Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. It covers an approximate area of 2.5 million km² (965 000 mi²). It is also called the Eurafrican Mediterranean Sea or the European Mediterranean Sea in oceanography to distinguish it from other mediterranean seas in the world.

Subdivisions

The Mediterranean Sea is sub-divided into a number of smaller seas, each with their own designation (from west to east):

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• the Alboran Sea, between Spain and Morocco,
• the Ligurian Sea between Corsica and Liguria (Italy),
• the Tyrrhenian Sea enclosed by Sardinia, Italian peninsula and Sicily,
• the Adriatic Sea between the Italian peninsula and the Dalmatian coast,
• the Ionian Sea between Italy and Greece,
• the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey, with
• the Thracian Sea in its north,
• the Mirtoon Sea between the Cyclades and the Peloponnesos,
• the Sea of Crete north of Crete, and
• the Sea of Marmara between the Aegean and Black Seas.

In addition to the seas, a number of gulfs and straits are also recognised:

Related Topics:
Gulf - Strait

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• the Gulf of Lyon, south of France
• the Strait of Messina, between Sicily and the toe of Italy
• the Gulf of Taranto, southern Italy,
• the Gulf of Haifa, between Haifa and Akko, Israel
• the Gulf of Sidra, between Tunisia 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 Iskenderun, between Iskenderun and Adana(Turkey).
• the Gulf of Antalya, between west and east shores of Antalya(Turkey).