95th The Pacific Ocean - By soniamillet

The area was first inhabited by Melanesians, Polynesians and Micronesians who sailed across the Pacific using stars to guide their small vessels. The first Europeans arrived on board in the mid-16th century. Three hundred years later, a large number of Europeans settled the larger Pacific countries such as New Zealand and Australia. During this time, Pacific Island countries became the colonies of European countries. For example, New Zealand and Australia are claimed by the UK while France is colonizing smaller island groups. There are five oceans in the world and the largest Pacific Ocean, covering about 155 million square miles. It is about 20 times the size of Australia and makes up 28 percent of the world's surface. In other words, this is greater than all the countries in the world that join together. Pacific gets its name from early European explorers who found peaceful waters compared to the rough seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Pacific means peace.