How Many Oceans Are There? Understanding the Five (and Seven) Oceans

The number of oceans depends on the classification system used. Modern geography recognizes five oceans:

1. Pacific Ocean
2. Atlantic Ocean
3. Indian Ocean
4. Southern (Antarctic) Ocean
5. Arctic Ocean

The traditional "Seven Seas" concept is historical and variable. One modern interpretation sometimes splits the Pacific into North and South, yielding a list of seven:

1. North Pacific Ocean
2. South Pacific Ocean
3. North Atlantic Ocean
4. South Atlantic Ocean
5. Indian Ocean
6. Southern Ocean
7. Arctic Ocean

However, the International Hydrographic Organization and most scientific bodies use the five-ocean model. The Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans are the three major oceans; the Southern and Arctic are smaller, polar oceans.