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| Name | |
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The term Mediterranean derives from the Latin word mediterraneus, meaning "in the middle of earth" or "between lands" (medius, "middle, between" + terra, "land, earth"): as it is between the continents of Africa and Europe. The Greek name Mesogeios (Μεσόγειος), is similarly from μέσο, "middle" + γη, "land, earth").[5]
The Mediterranean Sea has historically had several names. For example the Romans commonly called it Mare Nostrum (Latin, "Our Sea"), and occasionally Mare Internum (Sallust, Jug. 17).
In the Bible, it was primarily known as the "Great Sea" (Num. 34:6,7; Josh. 1:4, 9:1, 15:47; Ezek. 47:10,15,20), or simply "The Sea" (1 Kings 5:9; comp. 1 Macc. 14:34, 15:11); however, it has also been called the "Hinder Sea", due to its location on the west coast of the Holy Land, and therefore behind a person facing the east, as referenced in the Old Testament, sometimes translated as "Western Sea", (Deut. 11:24; Joel 2:20). Another name was the "Sea of the Philistines" (Exod. 23:31), from the people occupying a large portion of its shores near the Israelites.
In Modern Hebrew, it has been called HaYyam HaTtikhon (הַיָּם הַתִּיכוֹן), "the middle sea", a literal adaptation of the German equivalent Mittelmeer.[citation needed] In Turkish, it is known as Akdeniz, "the white sea". In modern Arabic, it is known as al-Baḥr al-Abyaḍ al-Mutawassiṭ (البحر الأبيض المتوسط), "the White Middle Sea", while in Islamic and older Arabic literature, it was referenced as Baḥr al-Rūm (بحر الروم), or "the Roman/Byzantine Sea."
[edit] Tags:Israel,Sea,Europe,Greek,Byzantine,Roman,Arabic,Turkish,Latin,Mare Nostrum,Sallust,Bible,Num.,Josh.,Ezek.,1 Kings,1 Macc.,Holy Land,Old Testament,Deut.,Joel,Philistines,Exod.,Israelites,Modern Hebrew,Islam, | |
| History | |
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Main article: History of the Mediterranean region
The Holy League naval victory of the Battle of Lepanto, 1571, the last battle to be fought primarily between galleys.
Several ancient civilisations were located around its shores; thus it has had a major influence on those cultures. It provided routes for trade, colonisation and war, and provided food (by fishing and the gathering of other seafood) for numerous communities throughout the ages.[6]
The sharing of similar climate, geology and access to a common sea led to numerous historical and cultural connections between the ancient and modern societies around the Mediterranean.
Two of the most notable Mediterranean civilisations in classical antiquity were the Greek city states and the Phoenicians. When[citation needed] Augustus founded the Roman Empire, the Mediterranean Sea began to be called Mare Nostrum (literally:"Our Sea") by the Romans.
Darius I of Persia, who conquered Ancient Egypt, built a canal linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. Darius's canal was wide enough for two triremes to pass each other with oars extended, and required four days to traverse.[7]
The western Roman empire collapsed around AD 476. Temporarily the east was again dominant as the Byzantine Empire formed from the eastern half of the Roman empire. Another power soon arose in the east: Islam. At its greatest extent, the Arab Empire controlled 75% of the Mediterranean region.
Europe was reviving, however, as more organized and centralised states began to form in the later Middle Ages after the Renaissance of the 12th century.
Ottoman power continued to grow, and in 1453, the Byzantine Empire was extinguished with the fall of Constantinople. The growing naval prowess of the European powers confronted further rapid Ottoman expansion in the region when the Battle of Lepanto checked the power of the Ottoman navy. The development of oceanic shipping began to affect the entire Mediterranean. Once, all trade from the east had passed through the region, but now the circumnavigation of Africa allowed spices and other goods to be imported through the Atlantic ports of western Europe.[8][9][10]
[edit] Tags:Egypt,Phoenician,Holy League,Battle Of Lepanto,Galleys,Classical Antiquity,City States,Phoenicians,Augustus,Darius I Of Persia,Red Sea,Triremes,Byzantine Empire,Middle Ages,Renaissance Of The 12th Century,Ottoman,Constantinople,Spices, | |
| Geography | |
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A satellite image taken from the side of the Strait of Gibraltar. On the left, Europe; on the right, Africa
Dardanelles. North side is Gelibolu Peninsula-Europe, South side is Asia.
