Which ocean is named after a country?

The ocean named after a country is the Indian Ocean. It takes its name from India, the large South Asian country and peninsula projecting into its northern waters.

The name has been recorded since at least 1515, when the Latin phrase Oceanus Orientalis Indicus was used. Earlier geographers used broader names such as the Eastern Ocean, while ancient Greeks referred to parts of the region as the Erythraean Sea.

The Indian Ocean is Earth’s third-largest oceanic division, bordered by Africa, Asia, Australia and, depending on the definition used, Antarctica or the Southern Ocean. It includes important regional seas such as the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

A common mix-up is confusing the ocean’s name with the country that gives it that name: the Indian Ocean is not located only around India. It covers a huge area and has shaped monsoon weather, ancient trade routes and modern energy shipping.