Six continents, four oceans… that’s what we all know from school and easy quiz questions, but some say there are five bodies of water on Earth. Will people happily accept this or will there be some backlash, like when Pluto was downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006?
The National Geographic Society says it's time to recognize that there are five oceans on our planet.
The Southern Ocean, a body of icy water encircling Antarctica, will now officially join the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans on the maps made by the society – although the move is not recognized by everyone.
The decision was made in the wake of World Oceans Day celebrations on 8 June to reflect on what scientists, explorers, and geographers suspected for a long time – the waters around Antarctica are unique and cannot simply be thought of as extensions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
“The Southern Ocean has long been recognized by scientists, but because there was never agreement internationally, we never officially recognized it,” says National Geographic Society Geographer Alex Tait, who is tasked with keeping the Map Policy up-to-date.
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There Are Five Oceans on Earth Now, National Geographic Says