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Background:
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The
Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans
(followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern
Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access
waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima,
Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by
the International Hydrographic Organization in the
spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern
Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of
60 degrees south. |
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Location:
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body of
water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and
the Western Hemisphere |
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Geographic coordinates:
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0 00 N,
160 00 W |
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Map references:
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Political
Map of the World |
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Area:
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total:
155.557 million sq km
note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering
Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf
of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk,
South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water
bodies |
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Area - comparative:
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about 15
times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global
surface; larger than the total land area of the world
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Coastline:
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135,663
km |
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Climate:
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planetary
air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit
remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds
and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified
by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes)
may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect
Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause
climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the
eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the
North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal -
a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when
moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land,
and a dry season during the winter months, when dry
winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean;
tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and
east Asia from May to December |
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Terrain:
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surface
currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a
clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of
currents) and in the southern Pacific by a
counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern
Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of
Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from
Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October;
the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by
the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is
dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana
Trench, which is the world's deepest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924
m
highest point: sea level 0 m |
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Natural resources:
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oil and
gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel
aggregates, placer deposits, fish |
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Natural hazards:
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surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake
activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of
Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in
southeast and east Asia from May to December (most
frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones
(hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central
America and Mexico from June to October (most common in
August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina
phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing
weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western
Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in
extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the
northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to
December |
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Environment - current issues:
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endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion,
sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in
Philippine Sea and South China Sea |
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Geography - note:
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the major
chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon
Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides
the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the
South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and
rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific
Ocean |
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Economy - overview:
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The
Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world
economy and particularly to those nations its waters
directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation
between East and West, extensive fishing grounds,
offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and
gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60%
of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean.
Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing
an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the
US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of
recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide
swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to
fluctuations in new drillings. |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bangkok
(Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los
Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea),
San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China),
Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia),
Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan) |
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Transportation - note:
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Inside
Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to
Puget Sound (Washington state) |
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Disputes - international:
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some
maritime disputes (see littoral states) |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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