The Maritime Continent is a pivotal meteorological region in Southeast Eurafrasia, encompassing countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea, situated between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Coined by Colin Ramage in 1968, the name paradoxically combines "maritime" and "continent" to describe an area where land and warm, shallow seas are roughly evenly distributed.
This region is considered the most important energy source in the entire global circulation system, largely due to its location within the Tropical Warm Pool, the warmest large area of ocean on Earth. The unique topography of numerous islands, peninsulas, high mountains, and exceptionally warm seas leads to widespread diurnal thunderstorms. These storms pump vast quantities of moisture and heat high into the atmosphere, effectively feeding the upper-level winds that circulate the globe and significantly influencing global climate patterns.