Which ocean is the third largest?

The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean. It lies between Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica, covering about 70.6 million square kilometers—roughly one-fifth of the ocean-covered area of Earth.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest, followed by the Atlantic Ocean. The Indian Ocean ranks third under the modern five-ocean classification, ahead of the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean. Its northern boundary is distinctive because it is nearly enclosed by Asia, unlike the Atlantic and Pacific, which extend broadly toward the Arctic.

The ocean takes its name from India, whose peninsula projects deeply into its northern waters. It includes major regions such as the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Andaman Sea, as well as island nations and territories including Madagascar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius.

A common mix-up is confusing ocean size with depth. The Indian Ocean is not the largest, but it contains the Sunda Trench, its deepest point, near Indonesia.