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Coral Sea

Coral Sea, southwest arm of the Pacific Ocean, between Australia, New Guinea, and Vanuatu. The Great Barrier Reef lies along its western edge. During World War II it was the scene of a major U.S. victory against the Japanese in 1942; the battle, fought by aircraft near the Louisiade Archipelago, checked the southward expansion of the Japanese.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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