 The maritime continent consists of many islands, peninsulas and shallow seas.The region is significant in meteorology because it is considered the most important energy source region in the entire global circulation system owing to a number of coincident factors, the most significant being geographic location and topography, both of which contribute to the development of the Tropical Warm Pool, which is the warmest large area of ocean on Earth.Coined by Colin Ramage in 1968, the name combines the terms "maritime" and "continent" normally used as opposites in the description of climate.