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List of seas on Earth facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Oceans and seas boundaries map-en
This map shows the different seas as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization.

Our planet Earth is mostly covered by water! This huge body of water is called the World Ocean. But this ocean isn't just one big, plain area. It's divided into many smaller parts, which we call seas. This article will help you learn about these different seas, including large areas of water like gulfs, bays, and straits. Sometimes, a body of water is called a "sea" just because of old traditions, even if it's technically a bay or gulf.

What are Seas and Oceans?

Let's learn some important words to understand our watery world better:

  • Ocean: These are the biggest parts of the World Ocean. There are usually four to seven main oceans, like the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Sea: A sea is a part of an ocean. It's often partly surrounded by land, like islands or peninsulas. Think of it like a room in a very big house. For example, the Sargasso Sea is special because it's defined by ocean currents, not land!
    • Marginal Sea: This is a type of sea that is next to a big ocean. It's often partly closed off by islands or land, but still open to the main ocean.
  • River: A narrow stream of water that flows over land, usually from higher ground to lower ground.
  • Strait: A narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water. Imagine a tiny hallway connecting two big rooms.
  • Channel: Similar to a strait, but usually wider.
  • Canal: A waterway built by people to connect different bodies of water.

There are also different names for parts of the ocean that push into the land:

  • Bay: This is a general word for a part of the ocean that curves into the land. Bays can be small or very large.
  • Gulf: A very large bay. It's often a major part of an ocean or sea.
  • Bight: A bay that is usually shallower than a sound.
  • Sound: A large, wide bay that is typically deeper than a bight, or it can be a strait.
  • Cove: A very small bay, often sheltered and with a narrow entrance.

These terms can sometimes be confusing because they are used differently in different places. This list includes all large areas of water, no matter what they are called.

Biggest Seas by Size

Here are some of the largest seas in the world, listed by their size. The numbers show how many square kilometers (km2) they cover:

  1. Philippine Sea – 5.695 million km2
  2. Coral Sea – 4.791 million km2
  3. American Mediterranean Sea – 4.200 million km2
  4. Arabian Sea – 3.862 million km2
  5. Sargasso Sea – 3.5 million km2
  6. South China Sea – 3.5 million km2
  7. Weddell Sea – 2.8 million km2
  8. Caribbean Sea – 2.754 million km2
  9. Mediterranean Sea – 2.510 million km2
  10. Gulf of Guinea – 2.35 million km2
  11. Tasman Sea – 2.3 million km2
  12. Bay of Bengal – 2.172 million km2
  13. Bering Sea – 2 million km2
  14. Sea of Okhotsk – 1.583 million km2
  15. Gulf of Mexico – 1.550 million km2
  16. Gulf of Alaska – 1.533 million km2
  17. Barents Sea – 1.4 million km2
  18. Norwegian Sea – 1.383 million km2
  19. East China Sea – 1.249 million km2
  20. Hudson Bay – 1.23 million km2
  21. Greenland Sea – 1.205 million km2
  22. Somov Sea – 1.15 million km2
  23. Mar de Grau – 1.14 million km2
  24. Riiser-Larsen Sea – 1.138 million km2
  25. Sea of Japan – 1.05 million km2
  26. Argentine Sea – 1 million km2
  27. East Siberian Sea – 987,000 km2
  28. Lazarev Sea – 929,000 km2
  29. Kara Sea – 926,000 km2
  30. Scotia Sea – 900,000 km2
  31. Labrador Sea – 841,000 km2
  32. Andaman Sea – 797,700 km2
  33. Laccadive Sea – 786,000 km2
  34. Irminger Sea – 780,000 km2
  35. Solomon Sea – 720,000 km2
  36. Mozambique Channel – 700,000 km2
  37. Cosmonauts Sea – 699,000 km2
  38. Banda Sea – 695,000 km2
  39. Baffin Bay – 689,000 km2
  40. Laptev Sea – 662,000 km2
  41. Arafura Sea – 650,000 km2
  42. Ross Sea – 637,000 km2
  43. Chukchi Sea – 620,000 km2
  44. Timor Sea – 610,000 km2
  45. North Sea – 575,000 km2
  46. Bellingshausen Sea – 487,000 km2
  47. Beaufort Sea – 476,000 km2
  48. Red Sea – 438,000 km2
  49. Black Sea – 436,000 km2
  50. Gulf of Aden – 410,000 km2
  51. Yellow Sea – 380,000 km2
  52. Baltic Sea – 377,000 km2
  53. Caspian Sea – 371,000 km2
  54. Libyan Sea – 350,000 km2
  55. Mawson Sea – 333,000 km2
  56. Levantine Sea – 320,000 km2
  57. Java Sea – 320,000 km2
  58. Gulf of Thailand – 320,000 km2
  59. Celtic Sea – 300,000 km2
  60. Gulf of Carpentaria – 300,000 km2
  61. Celebes Sea – 280,000 km2
  62. Tyrrhenian Sea – 275,000 km2
  63. Sulu Sea – 260,000 km2
  64. Cooperation Sea – 258,000 km2
  65. Persian Gulf – 251,000 km2
  66. Flores Sea – 240,000 km2
  67. Gulf of St. Lawrence – 226,000 km2
  68. Bay of Biscay – 223,000 km2
  69. Aegean Sea – 214,000 km2
  70. Gulf of Anadyr – 200,000 km2
  71. Molucca Sea – 200,000 km2
  72. Oman Sea – 181,000 km2
  73. Ionian Sea – 169,000 km2
  74. Gulf of California – 160,000 km2
  75. Balearic Sea – 150,000 km2
  76. Adriatic Sea – 138,000 km2

Marginal Seas by Ocean

Seas can be "marginal" when they are between a big ocean and land. They can also be between two oceans. There isn't one single rule for how they are named.

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is at the very top of the world. Here are some of its marginal seas:

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is a huge ocean that separates Europe and Africa from the Americas.

Europäisches Nordmeer mit Grenzen
The Norwegian Sea
Ionian Sea map
The Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian, and Tyrrhenian are all marginal seas within the Mediterranean Sea.

Seas Near Africa and Eurasia

Seas Near the Americas

Seas Near Northern Islands

IrishSeaReliefmap
The Irish Sea

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean.

Arabian Sea map
The Arabian Sea as a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's oceanic divisions.

Coral Sea map
Coral Sea

Seas Near the Americas

Seas Near Australia and Eurasia

Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica.

Seas Defined by Ocean Currents

Most seas are defined by land around them. But one sea is special because it's defined only by the way ocean currents move:

  • Sargasso Sea: This sea is in the Atlantic Ocean. It's unique because it has no land borders. Instead, it's surrounded by four strong ocean currents that form a giant circle.

What's Not Included?

This list only includes parts of the World Ocean. It does not include:

  • Lakes that have "Sea" in their name, like the Dead Sea or Sea of Galilee. These are inland bodies of water, not connected to the ocean.
  • Imaginary seas from stories or myths.

See also

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List of seas on Earth Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.