The four main oceans on planet Earthare the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian, and the Arctic Ocean. Some people consider the southern portion of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans as another ocean they call the Antarctic (or Southern) Ocean but since there is no easily defined land mass surrounding the Antarctic Ocean it is usually not mentioned in geography. In the Antarctic lesson (in Bottom Dwellers) there is a discussion about this and various ways to refer to this unique marine area.
The Atlantic Ocean is bounded by America on its western side and Europe/Africa on its eastern side. The part of the ocean north of the equator is often called the North Atlantic and the part south of the equator is called the South Atlantic. These distinctions are important as each of these has a distinctively different circulation pattern.
The Pacific Ocean is bounded by Asia/Australia on its western side and America on its eastern side. The part of the ocean north of the equator is often called the North Pacific and the part south of the equator is called the South Pacific. These distinctions are important as each of these has a distinctively different circulation pattern just like the Atlantic Ocean.
The Indian Ocean is bounded by Africa on its western side and Australia on its eastern side. Most of Indian Ocean is below the equator and thus in the southern hemisphere.
