The Pacific Ocean is the world's largest ocean. At 165.2 million square kilometres, the Pacific Ocean is the world's largest body of water.
It was named Mare Pacificum by Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. This in Latin means peaceful sea.
The Pacific Ocean is vast, it covers around 32 per cent of the world's surface and covers a larger area than all the world's landmass put together. New Guinea, the world's second largest island, is the largest landmass within the entire Pacific Ocean. The remainder of the Pacific is mainly empty except for a few small islands dotted around.
The Pacific was first sighted by Europeans at the start of the 16th century. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa is credited with being the first European to see the Pacific after crossing the Isthmus of Panama in 1513. But the first European to master the Pacific was Magellan when he circumnavigated the ocean during his epic 1519 to 1522 voyage.
It was named Mare Pacificum by Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. This in Latin means peaceful sea.
The Pacific Ocean is vast, it covers around 32 per cent of the world's surface and covers a larger area than all the world's landmass put together. New Guinea, the world's second largest island, is the largest landmass within the entire Pacific Ocean. The remainder of the Pacific is mainly empty except for a few small islands dotted around.
The Pacific was first sighted by Europeans at the start of the 16th century. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa is credited with being the first European to see the Pacific after crossing the Isthmus of Panama in 1513. But the first European to master the Pacific was Magellan when he circumnavigated the ocean during his epic 1519 to 1522 voyage.