The Ocean Owns Most of Earth

Look at a world map and it might seem like there’s land everywhere. But zoom out, and it’s clear: oceans dominate the planet.

About 71% of Earth’s surface is ocean, that’s nearly three-fourths of everything we see from space. The rest? Just 29% is land.

Imagine covering a basketball in blue paint, leaving just a few small patches unpainted. That’s Earth. The Pacific Ocean alone is bigger than all the land on Earth combined.

Even wilder: We’ve explored more of the moon than we have of the deep ocean. Over 80% of our oceans remain totally unmapped and unseen by humans. What’s hiding down there? Giant squid? Sunken cities? Who knows!

And here’s a kid-favorite twist: If Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, were dropped into the Mariana Trench (the deepest ocean spot), it would still be covered by over a mile of water. That’s how deep—and mysterious—our oceans are.