What’s The Difference Between The Sea and Ocean?

So, you’re probably wondering how did we get here. Well, I was having my morning coffee.  I’d just finished my routine and had time for another vlog, which was a travel vlog by What’s For Dinner. This was Part II of her trip to Niigata City. She mentioned seeing Japan’s Sea from a lookout tower in close proximity of a local park. My mind caught that and thought what is the difference between the sea and the ocean. Growing up in the U.S., we learned about continents and the oceans they’re surrounded by. I recall a few seas cause a lot of international geography revolved around how Europe’s borders changed so much over the centuries. At this point in life, my memories a bit fuzzy on the difference. The comment sparked my curiosity.

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What Defines These Similiar Words

Like I mentioned before, if the ocean surrounds all of these continents, where does the sea come in? Because we call it the Pacific Ocean not the Pacific Sea. It turns out, the sea is a body of salt water that’s partly enclosed by land. This definition matters because countries have different bodies of water within their landscape. Defining where the sea comes into play explains why not all bodies around these large masses of land are surrounded by the sea. This also let’s us know that there are bodies of salt water that sit between land and ocean.  That’s pretty interesting to me.

Why Does This Distinction Matter

I’d say this probably matters more to traveler’s than locals, but that seems like a misleading statement. I can’t speak for education across the globe, it’s safe to say most kids learn about the immediate world around them. Like where their town is located within their nation. As kids develop they have a self centered world view. Like all the world has to offer is what I can see. As a adults we know that is not the case. So, it’s best to start at the center which is the child’s perspective and work your way to the world.

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In theory a local will have general knowledge of their country, because its taught and reinforced throughout their education. Whereas a traveler, may need that information for self preservation. That could be as simple as getting lost trying to reach your destination. Needing recovery assistance. The more detailed they can be, the easier it is to narrow down where to go or how to find you. 

Final Thoughts

In my case, I just wanted to know the difference and share my findings with yall. There’s no immediate reason to retain this information. Who knows, I might randomly recall it because it’s relevant to a conversation I’m having with others. Maybe, it’ll help someone with a crossword puzzle. We don’t need profound reasons to look into things. Thats what I believe.