The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five ocean basins. A polar bear walks on the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean. The freezing environment provides a home for a diverse range of creatures. With an area of about 6.1 million square miles , the Arctic Ocean is about 1.5 times as big as the United States.

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions. Covering an area of approximately 14.06 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles), it is roughly the size of the country of Antarctica and is about ten times smaller than the Pacific Ocean. Despite its relatively small size, it plays a critical role in regulating the Earth’s climate and ocean currents. Much of the Arctic Ocean is covered by sea ice throughout the year, although this coverage has been rapidly declining due to global warming. It is almost completely surrounded by the landmasses of Eurasia and North America and is connected to the Pacific via the Bering Strait and to the Atlantic through the Greenland Sea and Labrador Sea. Its average depth is about 1,205 meters, which is significantly shallower than the other oceans, largely due to the extensive continental shelves that extend from its surrounding northern coasts.