Water makes up the majority of our planet. From oceans and lakes to rivers and streams, water is an important part of our ecosystem. They have provided sustenance, transportation, and recreation for billions of people throughout history and remain a critical part of our planet.
The following infographic from Tower Paddle Boards examines the 50 largest bodies of water on Earth.
What is the largest ocean in the world? That would be the Pacific Ocean. At 60 million square miles, it is the largest body of water on the planet. It is home to the deepest oceanic trench, the Mariana Trench, as well as the deepest point in the Southern Hemisphere, the Horizon Deep.
The Philippine Sea is the largest sea on Earth. It occupies more than 2 million square miles of surface area and is located to the east of the Philippines. As part of the Pacific Ocean, it is the location of the Mariana Trench and the Philippine Trench.
While the Caspian Sea is labeled a sea, it is often classified as the world’s largest lake. It is the world’s largest inland body of water at 143,000 square miles of surface area. It stretches nearly 750 miles from north to south, and is unique in that it has a salinity that equates to about 1/3 of average sea water.
The world’s largest river system is the Nile River. At more than 4,000 miles long, its drainage basin covers 11 different countries in Africa. It is one of the most historically significant bodies of water in the world.
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