The Molucca Sea ( Indonesian: ''Laut Maluku'') is located in the western

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

, around the vicinity of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

, specifically bordered by the Indonesian Islands of Celebes (Sulawesi) to the west, Halmahera to the east, and the Sula Islands to the south. The Molucca Sea has a total surface area of 77,000 square miles (200,000 square km). The Molucca Sea is rich in

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...

and has many diving sites due to the deepness of its waters. The deepness of the water explains the reasoning behind dividing the sea into three zones, which functions to transport water from the Pacific Ocean to the shallower seas surrounding it. The deepest hollow in the Molucca Sea is the 15,780-foot (4,810-meter)

Batjan The Bacan Islands, formerly also known as the Bachans, Bachians, and Batchians, are a group of islands in the Moluccas in Indonesia. They are mountainous and forested, lying south of Ternate and southwest of Halmahera. The islands are adminis ...

(Indonesian: ''Bacan'') basin. This region is known for its periodic experiences of earthquakes, which stems from the sea itself being a micro plate, in which the Molucca Sea is being subducted in two opposite directions: one in the direction of the

Eurasian Plate The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate that includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia), with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent an ...

to the west and the other in the direction of the Philippines Sea Plate to the east.

Location

The Molucca Sea borders the Banda Sea to the south and the

Celebes Sea The Celebes Sea, (; ms, Laut Sulawesi, id, Laut Sulawesi, fil, Dagat Selebes) or Sulawesi Sea, of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east b ...

to the west. To the north is

Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippine archipelago (hence the name), the largest in the world, occupying an estimated surface area of . The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the sea. I ...

and to the east is Halmahera Sea. The islands bordering the Molucca Sea include

Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island. Ha ...

to the north east,

Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to ...

and Ceram in the centre, and

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu ...

to the west. The Talaud Islands to the north are considered to be the northern border the sea, though the Molucca Sea Plate, the tectonic plate named after the sea, extends further north. The

International Hydrographic Organization The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States. A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters ...

(IHO) defines the "Molukka Sea" as being one of the waters of the East Indian Archipelago. The IHO defines its limits as follows:

''On the North.'' By a line from the Northeast extreme of Celebes [
Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu ...
] through the Siau Islands to the South point of Sangir Island, Sangi () thence to the Southern extreme of the Talaud Islands, Talaud Group, through these islands to their Northeastern extreme () and thence a line to Tanjong Sopi, the Northern point of Morotai Island. ''On the East.'' By the West coast of Morotai from Tanjong Sopi as far south as Wajaboela (), thence a line to the Northern point of
Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island. Ha ...
and down its West coast to Tanjong Libolo, its Southern extreme. ''On the South.'' A line from the Southern extreme of Halmahera to the North point of Bisa (Setile) Island, thence to the Northern extreme of Obi Major, through this island to Tanjong Ake Lamo, its Southwestern point, thence to Tanjong Dehekolano, the Eastern extremity of the Soela Sula.html" ;"title="Sula_Islands.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Sula Islands">Sula">Sula_Islands.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Sula Islands">Sula/nowiki> Islands, along their Northern coasts to Tanjong Marikasoe, the Western extreme, thence a line to the Southeast point of Banggai Island (). ''On the West.'' The East coasts of Banggai and Peleng Islands to North Bangkalan () thence a line to Tg. Botok (Celebes) () round the coast to Tg. Pasir Pandjang () and across to Tg. Tombalilatoe () on the opposite coast, thence up the East coast to Tg. Poeisan, the Northeastern extreme of Celebes.

History

The Portuguese Empire, Portuguese,

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

, British, and Spanish Empires fought each other for control of the spice islands that can only be accessed through the Molucca Sea.

Earthquakes

January 6, 2019, measuring 7.0, with no tsunamis resulting. The sea is a very seismically active area due to the Molucca Sea Plate.

Notes

References

Molucca Sea
{{List of seas Seas of Indonesia Landforms of Maluku (province) Landforms of Sulawesi Maritime Southeast Asia

Location

History

Earthquakes

See also

Notes

References