The Atlantic Ocean Is Not "In the Southeast"—It Separates Two Hemispheres

No, the Atlantic Ocean is not located "in the southeast." It is a globe-spanning basin that separates the Americas (west) from Europe and Africa (east).

Extent and Boundaries

• North: Arctic Ocean (Fram Strait, Barents Sea).
• South: Southern Ocean (60°S).
• West: North & South America.
• East: Europe & Africa.
• Connections: Mediterranean (Gibraltar), Caribbean (Yucatán, Windward), Baltic (Danish Straits), North Sea (English Channel), Gulf of Mexico (Florida Straits).

Why the Confusion?

• For a U.S. East Coast observer, the Atlantic lies to the east/southeast.
• For a West African observer, it lies to the west/southwest.
• For a Brazilian, it lies to the east.
• For a European, it lies to the west.

Direction is observer-relative; the ocean itself has no cardinal location—it is the space between continents.

Quick Facts

• Area: 106.5M km² (2nd largest).
• Volume: 310M km³.
• Avg depth: 3,646 m.
• Key currents: Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift, Canary, Benguela, Brazil, Falklands.