Ocean is a base terrain in Civilization VI. It comprises all water tiles which are outside the shelf area, farther from land.
- Base yields:
- 1
Food
- 1
- Impassable for sea travel before discovering Cartography
Strategy[]
Ocean tiles, unlike Coast tiles, provide nothing for a city except 
Shipwrecks. Fortunately (since you cannot found a city in the water, like in the Rising Tide expansion for Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth), you usually won't need to worry about that, because you will have few or no Ocean tiles close enough for a city to work.
For all naval and embarked units, Oceans are impassible until the Cartography technology is researched (or for Norway, the Shipbuilding tech, and for the Māori, no tech). Thus, they present an insurmountable obstacle to early game exploration, and it is usual for different continents to remain separate (without contact with each other) until someone researches the necessary tech to sail in ocean. However, there is one other way to brave the open ocean: recruiting and retiring Leif Erikson, a Medieval Era Great Admiral, allows you to cross Oceans.
With Civilization VI: Gathering Storm, Seasteads can be constructed to improve these tiles.
Ocean names[]
Gathering Storm introduced a new mechanic in which Oceans can have different names. Below is the list of the names:
| Ocean | Notes |
|---|---|
| Antarctic Ocean | |
| Arctic Ocean | |
| Atlantic Ocean | |
| Iapetus Ocean | Primordial ocean that used to exist between 600 million to 400 million years ago. |
| Indian Ocean | |
| Pacific Ocean | |
| Panthalassic Ocean | Primordial superocean that surrounded Pangaea. |
| Rheic Ocean | Primordial ocean that existed 540 million years ago. |
| Tethys Ocean | Primordial ocean that existed to the east of Pangaea. |
Sea names[]
Gathering Storm introduced a new mechanic in which Seas and Bays can have different names based on the first civilization that finds them. Below is the list of the names and civilization of origin:
| Sea | Civilization | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Qir Bay | Egypt | |
| Adriatic Sea | Hungary, Rome | |
| Aegean Sea | Byzantium, Greece, Macedon, Ottomans | |
| Ago Bay | Japan | |
| Alauquén | Mapuche | |
| Alboran Sea | Phoenicia, Spain | |
| All Saints' Bay | Brazil | |
| Amatique Bay | Maya | |
| Andaman Sea | India, Indonesia, Khmer | |
| Arabian Sea | Arabia, India | |
| Arafura Sea | Australia, Indonesia | |
| Baffin Bay | Canada | |
| Baía de São José | Brazil | |
| Baía de São Marcos | Brazil | |
| Baie de la Seine | France | |
| Baie de Somme | France | |
| Baltic Sea | Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden | |
| Banda Sea | Indonesia | |
| Bay of Angra | Portugal | |
| Bay of Arauco | Mapuche | |
| Bay of Arguin | Mali | |
| Bay of Beirut | Phoenicia | |
| Bay of Bengal | India | |
| Bay of Biscay | France, Gaul, Spain | |
| Bay of Campeche | Aztec, Maya | |
| Bay of Concepción | Mapuche | |
| Bay of Fundy | America, Canada | |
| Bay of Gibraltar | Spain | |
| Bay of Kompong Som | Khmer | |
| Bay of Mecklenburg | Germany | |
| Bay of Pomerania | Poland | |
| Bay of Refugo | Portugal | |
| Bay of Santander | Spain | |
| Beaufort Sea | America, Canada | |
| Bering Sea | America, Russia | |
