The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the world's largest body of water. It encompasses a third of the Earth's surface, having an area of 179.7 million km² (69.4 million sq miles). Extending approximately 15,500 km (9,600 miles) from the Bering Sea in the Arctic to the icy margins of Antarctica's Ross Sea in the south (although the Antarctic regions of the Pacific are sometimes described as part of the circumpolar Southern Ocean)the Pacific reaches its greatest east-west width at about 5°N latitude, where it stretches approximately 19,800 km (12,300 miles) from Indonesia to the coast of Colombia. The western limit of the ocean is often placed at the Strait of Malacca. The lowest point on earth—the Mariana Trench—lies some 10,911 m (35,797 ft) below sea level. Earth, also known as Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third-closest planet to the Sun. ... The worlds oceans as seen from the South Pacific Ocean (from Okeanos, Greek for river, the ancient Greeks noticed that a strong current flowed off Gibraltar, and assumed it was a great river); covers almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth, and nearly half of the... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Ferdinand Magellan (Spring 1480–April 27, 1521; Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães pron. ... Water (from the Old English word wæter; c. ... Earth, also known as Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third-closest planet to the Sun. ... To help compare sizes of different areas, here is a list of areas between 100 million km² and 1,000 million (American billion) km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude, this page lists lengths starting at 107 m (10,000 km). ... The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water above, and separted from, the north Pacific Ocean Ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole. ... Map of Antarctica (click to enlarge) Ice in the Ross Sea, Antarctica The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude, this page lists lengths starting at 107 m (10,000 km). ... This wide-angle map of south-east Asia shows that the Strait is the most direct route from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. ... Mariana Trench on Pacific Ocean map The Mariana Trench (or Marianas Trench) is the deepest known submarine trench, and the deepest location in the Earths crust itself. ...

The Pacific contains about 25,000 islands (more than the total number in the rest of the world's oceans combined), the majority of which are found south of the equator. (See: Pacific Islands.) The Pacific Ocean has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 islands; the exact number has not been precisely determined. ...

Along the Pacific Ocean's irregular western margins lie many seas, the largest of which are the Celebes Sea, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Sea of Japan, South China Sea, Sulu Sea, Tasman Sea, and Yellow Sea. The Straits of Malacca joins the Pacific and the Indian Oceans on the west, and the Straits of Magellan links the Pacific with the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Celebes Sea on its northern border. ... The Coral Sea is a region off the north-east coast of Australia with a namesake chain of islands (uninhabited), including the Willis, Coringa, and Tregosse Islets. ... The East China Sea is a marginal sea and part of the Pacific Ocean. ... The Sea of Japan (East Sea) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. ... The South China Sea, showing surrounding countries and neighbouring seas and oceans The South China Sea is a marginal sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km². It is the largest sea body after the five... The Sulu Sea is a large sea in the southwestern area of the Philippines. ... Satellite photo of the Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand and is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. ... ... This wide-angle map of south-east Asia shows that the Strait is the most direct route from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. ... The Strait of Magellan, near Punta Arenas The Strait of Magellan is a navigable route immediately south of mainland South America. ...

As the Pacific straddles the ±180° longitude where East becomes West, the Asian side of the ocean (where latitudes are E) is correctly referred to as East Pacific and the opposite side (eastwards) where latitudes are W is the West Pacific. To retain the popular "left is western" and "right is eastern" means of reference, the Western Pacific is thus the East Pacific and the Eastern Pacific the West Pacific. The International Date Line follows the ±180° longitude to the greater part of its North-South demarcation but veers far eastwards around Kiribati (Caroline Island, which, not coincidentally, was renamed Millennium Island) and westwards round the Aleutian Islands as can be seen on the map at International Date Line. The International Date Line around 180° The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, which offsets the hours that are added or subtracted as one travels east or west through successive time zones. ... NASA orbital photo of Caroline Island. ... Caroline Island should not be confused with the Caroline Islands in the western Pacific. ... Looking down the Aleutians from an airplane. ... The International Date Line around 180° The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, which offsets the hours that are added or subtracted as one travels east or west through successive time zones. ...

