How many oceans are there?

[icarus]

If you are like me you probably believed there are four oceans--the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian. But lo and behold they went out and made a new one in 2000 (sorry if this has been discussed on the board in the past six years):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean
http://geography.about.com/od/learna...fifthocean.htm

Just what we needed--another ocean!

[ken0042]

There were 5 when I went to school. Looks like they just named the Antarctic one; and defined exactly where it begins.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

This is bulls***.

I'm a 4 ocean kind of guy. Always have been always will be.

[RedHot25]

[Buff]

I could've sworn that I learned about the 5 oceans back in my elementary school days. I'm going to have to check my old atlas and globe when I get home tonite.

[J pold]

I always thought there was 5

[ernie]

I was always taught 5 oceans. The fifth being the antarctic ocean.

Perhaps it was a regular conceit to be taught the 5 oceans but it was only officially recognized and actual boundaries ascribed to it in 2000?

[notoepik]

Originally Posted by ernie

I was always taught 5 oceans. The fifth being the antarctic ocean.

Me too.

And I went to school back in the dark ages before you guys were born LOL

[ernie]

Originally Posted by notoepik

Me too.

And I went to school back in the dark ages before you guys were born LOL

Well perhaps not the dark ages but I would have taken this 20 years ago in elementary school. I've always thought their were 5 oceans. Seems strange to me that it wasn't "official" until the time when I finished grad school.

[redforever]

I graduated from highschool in 1966 and was taught 5 oceans back then, but we called the fifth ocean the Antarctic, not the Southern Ocean.

Sometimes people have too much time on their hands and try to reinvent the wheel.

[skrabble]

Wow....theres a new batch of info to me.

[CrusaderPi]

It doesn't really matter. Once global warming takes effect there will only be one ocean.... EARTH.

[Vulcan]

Ok, now what are the Seven Seas?

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Ok, now what are the Seven Seas?

Medieval European and Arabic literature often spoke of the Seven Seas. Which seven seas are intended depends on the context. The "Seven Seas" was a commonplace phrase in many ancient literatures before it was taken up by the Greeks and Romans; it appears in a translation of one of Enheduanna's hymns to Inanna (Hymn 8), written about 2300 BC in Sumer (Meador 2001). The number seven has ancient magic of its own in many traditions, informing many groupings of seven. "Seven" as an indefinite number remains for a long time synonymous with "several", as in the Greek Seven Seas", Hopkins 1923. In Greek and Western culture, the "seven" seas were arbitrary and changed over time, varying depending upon the part of the world and the period of time. However, they were usually seven out of the following list of nine bodies of water:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Seas

[icarus]

I never knew there were so many five-ocean people. Man, I was sure there was only four growing up. Damn you, Lake Bonavista Elementary!

[troutman]

Billy Ocean makes 6.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by troutman

Billy Ocean makes 6.

hehehe, funny!!!

[Shazam]

There... Are... Four... Lights!! Err, OCEANS!

[troutman]

Related topic:

How many planets are there in our solar system? Some people don't include Pluto anymore. Others count Pluto, and a new object in the Kuiper belt as our 10th planet. Are we 8 or 10?

http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/

[Mr.Coffee]

^^ I read in the news yesterday that astronomists are meeting in Europe later this month to decide on a definition of a planet, and it will determine Pluto's status. And I assume, that UB313 one too.