| Bismarck Sea | ||
| Black Sea | Byzantium, Georgia, Ottomans, Persia, Russia, Scythia | |
| Botany Bay | Australia | |
| Bo Hai | China, Korea | |
| Bracklesham Bay | England | |
| Bridgwater Bay | England | |
| Bristol Channel | England | |
| Busan Bay | Korea | |
| Caribbean Sea | Gran Colombia, Maya | |
| Caspian Sea | Mongolia, Persia, Russia, Scythia | |
| Caulín Bay | Mapuche | |
| Celebes Sea | Indonesia | |
| Celtic Sea | England, France | |
| Ceram Sea | Indonesia | |
| Chesapeake Bay | America | |
| Chukchi Sea | America, Russia | |
| Coral Sea | Australia | |
| Dollart | Germany, Netherlands | |
| East China Sea | China, Japan, Mongolia | |
| East Siberian Sea | Russia | |
| Edsviken | Sweden | |
| English Channel | England, France, Gaul | |
| Firth of Clyde | Scotland | |
| Firth of Forth | Scotland | |
| Flensburg Firth | Germany | |
| Flores Sea | Indonesia | |
| Foul Bay | Egypt, Nubia | |
| Frobisher Bay | Canada | |
| Funchal Bay | Portugal | |
| Gdańsk Bay | Poland | |
| Genkai Sea | Japan | |
| Georgian Bay | Canada | |
| German Bight | Germany, Netherlands | |
| Great Australian Bight | Australia | |
| Greenland Sea | Norway | |
| Guanabara Bay | Brazil | |
| Gulf of Aden | Arabia | |
| Gulf of Alaska | America | |
| Gulf of Aqaba | Arabia, Egypt | |
| Gulf of Bothnia | Sweden | |
| Gulf of Cádiz | Portugal, Spain | |
| Gulf of California | ||
| Gulf of Carpentaria | Australia | |
| Gulf of Corinth | Greece | |
| Gulf of Darién | Gran Colombia | |
| Gulf of Finland | Russia | |
| Gulf of Gabès | Phoenicia | |
| Gulf of Guayaquil | Inca, Gran Colombia | |
| Gulf of Guinea | Kongo | |
| Gulf of Hammamet | Phoenicia | |
| Gulf of Honduras | Maya | |
| Gulf of Izmir | Byzantium, Ottomans | |
| Gulf of Lion | France | |
| Gulf of Mannar | India | |
| Gulf of Mexico | America, Aztec | |
| Gulf of Morbihan | France | |
| Gulf of Oman | Arabia, Persia | |
| Gulf of Panama | Gran Colombia | |
| Gulf of Papua | ||
| Gulf of Paria | Gran Colombia | |
| Gulf of Roses | Spain | |
| Gulf of Saint Lawrence | America, Canada | |
| Gulf of Suez | Egypt | |
| Gulf of Tehuantepec | Aztec | |
| Gulf of Thailand | Khmer, Vietnam | |
| Gulf of Tonkin | China, Vietnam | |
| Gulf of Toroneos | Macedon | |
| Gulf of Tunis | Phoenicia | |
| Gulf of Valencia | Spain | |
| Gulf of Venezuela | Gran Colombia | |
| Gwangpo Bay | Korea | |
| Hann Bay | Mali | |
| Hanöbukten | Sweden | |
| Hardangerfjorden | Norway | |
| Heligoland Bight | Germany | |
| Hudson Bay | Canada, Cree | |
| Ionian Sea | Greece, Rome | |
| Irish Sea | England, Scotland | |
| Jade Bight | Germany | |
| Jawa Sea | Indonesia | |
| Jervis Bay | Australia | |
| Joseph Bonaparte Gulf | Australia | |
| Kanholmsfjärden | Sweden | |
| Kara Sea | Russia | |
| Korea Bay | Korea | |
| Kosi Bay | Zulu | |
| Labrador Sea | Canada | |
| Lake Maracaibo | Gran Colombia | |
| Lakshadweep Sea | India | |
| Laptev Sea | Russia | |
| Levantine Sea | Byzantium, Ottomans, Phoenicia | |
| Libyan Sea | Phoenicia | |
| Ligurian Sea | France, Rome | |
| Lincoln Sea | Canada | |
| Massachusetts Bay | America | |
| Mediterranean Sea | Arabia, Byzantium, Egypt, France, Gaul, Greece, Macedon, Ottomans, Phoenicia, Rome, Spain | |
| Molucca Sea | Indonesia | |
