What is the smallest ocean by area?

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean by area. It covers roughly 14 million square kilometres, making it far smaller than the Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Pacific oceans.

The Arctic Ocean surrounds the North Pole and is bordered by North America, Europe, and Asia. Much of its surface is covered by seasonal or year-round sea ice, although the ice extent changes dramatically between winter and summer. Its average depth is also the shallowest of the five oceans, at about 1,200 metres.

A common mix-up is confusing the Arctic Ocean with the Southern Ocean. The Arctic is the ocean around the North Pole, while the Southern Ocean encircles Antarctica. The Arctic is connected to the Atlantic through the Greenland and Norwegian seas and to the Pacific through the narrow Bering Strait. Despite its smaller size, it plays a major role in global climate, ocean circulation, and discussions about melting sea ice.