For most of Ferdinand Magellan's voyage from the Straits of Magellan to the Philippines, the Portuguese explorer indeed found the ocean peaceful. However, the Pacific is not always peaceful. Many typhoons and hurricanes batter the islands of the Pacific and the lands around the Pacific rim are full of volcanoes and often rocked by earthquakes. Tsunamis, caused by underwater earthquakes, have devastated many islands and wiped out whole towns. Ferdinand Magellan (Spring 1480–April 27, 1521; Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães pron. ... The Strait of Magellan, near Punta Arenas The Strait of Magellan is a navigable route immediately south of mainland South America. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... Tracking and Warning Joint Typhoon warning Center - Western Pacific MetService, New Zealand - Tasman Sea, South Pacific south of 25&deg S Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Southern hemisphere from 90° E to 160° E Canadian Hurricane Centre - Northwest Atlantic (overlaps US NHC) Hurricane & Storm Tracking for the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans - Shows... Eruption redirects here. ... Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998 An earthquake is a sudden and sometimes catastrophic movement of a part of the Earths surface. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...

File links The following pages link to this file: Pacific Ocean ...

Ocean bottom

The ocean floor of the central Pacific basin is relatively uniform, an abyssal plain with a mean depth of about 4270 m (14,000 ft). The major irregularities in the basin are the extremely steep-sided, flat-topped submarine peaks known as seamounts. The western part of the floor consists of mountain arcs that rise above the sea as island groups, such as the Solomon Islands and New Zealand, and deep oceanic trenches, such as the Mariana Trench, the Philippine Trench, and the Tonga Trench. Most of the trenches lie adjacent to the outer margins of the wide western Pacific continental shelf. Abyssal plains are flat or very gently sloping areas of the ocean basin floor where rocks gradually sink into the ground because they have no supporting heat energy below them; the worlds flattest and smoothest regions are caused by this effect. ... A seamount is a mountain rising from the seafloor that does not reach to the surface of the ocean. ... The oceanic trenches are hemispheric-scale long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor. ... Mariana Trench on Pacific Ocean map The Mariana Trench (or Marianas Trench) is the deepest known submarine trench, and the deepest location in the Earths crust itself. ... The Philippine Trench is a submarine trench to the east of the Philippine islands. ... The Tonga Trench is located in the Pacific ocean and is 32,000 ft (9,900 m) deep. ...

Along the eastern margin of the Pacific Basin is the East Pacific Rise, which is a part of the worldwide mid-oceanic ridge. About 3000 km (1800 miles) across, the rise stands about 3 km (2 miles) above the adjacent ocean floor. The East Pacific Rise is a long north-south welt of sea floor spreading that roughly parallels the Pacific coast of South America. ... A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an uplifting of the ocean floor that occurs when convection currents beneath the ocean bed force magma up where two tectonic plates meet at a divergent boundary. ...

Because a relatively small land area drains into the Pacific, and because of the ocean's immense size, most sediments are authigenic or pelagic in origin. Authigenic sediments include montmorillonite and phillipsite. Pelagic sediments derived from seawater include pelagic red clays and the skeletal remains of sea life. Terrigenous sediments eroded from land masses are confined to narrow marginal bands close to land. Diagram of the layers of the pelagic zone. ... Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of water or other liquid. ... Montmorillonite is a very soft phyllosilicate mineral that typically forms in microscopic crystals, forming a clay. ... Phillipsite is a mineral of the zeolite group; a hydrated potassium, calcium and aluminium silicate, approximating to (Ca,Na2,K2)3Al6Si10O32. ...

Elevation extremes

• lowest point: -10,924 m (-35,840 ft). at the bottom of the Mariana Trench
• highest point: 0 m (0 ft), sea level.

Mariana Trench on Pacific Ocean map The Mariana Trench (or Marianas Trench) is the deepest known submarine trench, and the deepest location in the Earths crust itself. ...

