National Geographic Grants Southern Ocean Official Status

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June 13, 2021

The National Geographic has officially recognized the Southern Ocean as one of the world's major bodies of water, putting it alongside the traditional four of Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic.

Southern Ocean map

The Southern Ocean is the large body of water that encircles Antarctica to 60 degrees south latitude. The area, sometimes called the Antarctic Ocean, includes the Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea and is home to the world's largest ocean current, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Many people have used the term Southern Ocean for many years. The International Hydrographic Organization began using the term in 1937 but stopped in 1953, amid controversy about the name; the organization reversed course, for good, in 2000. Since 1999, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has endorsed the name; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association did the same in February 2021.

National Geographic made the announcement on June 8, World Oceans Day. The change will be noted on new maps, which the organization has produced since 1915.

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