Seven Seas

As seven seas or seven seas were and are referred to different waters.

The still common expression of the Seven Seas includes the historically important for maritime trade waters. In addition to the three oceans are the four major " Mediterraneans " about this: to a large extent of land enclosed seas side of the oceans, which are so important for maritime trade / were that they were regarded in seafaring as a separate seas. The seven seas are therefore:

However, there are, depending on the time, people ( point of view) and relative importance of the different combinations of the "Seven Seas".

In ancient times

The concept of the seven seas existed in ancient times. He appears among others in ancient Chinese, Persian and Phoenician texts, but it is always related to different territories.

Among other things, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, the Black Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The Greeks and Romans identified the following waters as The Seven Seas:

From a European perspective

The names of the seven seas is applied from a European perspective, depending on your view or perspective and historical significance, in addition to the three oceans ( Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Pacific) in varying occupation on the following seas:

• Mediterranean
• North Sea
• Baltic Sea
• Caspian Sea
• Black Sea
• Caribbean Sea ( often referred to as the Caribbean)
• China Sea or Yellow Sea
• Persian Gulf or Red Sea

The impact of European civilization on the compilation of this list is particularly evident by the inclusion of the Mediterranean and the North and / or Baltic in all interpretations. ( The Mediterranean is always included in this list, North Sea and Baltic Sea are rare along part of the list, but one of the two comes in European interpretations is always present. Furthermore, the Red Sea never part of this enumeration when the Persian Gulf is recording and conversely addition applies. the China Sea is mentioned, shall relieve the Yellow Sea as part of this ).

1450-1650

During the time of discovery (1450-1650), lead some the seven seas when the then busy seas:

The modern seven seas

Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, 1896 brought out the poetry collection The seven seas. In it are mentioned:

Also this classification is common and is run as The Modern Seven Seas.

The ocean

The term world ocean is a German transmission of Greek ὠκεανός ( " Okeanos ", " ocean " of the Earth disk circumfluent world power, as a personification of ancient god Oceanus ). It is used synonymously with the term ocean.

According to ancient and Christian idea was surrounded by a closed water all land masses. These land masses floating in this world - ocean. In the course of expeditions more oceans have been discovered (eg the Pacific Ocean). Thus, the idea of ​​an ocean to the oceans changed. Likewise, from the ocean to the oceans.

If we understand the "seven" seas " all the known seas", then convert significance and affiliation of the respective oceans with growing geographical knowledge. Therefore, the term is now referred to larger seas from one another can not be a clear differentiation. What was meant and but is always " the ocean ", which includes all continents.