Water characteristics

Water temperatures in the Pacific vary from freezing in the poleward areas to about 29°C (84°F) near the equator. Salinity also varies latitudinally. Water near the equator is less salty than that found in the mid-latitudes because of abundant equatorial precipitation throughout the year. Poleward of the temperate latitudes salinity is also low, because little evaporation of seawater takes place in these frigid areas. Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. ...

The surface circulation of Pacific waters is generally clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere (the North Pacific Gyre) and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. The North Equatorial Current, driven westward along latitude 15°N by the trade winds, turns north near the Philippines to become the warm Japan or Kuroshio Current. Turning eastward at about 45°N, the Kuroshio forks and some waters move northward as the Aleutian Current, while the rest turn southward to rejoin the North Equatorial Current. The Aleutian Current branches as it approaches North America and forms the base of an counter-clockwise circulation in the Bering Sea. Its southern arm becomes the chilled slow, south-flowing California Current. Northern Hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ... The North Pacific Gyre (also known as the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre) is a swirling vortex of ocean currents comprising most of the northern Pacific Ocean. ... The Southern Hemisphere of Earth highlighted in yellow. ... The North Equatorial Current is a significant Pacific Ocean current that flows east-to-west between the equator and 10° north. ... The Kuroshio Current is an ocean current found in the western Pacific Ocean off the east coast of Taiwan and flowing northeastward past Japan, where it merges with the easterly drift of the North Pacific Current. ...

The South Equatorial Current, flowing west along the equator, swings southward east of New Guinea, turns east at about 50°S, and joins the main westerly circulation of the Southern Pacific, which includes the Earth-circling Antarctic Circumpolar Current. As it approaches the Chilean coast, the South Equatorial Current divides; one branch flows around Cape Horn and the other turns north to form the Peru or Humboldt Current. The South Equatorial Current is a significant Pacific Ocean current that flows east-to-west between the equator and 10 degrees south. ... The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica. ... Cape Horn from the South, January 2003 Cape Horn is often said to be the southernmost point of South America. ... The Humboldt Current (or Peru Current) is a cold ocean current that flows northward off the west coast of South America. ...

Climate

Only the interiors of the large land masses of Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand escape the pervasive climatic influence of the Pacific. Within the area of the Pacific, five distinctively different climatic regions exist: the mid-latitude westerlies, the trades, the monsoon region, the typhoon region, and the doldrums.

Mid-latitude westerly air streams occur in both northerly and southerly latitudes, bringing marked seasonal differences in temperature. The westerlies are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. ...

Closer to the equator, where most of the islands lie, steadily blowing trade winds allow for relatively constant temperatures throughout the year of 21-27°C (70-81°F). The trade winds are a pattern of wind found in bands around the Earths equatorial region. ...

The monsoon region lies in the far western Pacific between Japan and Australia. Characteristic of this climatic region are winds that blow from the continental interior to the ocean in winter and in the opposite direction in summer. Consequently, a marked seasonality of cloudiness and rainfall occurs. Typhoons often cause extensive damage in the west and southwest Pacific. The greatest typhoon frequency exists within the triangle from southern Japan to the central Philippines to eastern Micronesia. For the band Monsoon see Sheila Chandra Monsoon in the Vindhya, a mountain chain in central India A monsoon is a periodic wind, especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ...

Although more poorly defined than the other climatic regions, two major doldrum areas lie within the ocean, one located off the western shores of Central America and the other within the equatorial waters of the western Pacific. Both areas are noted for their high humidity, considerable cloudiness, light fluctuating winds, and frequent calms. The thunderstorms of the Intertropical Convergence Zone form a line across the eastern Pacific Ocean. ... Commonly, Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ...