The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar in the west and to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, by the Dardanelles and the Bosporus respectively, in the east. The Sea of Marmara is often considered a part of the Mediterranean Sea, whereas the Black Sea is generally not. The 163 km (101 mi) long man-made Suez Canal in the southeast connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
Large islands in the Mediterranean include Cyprus, Crete, Euboea, Rhodes, Lesbos, Chios, Kefalonia, Corfu, Naxos and Andros in the eastern Mediterranean; Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Cres, Krk, Brač, Hvar, Pag, Korčula and Malta in the central Mediterranean; and Ibiza, Majorca and Minorca (the Balearic Islands) in the western Mediterranean.
The typical Mediterranean climate has hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Crops of the region include olives, grapes, oranges, tangerines, and cork.
[edit] Tags:Cyprus,Gibraltar,Malta,Islands,Atlantic Ocean,Strait Of Gibraltar,Sea Of Marmara,Black Sea,Dardanelles,Crete,Euboea,Rhodes,Lesbos,Chios,Kefalonia,Corfu,Naxos,Andros,Sardinia,Corsica,Sicily,Cres,Krk,Brač,Hvar,Pag,Korčula,Ibiza,Majorca,Minorca,Olives,Grapes,Oranges,Tangerines,Cork,Suez Canal,Oran, | |
| Extent | |
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The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Mediterranean Sea as follows:[11]
Stretching from the Strait of Gibraltar in the West to the entrances to the Dardanelles and the Suez Canal in the East, the Mediterranean Sea is bounded by the coasts of Europe, Africa and Asia, and is divided into two deep basins:
Western Basin:
On the west: A line joining the extremities of Cape Trafalgar (Spain) and Cape Spartel (Africa).
On the northeast: The West Coast of Italy. In the Strait of Messina a line joining the North extreme of Cape Paci (15°42'E) with Cape Peloro, the East extreme of the Island of Sicily. The North Coast of Sicily.
On the east: A line joining Cape Lilibeo the Western point of Sicily (37°47′N 12°22′E / 37.783°N 12.367°E / 37.783; 12.367), through the Adventure Bank to Cape Bon (Tunisia).
Eastern Basin:
On the west: The Northeastern and Eastern limits of the Western Basin.
On the northeast: A line joining Kum Kale (26°11'E) and Cape Helles, the Western entrance to the Dardanelles.
On the southeast: The entrance to the Suez Canal.
On the east: The coasts of Syria and Palestine.
(It should be noted that the coast referred to as belonging to Palestine in this document dating to 1953 has been within the internationally recognised borders of the country known as Israel since 1948. Of the territories administered by the Palestinian Authority, only the Gaza Strip has a sea coast.)
[edit] Tags:Basin,Italy,Spain,Syria,Tunisia,Cape Trafalgar,Cape Spartel,Strait Of Messina,Cape Bon,Cape Helles,Palestine,Gaza Strip,Messina, | |
| Oceanography | |
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Predominant surface currents for June
Being nearly landlocked affects conditions in the Mediterranean Sea: for instance, tides are very limited as a result of the narrow connection with the Atlantic Ocean. The Mediterranean is characterized and immediately recognised by its deep blue colour.
