Atlantic Ocean Location: Between Continents

Atlantic Ocean: Geographic Position

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean (~106M km², 20% of Earth's surface). It lies in an S-shaped basin between:

• West: North & South America
• East: Europe & Africa
• North: Arctic Ocean (via Greenland Sea, etc.)
• South: Southern Ocean (at 60°S)

Key Subdivisions

• North Atlantic: Gulf Stream, Labrador Sea, major shipping lanes.
• South Atlantic: Benguela Current, less traffic.
• Marginal seas: Caribbean, Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, Baltic, North Sea, Hudson Bay.

Strategic Importance

Historically the "bridge" between Old and New Worlds. Today: critical for global trade (transatlantic cables, shipping), fisheries, climate regulation (AMOC).