Geology

The Andesite Line is the most significant regional distinction in the Pacific. It separates the deeper, basic igneous rock of the Central Pacific Basin from the partially submerged continental areas of acidic igneous rock on its margins. The Andesite Line follows the western edge of the islands off California and passes south of the Aleutian arc, along the eastern edge of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, Japan, the Mariana Islands, the Solomon Islands, and New Zealand. The dissimilarity continues northeastward along the western edge of the Albatross Cordillera along South America to Mexico, returning then to the islands off California. Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, New Guinea, and New Zealand—all eastward extensions of the continental blocks of Australia and Asia—lie outside the Andesite Line. The Andesite Line is the most significant regional distinction in the Pacific. ... State nickname: The Golden State Official languages English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 4. ... Looking down the Aleutians from an airplane. ... Kamchatka is the land of volcanoes. ... For the political history of the sovereignty conflict, see Kuril Islands dispute. ... The Mariana Islands (sometimes called The Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called the Islas de los Ladrones or Islands of Thieves) are a group of islands made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the Pacific Ocean. ... The Andesite Line is the most significant regional distinction in the Pacific. ...

Within the closed loop of the Andesite Line are most of the deep troughs, submerged volcanic mountains, and oceanic volcanic islands that characterize the Central Pacific Basin. It is here that basaltic lavas gently flow out of rifts to build huge dome-shaped volcanic mountains whose eroded summits form island arcs, chains, and clusters. Outside the Andesite Line, volcanism is of the explosive type, and the Pacific Ring of Fire is the world's foremost belt of explosive volcanism. The Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean. ...

Landmasses

The largest landmass entirely within the Pacific Ocean is the island of New Guinea— the second largest in the world. Almost all of the smaller islands of the Pacific lie between 30°N and 30°S, extending from South-east Asia to Easter Island; the rest of the Pacific Basin is almost entirely submerged. The great triangle of Polynesia, connecting Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand, encompasses the island arcs and clusters of the Cook, Marquesas, Samoa, Society, Tokelau, Tonga, and Tuamotu islands. North of the equator and west of the international date line are the numerous small islands of Micronesia, including the Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Mariana Islands. In the southwestern corner of the Pacific lie the islands of Melanesia, dominated by New Guinea. Other important island groups of Melanesia include the Bismarck Archipelago, Fiji, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Islands in the Pacific Ocean are of four basic types: continental islands, high islands, coral reefs, and uplifted coral platforms. Continental islands lie outside the Andesite Line and include New Guinea, the islands of New Zealand, and the Philippines. These islands are structurally associated with the nearby continents. High islands are of volcanic origin, and many contain active volcanoes. Among these are Bougainville, Hawaii, and the Solomon Islands. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Location of Easter Island. ... Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the triangle Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesos = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Official languages Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Senators Daniel Inouye (D) Daniel Akaka (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² 41. ... The Marquesas Islands is a group of islands in French Polynesia. ... The International Date Line around 180° The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, which offsets the hours that are added or subtracted as one travels east or west through successive time zones. ... Sunset at Colonia on Yap The Caroline Islands form a large archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. ... The Mariana Islands (sometimes called The Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called the Islas de los Ladrones or Islands of Thieves) are a group of islands made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the Pacific Ocean. ... Melanesia (from Greek black islands) is a region extending from the western side of East Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and north-east of Australia. ... Melanesia (from Greek black islands) is a region extending from the western side of East Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and north-east of Australia. ... The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the coast of New Guinea in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, named in honour of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck and belonging to Papua New Guinea. ... This article is about the island; Bougainville is also the name of a commune in the Somme département of France. ...

The third and fourth types of islands are both the result of coralline island building. Coral reefs are low-lying structures that have built up on basaltic lava flows under the ocean's surface. One of the most dramatic is the Great Barrier Reef off northeastern Australia. A second island type formed of coral is the uplifted coral platform, which is usually slightly larger than the low coral islands. Examples include Banaba (formerly Ocean Island) and Makatea in the Tuamotu group of French Polynesia. Satellite image of a part of the Great Barrier Reef. ... Banaba Island (also Ocean Island), an island in the Pacific Ocean, lies west of the Gilbert Island chain and east of Nauru. ... Categories: Stub | Polynesia ...

