The WORLD GUIDE says:

"The Pacific’s dimensions are truly vast. From north to south it measures a mind-blowing 16,000km, while near the equator it’s 17,000km wide. This makes the Pacific by far the largest ocean, covering a third of the globe and accounting for half of the ocean’s entire surface area. Amongst its superlatives are the deepest depths, highest submarine mountains and largest coral reefs. Adrift in the middle of its endless waters are over 7,000 diminutive islands. Many of them lie in the tropical waters of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia – often collectively called the ‘continent’ of Oceania for their common cultural roots. Most are... " world guide