North Sea
or GERMAN OCEAN, that portion of the Atlantic Ocean extending from the Straits of Dover to the Shetland Islands, bounded on the E. by Norway and Denmark; on the S. by Hanover, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, and on the W. by the the British Islands; length 700 miles, breadth 420 miles. It communicates with the Atlanmiles. It communicates with the Atlan- Firth, and with the Baltic by the Skagerrack, the Cattegat, the Sound, and the Great and Little Belts. It receives the Scheldt, on the E., and the Thames, Ouse, Humber, Tyne, Tweed, Forth, and Tay on the W. Navigation is very difficult and dangerous, owing to the sand banks along the English coasts, and extending N. E. from the Firth of Forth, and one N. W. from the mouth of the Elbe, besides the variety of currents, which generally show a tendency toward the N. E., sides the variety of currents, which genwinds. The influence of tidal currents of the Atlantic is felt in the North Sea so as to cause a rise of 20 feet in the estuary of the Humber. The fisheries of the North Sea are important, and emestuary of the Humber. The fisheries of North Sea was a principal zone of naval authority during du the World War. German submarines infested it, and did authority during the World War. Germines, laid by American naval vessels, closed it for navigation.