History and economy

See the Oceania article for information on one set of the Pacific Island states listed below here. Oceania is a geographical (often geopolitical) region consisting of numerous countries and territories – mostly islands – in the Pacific Ocean. ...

Important human migrations occurred in the Pacific in prehistoric times, most notably those of Polynesians from Tahiti to Hawaii and New Zealand. The ocean was sighted by Europeans early in the 16th century, first by Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1513) and then by Ferdinand Magellan, who crossed the Pacific during his circumnavigation (1519-1522). In 1564 conquistadors crossed the ocean from Mexico led by Miguel López de Legazpi who sailed to the Philippines and Mariana Islands. For the remainder of the 16th century Spanish influence was paramount, with ships sailing from Spain to the Philippines, New Guinea, and the Solomons. The Manila Galleons linked Manila and Acapulco. During the 17th century the Dutch, sailing around southern Africa, dominated discovery and trade; Abel Janszoon Tasman discovered (1642) Tasmania and New Zealand. The 18th century marked a burst of exploration by the Russians in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, the French in Polynesia, and the British in the three voyages of James Cook (to the South Pacific and Australia, Hawaii, and the North American Pacific Northwest). Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the triangle Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesos = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, at 17°40′S 149°30′W. The island had a population of 169,674 inhabitants at the 2002 census. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Official languages Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Senators Daniel Inouye (D) Daniel Akaka (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² 41. ... Vasco Núñez de Balboa Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c. ... Events January 20 - Christian II becomes King of Denmark and Norway. ... Ferdinand Magellan (Spring 1480–April 27, 1521; Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães pron. ... Events March 4 - Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico. ... Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ... Events March 8 — Naples bans kissing in public under the penalty of death June 22 — Fort Caroline, the first French attempt at colonizing the New World September 10 — The Battle of Kawanakajima Ottoman Turks invade Malta Modern pencil becomes common in England Conquistadors crossed the Pacific Spanish founded a colony... Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who achieved the Conquista (this Spanish term is generally accepted by historians), i. ... // Headline text == Miguel López de Legazpi (b. ... The Mariana Islands (sometimes called The Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called the Islas de los Ladrones or Islands of Thieves) are a group of islands made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the Pacific Ocean. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... The Manila Galleons were Spanish galleons that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in New Spain (now Mexico). ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Africa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603 - October 10, 1659), was a Dutch seafarer and explorer, born in Lutjegast, a village in the province of Groningen, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644, in the service of the VOC (Dutch East India Company). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Official languages English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 1st 663,267 mi² / 1,717,854 km² 13. ... Looking down the Aleutians from an airplane. ... This article refers to the British navigator and cartographer. ...

Growing imperialism during the 19th century resulted in the occupation of much of Oceania by Great Britain and France, followed by the United States. Significant contributions to oceanographic knowledge were made by the voyages of the HMS Beagle in the 1830s, with Charles Darwin aboard; the HMS Challenger during the 1870s; the U.S.S. Tuscarora (1873-76); and the German Gazelle (1874-1876). Although the United States took the Philippines in 1898, Japan controlled the western Pacific by 1914, and occupied many other islands during World War II. By the end of that war the U.S. Pacific Fleet was the virtual master of the ocean. Imperialism is a policy of extending control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial conquest or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and/or economy of other countries. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... HMS Beagle (centre) from an 1841 watercolour by Owen Stanley, painted during the third voyage while surveying Australia. ... // Events and Trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony Croquet invented in Ireland Railroad construction begins in earnest in the United States Egba refugees fleeing the Yoruba civil wars found the city of Abeokuta in south-west Nigeria... In his lifetime Charles Darwin gained international fame as a controversial and influential scientist. ... Eight ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Challenger, most famously the survey vessel Challenger that carried the Challenger expedition from 1872 to 1876. ... 1874 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...

Seventeen independent states are located in the Pacific: Australia, Fiji, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Republic of China (Taiwan), Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Eleven of these nations have achieved full independence since 1960. The Northern Mariana Islands are self-governing with external affairs handled by the United States, and Cook Islands and Niue are in similar relationships with New Zealand. Also within the Pacific are the U.S. state of Hawaii and several island territories and possessions of Australia, Chile, Ecuador, France, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ... State nickname: The Aloha State Official languages Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Senators Daniel Inouye (D) Daniel Akaka (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² 41. ...