| Mont-Saint-Michel Bay | France | |
| Moray Firth | Scotland | |
| Morecambe Bay | England | |
| Mozambique Channel | ||
| Mutsu Bay | Japan | |
| Nordfriesisches Wattenmeer | Germany | |
| North Sea | England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden | |
| Norwegian Sea | Norway | |
| Paracas Bay | Inca | |
| Persian Gulf | Arabia, Babylon, Persia, Sumer | |
| Philippine Sea | Indonesia, Japan | |
| Pitsunda Bay | Georgia | |
| Puñihuil | Mapuche | |
| Red Sea | Arabia, Egypt, Nubia | |
| Sagami Bay | Japan | |
| Saltsjön | Sweden | |
| Sangareya Bay | Mali | |
| San Francisco Bay | America | |
| Sargasso Sea | ||
| Saronic Gulf | Greece | |
| Scotia Sea | ||
| Sea of Azov | Scythia | |
| Sea of Crete | Greece | |
| Sea of Hyūga | Japan | |
| Sea of Japan | Japan, Korea, Russia | |
| Sea of Marmara | Byzantium, Ottomans | |
| Sea of Okhotsk | Japan, Russia | |
| Sea of the Hebrides | Scotland | |
| Seto Sea | Japan | |
| Setúbal Bay | Portugal | |
| Singitic Gulf | Macedon | |
| Sodwana Bay | Zulu | |
| Sognefjorden | Norway | |
| Solomon Sea | ||
| Solway Firth | England, Scotland | |
| South China Sea | China, Indonesia, Vietnam | |
| Storfjorden | Norway | |
| Strymonian Gulf | Macedon | |
| Sukhumi Bay | Georgia | |
| Sulu Sea | ||
| Tasman Sea | Australia | |
| Te Ara a Kiwa | Māori | |
| Te Matau-a-Māui | Māori | |
| Te Moana-a-Toi | Māori | |
| Te Moana-o-Raukawa | Māori | |
| Te Tai-o-Aorere | Māori | |
| Te Tai-o-Rehua | Māori | |
| Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Māori | |
| Términos Lagoon | Maya | |
| Thermaic Gulf | Macedon | |
| The Minch | Scotland | |
| The Wash | England | |
| Thracian Sea | Macedon | |
| Tīkapa Moana | Māori | |
| Timor Sea | Australia, Indonesia | |
| Trondheimsfjorden | Norway | |
| Tyrrhenian Sea | Rome | |
| Umzinto Bay | Zulu | |
| Vestfjorden | Norway | |
| Wadden Sea | Germany, Netherlands | |
| Waitematā | Māori | |
| White Sea | Russia | |
| Wînipekw | Canada, Cree | |
| Yatsushiro Sea | Japan | |
| Yellow Sea | China, Korea, Mongolia | |
| Yof Bay | Mali | |
| Zuiderzee | Netherlands |
Civilopedia entry[]
The deep waters of the oceans scared mankind for much of history, braved only by the likes of the Polynesians and Vikings. It took advanced sailing technology to brave these waters - and today, we fly across oceans in a matter of hours.
Gallery[]
.png "Ocean tile in-game (Civ6).png (486 KB)")
See also[]
- Ocean in other games
| Civilization VI Terrains [edit] | |
|---|---|
| Base | Coast • Desert • Desert (Hills) • Grassland • Grassland (Hills) • Hills • Lake • Mountains • Nile River3 • Ocean • Plains • Plains (Hills) • Snow • Snow (Hills) • Tundra • Tundra (Hills) |
| Features | Cataract3 • Cliffs • Floodplains • Desert Floodplains • Grassland Floodplains • Plains Floodplains • Geothermal Fissure  • Ice • Impact Zone1 2 • Marsh • Oasis • Rainforest • Burning Rainforest1 • Burnt Rainforest1 • Reef  • River • Volcanic Soil • Volcano • Woods • Burning Woods1 • Burnt Woods1
|
| Other | Barbarian Outpost • Meteor Site1 • Tribal Village |
| See also | Improvement • Natural Wonder • Resource |
1 Requires DLC • 2 Apocalypse mode only • 3 Specific Scenarios only
 Added in the Rise and Fall expansion pack. Added in the Gathering Storm expansion pack. | |