The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth.
The Pacific covers about 165.25 million square kilometres, including its marginal seas, and stretches from Asia and Australia to North and South America. It occupies roughly one-third of the planet's surface and contains more than half of the world's ocean water by some measurements.
The name Pacific comes from the Latin pacificus, meaning peaceful. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan used a related name after finding relatively calm conditions during part of his 1520–1521 crossing, although the ocean is often affected by powerful storms and earthquakes.
The Pacific also contains the Mariana Trench, the deepest known oceanic trench. A common mix-up is confusing the Pacific's size with the Atlantic's importance in historical trade; the Atlantic is the second-largest ocean.