what is the difference between the ocean and the sea?

Answer 1

seas are sourounded by land where oceans are not.

Answer 2

Although the terms "ocean" and "sea" are often used interchangeably, a sea is generally considered to be smaller than an ocean. One definition of "ocean" is: a great body of interconnecting salt water that covers 71 percent of the Earth's surface. There are four major oceans—Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific. However, some sources do not include the Arctic Ocean, calling it a marginal sea. The term "sea" is often assigned to saltwater areas on the margins of oceans, such as the Mediterranean Sea situated beside the Atlantic Ocean.

Answer 3

There are five Oceans - Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Antarctic Ocean.

Any large unenclosed bodies of water can be called a Sea; such as South China Sea, Mediterranean Sea

Answer 4

Americans usually say ocean, but on the other side of the pond they're more likely to call the same thing the sea.

Answer 5

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?

Answer 6

The difference is purely nomenclature. Ocean is a large body of water that is bordered by two or more continents. A sea on the other hand, is bordered by only one continent.

Answer 7

Sometimes seas are smaller bodies of saltwater. Generally, ocean and sea is interchangeable.

Answer 8

oceans are bigger than seas. the north sea, baltic sea, black sea etc are far smaller than the atlantic ocean, pacific ocean and indian ocean. (the atlantic ocean is so huge it is divided into north and south)

Answer 9

Don't oceans have to have currents that will take water between two continents?

Answer 10

Basically no difference. Seas are smaller and usually partially enclosed by land. You can drown in both!