Chapter 1.1, Problem 1CC

To determine

The way in which the view of the ocean by the early Mediterranean cultures influence the naming of the planet Earth.

Answer to Problem 1CC

The people of the early Mediterranean cultures thought that the Earth was composed of more giant landmasses on which they lived on, surrounded by water bodies like the Mediterranean Sea. Besides, ocean exploration was not known to them during that time. Therefore, the planet got its name “Earth” that is different from its actual composition.

Explanation of Solution

The Earth has oceans on its surface covering nearly $70\text{percent}$ of it. Yet it is a strange fact that the planet is named “Earth”. The word ‘Earth’ has a meaning that is more related to soil or land surfaces. Thus, if an object is named Earth, it should have more land surfaces than oceans to prove the name meaningful.

There existed numerous cultures in the past that thrived near the Mediterranean Sea which anticipated that the world is made up of huge landmasses that may be enclosed by marginal water bodies. They believed the Earth to be planet that possess more landmasses than oceans. Only because of the fact that people lived on the land surface, the Earth was named so. If the humans were living in the water, the Earth would have been named as relative to water such as “Ocean”, “Aqua”, “Hydro” or “Water”. Moreover, the planet got its name even before the advent of ocean exploration.