Philippine Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Philippine Sea |
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Coordinates | 20°N 130°E / 20°N 130°E |
Part of | Pacific Ocean |
Basin countries | |
Islands | |
Trenches |
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The Philippine Sea is a huge part of the Pacific Ocean. It lies to the east and northeast of the Philippines. This sea covers a massive area, about 5 million square kilometers (1.9 million square miles).
The bottom of the Philippine Sea is formed by a large piece of the Earth's crust called the Philippine Sea Plate. Many islands and countries surround this sea. These include:
- The Philippines (like Luzon, Samar, and Mindanao) to the southwest.
- Islands like Palau and Guam to the southeast and east.
- Parts of Japan (like Honshū and the Ryūkyū Islands) to the north and northwest.
- Taiwan to the west.
The Philippine Sea has a very interesting and varied bottom. It's shaped by many geologic faults and deep cracks in the Earth.
Undersea Features
The Philippine Sea is known for its amazing undersea landscape. It has several special features:
- Island Arcs: These are long chains of islands that rise above the ocean surface. They are formed by plate tectonic activity, where huge pieces of the Earth's crust move and collide. Examples include the Ryūkyū Islands and the Mariana Islands.
- Deep Sea Trenches: These are some of the deepest parts of the ocean. The Philippine Sea is home to the Philippine Trench and the famous Mariana Trench. The Mariana Trench contains the deepest known point on Earth, called the Challenger Deep.
Geography and Location

The Philippine Sea is surrounded by many different landmasses.
- To its west are the Philippines and Taiwan.
- To the north is Japan.
- To the east are the Mariana Islands.
- To the south is Palau.
Other seas are also nearby. The Celebes Sea is to the south, separated by the island of Mindanao. The South China Sea is to the west, separated by the Philippines. The East China Sea is to the northwest, separated by the Ryūkyū Islands.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack by United States Navy aircraft from Task Force 58, late afternoon, 20 June 1944. The heavy cruiser circling at right, nearest to the camera, is either Maya or Chōkai. Beyond that, is the small aircraft carrier Chiyoda.
See also
In Spanish: Mar de Filipinas para niños