Evaporation greatly exceeds precipitation and river runoff in the Mediterranean, a fact that is central to the water circulation within the basin.[12] Evaporation is especially high in its eastern half, causing the water level to decrease and salinity to increase eastward.[13] This pressure gradient pushes relatively cool, low-salinity water from the Atlantic across the basin; it warms and becomes saltier as it travels east, then sinks in the region of the Levant and circulates westward, to spill over the Strait of Gibraltar.[14] Thus, seawater flow is eastward in the Strait's surface waters, and westward below; once in the Atlantic, this chemically distinct Mediterranean Intermediate Water can persist thousands of kilometres away from its source.[15]
[edit] Tags:Evaporation,Salinity,Pressure Gradient,Levant, | |
| Coastal countries | |
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Map of the Mediterranean Sea
Twenty-one modern states have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. They are:
Europe (from west to east): Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Turkey (East Thrace)
Asia (from north to south): Turkey (Anatolia), Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt (the Sinai Peninsula)
Africa (from east to west): Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
Turkey and Egypt are transcontinental countries. The southernmost islands of Italy, the Pelagie islands, are geologically part of the African continent.
Several other territories also border the Mediterranean Sea (from west to east):
British overseas territory of Gibraltar
Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and nearby islands
British sovereign base area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (disputed)
Gaza Strip of the Palestinian Territories
Capital cities of sovereign countries and major cities (municipalities) with populations larger than 200,000 people bordering the Mediterranean Sea are (capitals with fewer than 200,000 inhabitants are marked with an asterisk):
Country
Cities
Spain
Alicante, Badalona, Barcelona, Cartagena, Málaga, Palma, Valencia
France
Marseille, Montpellier, Nice
Monaco
Monaco*
Italy
Bari, Catania, Genoa, Messina, Naples, Palermo, Rome, Trieste, Venice
Malta
Valletta*
Albania
Durrës
Greece
Athens, Patras, Thessaloniki
Cyprus
Limassol
Turkey
Antalya, Iskenderun, Izmir, Mersin, Tarsus
Syria
Latakia
Lebanon
Beirut, Tripoli
Israel
Ashdod, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, Tel Aviv
Palestinian territories
Gaza City
Egypt
Alexandria, Damietta, Port Said
Libya
Benghazi, Khoms, Misrata, Tripoli
Tunisia
Sfax, Tunis
Algeria
Algiers, Annaba, Oran
Morocco
Tétouan, Tangier
[edit] Tags:Albania,Algeria,Bosnia And Herzegovina,Croatia,France,Greece,Lebanon,Libya,Monaco,Montenegro,Morocco,Palestinian Territories,Slovenia,Turkey,Anatolia,Transcontinental Countries,British Overseas Territory,Ceuta,Melilla,Nearby Islands,British Sovereign Base Area,Akrotiri And Dhekelia,Northern Cyprus,Alicante,Badalona,Barcelona,Cartagena,Málaga,Palma,Valencia, | |
| Subdivisions | |
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According to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the Mediterranean Sea is subdivided into a number of smaller waterbodies, each with their own designation (from west to east):[11]
The two biggest islands of the Mediterranean, Sicily and Sardinia
Panoramic view of Cavtat, Croatia
Sardinia's east coast, Italy
A view of Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
Coast of Żurrieq, Malta
North Israeli coastal plain, Israel
Burj Islam Beach, Latakia, Syria
A view of Raouché off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon
Les Aiguades near Béjaïa, Algeria
Ksamil beaches, Albania
The beach of la Courtade in the Îles d'Hyères, France
Beach of Hammamet, Tunisia
Rocky coast of Derna, Libya
Old city of Ibiza Town, Spain
Egremni beach of Lefkada, Greece
Europa Point, Gibraltar (UK)
Kemer on the Turkish Riviera
the Strait of Gibraltar;
the Alboran Sea, between Spain and Morocco;
the Balearic Sea, between mainland Spain and its Balearic Islands;
the Ligurian Sea between Corsica and Liguria (Italy);
the Tyrrhenian Sea enclosed by Sardinia, Italian peninsula and Sicily;
the Ionian Sea between Italy, Albania and Greece;
the Adriatic Sea between Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania;
the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.
