography of the seabed is the result of numerous earthquakes, as a result of which powerful tsunamis are formed.

washes East Coast China and Korea. The area is 416 thousand square kilometers, the average depth is 40 m. It was called yellow because of the color of the water. The fact is that several of the largest Chinese rivers flow into this sea, which form deposits of sand and silt. And in spring, dust storms often rage over the sea, which are so strong that ships have to be stopped.

The first European to visit the Yellow Sea was Marco Polo, although the ancient peoples of China and Korea have traveled this sea since time immemorial and were active in maritime trade.

One of the most amazing natural phenomena occurs in the southwestern part of the sea. Here, between the Korean islands of Jindo and Modo, at low tide, the sea parted, exposing the bottom. For almost an hour, the “sea road” opens, along which you can get from one island to another on foot, practically without getting your feet wet. This happens 1-3 times a year. People call this phenomenon "the miracle of Moses".

- an inland sea located between the islands of the Philippine archipelago. It got its name in honor of the Camotes group of islands, which rise almost in the very center of the water area.

Camotes is located in the tropics, so in May there is calm, and from June to October typhoons dominate here.

Near the island of Cebu in the Camotes Sea is one of the most unusual places on our planet - the Gulf of Magnoles. Huge reserves of beryllium have been discovered at the bottom of the bay. Dissolving into sea ​​water, beryllium makes this water taste sweet. Therefore, Camotes is popularly called the "sweet sea".

Spread between Australia and the islands of New Guinea and New Caledonia. total area– 4791 sq. km, the average depth is 2194 m (the greatest is 9140 m).

The sea got its name in honor of the corals, whose thickets form huge reefs and islands. It is here that the longest coral reef in the world is located - the Great Barrier Reef. The entire water area has belonged to Australia since 1964.

There is also a tragic page in the history of the sea. In May 1942, one of the largest naval battles of World War II between the fleets of Japan and the allies (Great Britain, the USA and Australia) took place in the Coral Sea. It was the first battle of aircraft carriers in the world, and the ships themselves did not fire a single shot, and the battle was fought exclusively in the air.