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How many named seas are recognized in the English language?

Question #152134. Asked by RedRobin7.
Last updated Jun 20 2025.
Originally posted Jun 20 2025 12:55 AM.

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elburcher star
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elburcher star
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I do not understand the question... Is the question which named seas are named "in" English as opposed to the names of Seas that are English translations ?

Jun 20 2025, 5:30 PM
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looney_tunes star
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looney_tunes star
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Since there are a number of regions which are named as seas by locals, and there is no official designation of exact areas defined by specific names, there cannot be a definitive answer to this question. This page lists a large number of seas, but excludes any that are not part of the World Ocean (the major named oceans and their branches as bays, etc.) - so there are more places called a sea, but the exact number is indeterminate. Given those provisos, I cannot be bothered counting the entries, and checking to make sure that any listed under more than one category have only been counted once. Others may have the necessary energy for the task.
Sea has several definitions:
*A division of an ocean, delineated by landforms, currents (e.g., Sargasso Sea), or specific latitude or longitude boundaries. This includes but is not limited to marginal seas, and this is the definition used for inclusion in this list.
*A marginal sea is a division of an ocean, partially enclosed by islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas, adjacent to or widely open to the open ocean at the surface, and/or bounded by submarine ridges on the sea floor.
*The World Ocean. For example, the Law of the Sea states that all of the World Ocean is "sea", and this is also common usage for "the sea".
*Any large body of water with "Sea" in the name, including lakes.
...
Entities called "seas" which are not divisions of the World Ocean are not included in this list. Excluded are:
Lakes, ponds, etc.: Salt lakes with "Sea" in the name: Aral Sea, Dead Sea, Caspian Sea, Salton Sea; Freshwater lakes with "Sea" in the name: Sea of Galilee
...
(Note) There is no accepted technical definition of sea among oceanographers. A rather weak definition is that a sea is a subdivision of an ocean, which means that it must have oceanic basin crust on its floor. This definition, for example, accepts the Caspian Sea, which was once part of an ancient ocean, as a sea. The Introduction to Marine Biology defines a sea as a "landlocked" body of water, adding that the term "sea" is only one of convenience, but the book is written by marine biologists, not oceanographers. The Glossary of Mapping Sciences similarly states that the boundaries between seas and other bodies of water are arbitrary.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_seas_on_Earth

Jun 20 2025, 6:01 PM
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