[edit] Tags:Italian, | |
| Other seas | |
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Although not recognised by the IHO treaties, there are some other seas whose names have been in common use from the ancient times, or in the present:
the Sea of Sardinia, between Sardinia and Balearic Islands, as a part of the Balearic Sea
the Sea of Sicily between Sicily and Tunisia,
the Libyan Sea between Libya and Crete,
In the Aegean Sea,
the Thracian Sea in its north,
the Myrtoan Sea between the Cyclades and the Peloponnese,
the Sea of Crete north of Crete,
the Icarian Sea between Kos and Chios
the Cilician Sea between Turkey and Cyprus
the Levantine Sea at the eastern end of the Mediterranean
[edit] Tags:Thracian,Levantine, | |
| Other features | |
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Many of these smaller seas feature in local myth and folklore and derive their names from these associations. In addition to the seas, a number of gulfs and straits are also recognised:
the Saint George Bay in Beirut, Lebanon
the Ras Ibn Hani cape in Latakia, Syria
the Ras al-Bassit cape in northern Syria.
the Minet el-Beida ("White Harbour") bay near ancient Ugarit, Syria
the Strait of Gibraltar, connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain from Morocco
the Bay of Gibraltar, at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula
the Gulf of Corinth, an enclosed sea between the Ionian Sea and the Corinth Canal
the Pagasetic Gulf, the gulf of Volos, south of the Thermaic Gulf, formed by the Mount Pelion peninsula
the Saronic Gulf, the gulf of Athens, between the Corinth Canal and the Mirtoan Sea
the Thermaic Gulf, the gulf of Thessaloniki, located in the northern Greek region of Macedonia
the Kvarner Gulf, Croatia
the Gulf of Lion, south of France
the Gulf of Valencia, east of Spain
the Strait of Messina, between Sicily and the toe of Italy
the Gulf of Genoa, northwestern Italy
the Gulf of Venice, northeastern Italy
the Gulf of Trieste, northeastern Italy
the Gulf of Taranto, southern Italy
the Gulf of Salerno, southwestern Italy
the Gulf of Gaeta, southwestern Italy
the Gulf of Squillace, southern Italy
the Strait of Otranto, between Italy and Albania
the Gulf of Haifa, between Haifa and Akko, Israel
the Gulf of Sidra, between Tripolitania (western Libya) and Cyrenaica (eastern Libya)
the Strait of Sicily, between Sicily and Tunisia
the Corsica Channel, between Corsica and Italy
the Strait of Bonifacio, between Sardinia and Corsica
the Gulf of İskenderun, between İskenderun and Adana (Turkey)
the Gulf of Antalya, between west and east shores of Antalya (Turkey)
the Bay of Kotor, in south-western Montenegro and south-eastern Croatia
the Malta Channel, between Sicily and Malta
the Gozo Channel, between Malta Island and Gozo
[edit] Tags:Iberian, | |
| 10 Major islands | |
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Main article: List of islands in the Mediterranean
Flag
Island
Area in km²
Population
Sicily
25,460
5,048,995
Sardinia
24,090
1,672,804
Cyprus
9,251
1,088,503
Corsica
8,680
299,209
Crete
8,336
623,666
Euboea
3,684
218,032
Majorca
3,640
869,067
Lesbos
1,632
90,643
Rhodes
1,400
117,007
Chios
842
51,936
[edit] Tags: | |
| Sea temperature | |
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Sea temperature (°C)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Marseille [2]
13
12
11
13
16
18
21
22
21
18
16
14
Barcelona [3]
13
13
12
14
17
20
23
25
23
20
17
15
Valencia [4]
14
13
14
15
17
21
24
26
24
21
18
15
Naples [5]
15
14
14
15
18
22
25
27
25
22
19
16
Málaga [6]
16
15
15
16
17
20
22
23
22
20
18
16
Gibraltar [7]
16
15
16
16
17
20
22
22
22
20
18
17
Athens [8]
16
15
15
16
18
21
24
24
24
21
19
18
Heraklion [9]
16
15
15
16
19
22
24
25
24
22
20
18
Malta [10]
16
16
15
16
18
21
24
26
25
23
21
18
Larnaca [11]
18
17
17
18
20
24
26
27
27
25
22
19
Limassol Tags: | |
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