Ah, Rich;-
    You have hit it---the reason for the question in the first place. It sounds so (shall we say) right!
The "Four winds and the seven seas". It has such a nice feeling to it.
    Art
      "---and why the sea is boiling hot and whether--- (etc.)"
>
> From: worldwide <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2004/01/20 Tue PM 09:48:10 EST
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: 7 is 5
>
> Leslie and those still counting,
>
> The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), an intergovernmental
> consultative and technical organization with more than 75 maritime member
> countries.  It was established in 1921 to support safety in navigation and
> the protection of the marine environment, and among its many charters,
> attempts to bring about the greatest possible uniformity in nautical charts
> and documents.  As of the year 2000, they have recognized 5 oceans.
>
> The follow is gleaned from EnchantedLearning.com with links to the CIA
> Factbook:
>
> The Earth's oceans are all connected to one another. Until the year 2000,
> there were four recognized oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and
> Arctic. In the Spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization
> delimited a new ocean, the Southern Ocean (it surrounds Antarctica and
> extends to 60 degrees latitude).
>
> There are also many seas (smaller branches of an ocean); seas are often
> partly enclosed by land. The largest seas are the South China Sea, the
> Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.
>
> Pacific Ocean
> Area (square miles): 64,186,000
> Average Depth (ft) :15,215
> Deepest depth (ft): Mariana Trench, 36,200 ft deep
> http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zn.html
>
> Atlantic Ocean
> Area: 33,420,000
> Average Depth: 12,881
> Deepest depth: Puerto Rico Trench, 28,231 ft deep
> http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/zh.html
>
> Indian Ocean
> Area: 28,350,000
> Average Depth: 13,002
> Deepest depth: Java Trench, 25,344 ft deep
> http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/xo.html
>
> Southern Ocean
> Area: 7,848,300 sq. miles (20.327 million sq km )
> Average depth: 13,100 - 16,400 ft deep (4,000 to 5,000 meters)
> Deepest depth: the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench, 23,736 ft
> (7,235 m) deep
> http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/oo.html
>
> Arctic Ocean
> Area: 5,106,000
> Average depth: 3,953
> Deepest depth: Eurasia Basin, 17,881 ft deep
> http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/xq.html
>
> That's an official ocean count.  From a literary point-of-view, 7-seas
> flows off the tongue with a much nicer cadence.
>
> Rich
> On the western shore of the 2nd largest ocean Latitude: 39° 17'North
>
>

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