Top 10 smallest seas in the world

The sea is a part of the world’s oceans, separated by land or underwater reliefs. It has its own depth, salinity, temperature and composition of the water, as well as a unique ecosystem, inhabitants, who sometimes cannot be found outside of it.

In this article, we have collected information about the ten smallest seas in the world by area, each of which plays a role in the ecosystem of the Earth’s oceans.

10 Bali Sea, 40 thousand km²

Bali is a fabulous island and province in Indonesia that many advanced Instagram users dream about. Meanwhile, many find it difficult to say what kind of waters wash its shores.

This sea of ​​the same name Points, which is sandwiched between islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is really small, only 40 thousand km², and the average depth is 400 m. The bottom is lined with precipitation, and there is a depression in the relief with a depth of 1600 m.

There are several volcanoes on the southern islands. The average water temperature is 27-28°C. The main port is located on the island of Java and is called Surabaya.

9. Sea of ​​Azov, 39 thousand km²

Sea of ​​Azov dearly loved by those who prefer to relax in Russia. It is not as deep as neighboring Chernoye, there are no majestic mountains around, but local waters do not frighten with storms, for which families with children love it.

Despite its modest size – only 39 thousand km², the Sea of ​​u6bu8bAzov sets a number of records. Firstly, it is the shallowest in the world, the average depth is XNUMX-XNUMX m. This is the most continental sea, it belongs to the Atlantic Ocean, but is connected to it by a whole system of seas and straits.

In addition, it is one of the youngest on the planet. In ancient times, the Sea of ​​u5600buXNUMXbAzov did not exist, the approximate date of its formation is only XNUMX BC.

8. Lincoln Sea, 38 thousand km²

The Lincoln Sea – marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean. It was discovered in 1881 by a Canadian expedition, and is named on the map not in honor of the 16th President of the United States, as one might think, but his son, Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln.

The sea is located between Canada and Greenland. The climate here is very harsh: the water temperature stays at -1 – 1,8 ° C all year round, constant winds blow, their speed reaches 40 m / s.

The shores of the Elsmere and Greenland Islands, which are washed by the Lincoln Sea, are impregnable, rocky, dotted with fjords. The surface of the water is almost always covered with ice and glaciers roaming from the Arctic Ocean, except perhaps for a couple of summer months.

7. Savu Sea, 35 thousand km²

Sea of ​​Sava located in the Pacific Ocean and bounded by the islands of the Malay Archipelago belonging to Indonesia. Despite the small area, only 35 thousand km², it is quite deep: the average depth is 1683 m, and the maximum depth is 3475 m. The water temperature is 26-28 ° С.

The Sava Sea is called “untouched queen“. Its flora and fauna are diverse and unique, coral reefs and islands of volcanic origin. The largest city on the sea is Savu Kupang, the capital of the province of East Nusa Tenggara on the island of Timor, about 450 thousand people live in it.

6. Sea Davis, 21 thousand km²

And we again turn to cold waters, but this time not in the north, but in the south. Davis Sea – the marginal sea of ​​the Southern Ocean, washes the Queen Mary Lands and the Shore of Truth. The Antarctic Circle passes through it, so the climate here is truly harsh.

The surface of the sea is almost always covered with ice, only in summer, when the water warms up to 0,5 ° C, small areas open up. The temperature in summer rises to 0°C, and in winter it averages -12 – -16°C.

On the coast of the Davis Sea, the Mirny station is located, which became the first permanent scientific station of the USSR in Antarctica.

5. Inland Sea of ​​Japan, 18 thousand km²

The Japanese call it Seto-Naikaiwhich literally means “inland sea-strait“. This is true. Inland Sea of ​​Japan is a system of straits and basins, located between the Japanese islands of Honshu, Koshu, Shikoku. Refers to the Pacific Ocean.

Its area is only 18 thousand km², and the average depth is 20-60 m, so this sea is considered shallow. The water temperature varies from 27°C in summer to 16°C in winter months. As a result of the industrial revolution, the islands were built up with industrial zones, which caused a serious threat to the environment.

To date, nature reserves have been created on the shores of the Inland Sea of ​​Japan, and tourists from all over the world enjoy stunning views with pleasure.

4. Ligurian Sea, 15 thousand km²

Ligurian Sea located literally in a corner of paradise, in the arms of Italy and France. It washes the shores of the Italian and French Riviera, as well as Corsica and Elba.

These shores are quite rocky, but there are gentle exits to the sea and even sandy coves, where the best resorts of the two countries are located. The area of ​​the sea is only 15 thousand km², the water warms up in summer to 23-24°C. The average depth is 1200 m, the greatest is more than 2500 m.

3. Sea of ​​Marmara, 11,472 thousand km²

Marmara Sea spread out in the Mediterranean, just between the European and Asian parts of Turkey. It got its name in ancient Greece, when deposits of beautiful white stone with veins were found on the island of Marmara. The stone began to be mined for the construction of palaces and the creation of sculptures, it began to be called marble, and the sea – Marble.

It is connected to the Black and Aegean Seas by straits, but itself has a much higher salt content than its neighbors. Moreover, the deeper (and the depth reaches 1330 m), the saltier the water. This is explained by the fact that many rivers flow into the sea, the fresh water of which dilutes the upper layers of the basin.

There are many resorts on its banks, picturesque places are popular among tourists. Turkey plans to build the Istanbul Canal by 2023, which will be mainly navigable and will have to unload the Bosphorus.

2. Wadden Sea, 10 thousand km²

Watts are shallow sea areas that, when combined, form Wadden Sea. It stretches for 500 km along the coasts of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. It is noteworthy that in Russia the Wadden Sea is traditionally not distinguished as an independent one, but is considered part of the North Sea, from which it is separated by a chain of the Frizz Islands.

It is a unique tidal ecosystem that develops according to natural laws with little or no human intervention. It is home to 2500 species of animals and almost 700 species of plants that adapt to existence either on land or in the sea.

It is not surprising that the Wadden Sea is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is carefully protected from the destructive actions of man.

1. Sea Samar, 3,87 thousand km²

And here is the record holder in terms of area, the smallest sea in the world, which nestled in the inter-island space in the Philippines. This is the Sea Samar, and it refers to the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the island, one of the many in its waters.

The Spanish traveler, seeing an island in the Pacific Ocean, dissected by rivers, like wrinkles, without thinking twice called it that – “Dissected”, Samar. Well, the sea later received this name automatically. Once it was a unique ecosystem in which more than 50 species of commercial fish were found. But uncontrolled catching has led to an actual ecological catastrophe.

First, large predators were caught, then the fishermen took up smaller species, not hesitating to use dynamite. As a result, jellyfish bred, the growth of which had no one to restrain. Today, fishing in the Samar sea is strictly regulated, and the islands are chosen by tourists who love tropical holidays.