| @davidr: Let me be a bit clearer. The word "ocean" refers to the vast, interconnected body of salt water that covers over 70 percent of the Earth, as well as any division thereof, i.e. Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, or Pacific. Note that this is a definition that points to one single, definable entity. The word "sea" is a bit more abstract. It can refer to (among other things) the entire quantity of salt waters covering the earth, any division thereof, or a large lake or landlocked body of water. Therefore, some seas fall under the definition of "ocean" by virtue of being a natural extension of that ocean, such as the Red Sea is to the Indian Ocean, via the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb. Some seas do not fall under the definition of "ocean," such as the Caspian Sea because it is cut off from the vast, interconnected body of salt water known as the "ocean" by the continent of Asia. I did not claim that there is a definition of "ocean" that includes the Atlantic but not the Red Sea. The Red Sea can fall under "ocean" or "sea." I did say that, by definition, a landlocked country does not border the ocean. The Caspian Sea is not part of the ocean, and therefore, it is irrelevant whether or not it is used for shipping, or is salty, or has beaches, etc. Those characteristics do not alone determine what is or isn't an ocean. Countries that only possess a water border with the Caspian Sea do not border an ocean and are therefore landlocked. I apologize for being unclear in my previous post and hope this was easier to understand. |
US Foreign-Born Population 
'O'-Less European Countries 
European Landlocked Landmines