The exploitation of the Pacific's mineral wealth is hampered by the ocean's great depths. In shallow waters of the continental shelves off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, petroleum and natural gas are extracted, and pearls are harvested along the coasts of Australia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Philippines, although in sharply declining volume. The Pacific's greatest asset is its fish. The shoreline waters of the continents and the more temperate islands yield herring, salmon, sardines, snapper, swordfish, and tuna, as well as shellfish. In 1986, the member nations of the South Pacific Forum declared the area a nuclear-free zone in an effort to halt nuclear testing and prevent the dumping of nuclear waste there. Family Clupeidae This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow up to 58 long and 126 pounds. ... Sardines or pilchards are a group of several types of small oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. ... Genera Aphareus Aprion Apsilus Etelis Hemilutjanus Hoplopagrus Lipocheilus Lutjanus Macolor Ocyurus Paracaesio Pinjalo Pristipomoides Randallichthys Rhomboplites Symphorus Snapper can also refer to the Snapping turtle. ... Binomial name Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758 Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill in contrast to the smooth, round bill of the marlins. ... Species Thunnus alalunga Thunnus albacares Thunnus atlanticus Thunnus maccoyii Thunnus obesus Thunnus orientalis Thunnus thynnus Thunnus tonggol Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. ... Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. ... The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental consultative process which aims to enhance cooperation between the countries of the Pacific Ocean and represent their interests. ... A nuclear test explosion is an experiment involving the detonation of a nuclear weapon. ... A Russian fissile material storage facility Radioactive waste is waste material containing radioactive chemical elements which does not have a practical purpose. ...

Ports and harbours

• Acapulco (Mexico)
• Anchorage (United States)
• Auckland (New Zealand)
• Brisbane (Australia)
• Callao (Peru)
• Hong Kong (Hong Kong (China (PRC)))
• Honolulu (United States)
• Kobe (Japan)
• Long Beach (United States)
• Los Angeles (United States)
• Panama City (Panama)
• Portland (Oregon) (United States)
• Prince Rupert (Canada)
• San Diego (United States)
• San Francisco (United States)
• Sapporo (Japan)
• Seattle (United States)
• Shanghai (China (PRC))
• Sydney (Australia)
• Taipei (China (ROC))
• Vancouver (Canada)
• Victoria (Canada)
• Vladivostok (Russia)
• Yokohama (Japan)

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Bibliography

• Barkley, R.A., Oceanographic Atlas of the Pacific Ocean (1969)
• Cameron, I., Lost Paradise (1987)
• Couper, A., Development in the Pacific Islands (1988)
• Crump, D.J., ed., Blue Horizons (1980)
• Gilbert, John, Charting the Vast Pacific (1971)
• Lower, J. Arthur, Ocean of Destiny: A Concise History of the North Pacific, 1500-1978 (1978)
• Oliver, D.L., The Pacific Islands, 3nd ed. (1989)
• Ridgell, R., Pacific Nations and Territories, 2nd ed. (1988)
• Soule, Gardner, The Greatest Depths (1970)
• Spate, O.H., Paradise Found and Lost (1988)
• Terrell, J.E., Prehistory in the Pacific Islands (1986).

Based on public domain text from US Naval Oceanographer

External links

• EPIC Pacific Ocean Data Collection Viewable on-line collection of observational data
• NOAA In-situ Ocean Data Viewer Plot and download ocean observations
• Map South Pacific
• NOAA Ocean Surface Current Analyses - Realtime (OSCAR) Near-realtime Pacific Ocean Surface Currents derived from satellite altimeter and scatterometer data
• NOAA PMEL Argo profiling floats Realtime Pacific Ocean data
• NOAA TAO El Nino data Realtime Pacific Ocean El NIno buoy data
• South Pacific Organizer