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by pickle4u on May 1st, 2005

pickle4u

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What is the difference between an ocean and a sea?

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  • by notmrjohn on May 2nd, 2005

    notmrjohn

    Size is important, Oceans ARE bigger than seas, ( smallest ocean Arctic 5,427,000 sq miles, largest sea Mediterranean 1,144,800 sq mi). But a sea is more or less enclosed and separated from the larger ocean by land.

    The Mediterranean is completely surrounded by land with only the Straits of Gibraltar as an outlet, while the Bering Sea is separated from the Pacific to the south by only a narrow string of widely spaced islands. Seas generally are larger than gulfs, ( also "more or less enclosed and separated from the larger body of water by land.") but the Gulf of Mexico,615,000 sq mi ,is larger than the East China Sea, 482,300. Gulfs and seas are larger than bays (again "more or less enclosed and separated from the larger body of water by land.") "but The Bay of Bengal, 1,300,000 square miles is larger than the Mediterranean . A large inland saline lake without an outlet or connection to a larger body is also called a sea, such as the Caspian Sea, 152,239 square miles.. The Caspian, though saline and no outlet, is sometimes considered to be the world's largest LAKE, Lake Superior,largest fresh water body and with an outlet, 31,820 sq mi , is larger than the saline Dead Sea, 394 square miles. The Sea of Galilee is a small freshwater lake with a natural outlet, but it's called Sea anyway. Sometimes it's just a matter of what people call it, sea?

    Comments

    • Another divergence from your definition is the Arabian Sea. It's not surrounded by land.

      Glenn Blaylock

      by Glenn Blaylock on May 3rd, 2005

    • pickle4u

      by pickle4u on December 4th, 2005

    • very good!like the pun at the end...

      cockles73

      by cockles73 on February 4th, 2010

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