Australia and the Southern Ocean

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Southern Ocean is defined by Australia as all the ocean south of Australia, extending to Antarctica. Other countries describe some of that water as either the Indian Ocean or Pacific Ocean, with the Southern Ocean only the part closest to Antarctica.

Contents

[edit] Australia

Australia defines the open waters south of the continent as the Southern Ocean. Both Geoscience Australia[1] and the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service[2] online gazetteers represent the Southern Ocean close to the mainland.

[edit] International Hydrographic Organisation

The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defines the "Southern Ocean" as those waters surrounding Antarctica south of the 60° S circle of latitude, which is the northern boundary of Antarctica for the purposes of the Antarctic Treaty System.[3] Australia is a member of the IHO, represented by the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service.[4]

[edit] CIA World Fact Book

The CIA World Fact Book mistakenly identified the water south of Australia as the South Pacific Ocean on one of its primary reference maps.[5] Their world maps over the past five years and their primary "Oceania" - Australia map (produced in May 2007) instead place "Indian Ocean" below Australia and/or carefully place "Southern Ocean" only between 60 degrees south latitude and Antactica.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Place Names Search Results: Southern Ocean. Geoscience Australia. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
  2. ^ MGA Search Results: Southern Ocean. Australian Hydrographic Service. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
  3. ^ ANTARCTIC TREATY ACT 1960. Government of Australia. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
  4. ^ IHO Member States. International Hydrographic Organization. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
  5. ^ Antarctic Region. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
  6. ^ Oceania and World. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.