Ocean Sea
Ocean Sea
What's the difference between sea and ocean?
This question came up yesterday in one of my classes, I live in Brazil and I teach English.
I've already wondered about such a simple question like this, but I found it really relevant to know it when I had to give an answer to a student. He's only 13 and got me with this basic question.
So, does this difference lie on how large a specific amount of water is, or on the scale you're looking at (like if you're close it's sea, and if it's an overview it's always simply ocean), or if both actually mean the same as Americans usually say.
I'd appreciate an answer from a geographer, but all replies are welcome!
An ocean is:
"a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere"
And oceans are the largest division of open water.
A sea is:
"a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land"
Hence a sea is a smaller division of open water, and attached to an ocean.
I assume there are some discrepencies in naming (such as the Caspian), which may have been done by locals and not some ovararching naming authority, or it was named based on attachment to an ocean somewhere in its past.
Toronto, Ontario, is about 1,300 miles from the sea, yest ocean going ships can still reach its harbor. How?
Toronto, Ontario, is about 1,300 miles from the sea, yest ocean going ships can still reach its harbor. How?
Toronto is on an inland fresh water sea called Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario drains into the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence River.
Ocean going ships navigate from the Atlantic Ocean up the Saint Lawrence River to Lake Ontario and then to Toronto.
If they go through the Welland Canal to Lake Erie they can get to Cleveland Ohio which is even farther from the ocean.
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