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The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an
approximate area of 2.5 million kmē.
The designation Mediterranean derives from the Latin mediterraneus, 'inland' (medius, 'middle' +
terra, 'land, earth').
The Mediterranean Sea has been known by a number of alternative names throughout human history. It was, for example, commonly
called Mare Nostrum,
'Our Sea', by the Romans. Presently, "The Med" is a common English language contraction for the Mediterranean Sea and its
surrounding regions when employed in informal speech.
The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the
Strait of Gibraltar on the west and to the Sea of Marmara and Black Sea,
by the Dardanelles and the Bosporus respectively, on the east. The Sea of Marmara is often considered a part of the Mediterranean Sea,
whereas the Black Sea is generally not. The man-made Suez Canal in the
south-east connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
Tides are very limited in the Mediterreanean as a result of the narrow connection with
the ocean.
Large islands in the Mediterranean include:
Modern states bordering the Mediterranean Sea are:
- Europe (from west to east): Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Turkey
- Asia (from north to south): Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the
Palestinian Authority
- Africa (from east to west): Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and
Morocco
- The island states of Cyprus and Malta. The
Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus also has a Mediterranean coastline but is recognised only by Turkey.
The Mediterranean climate is generally one of wet winters and hot, dry summers. Special crops of the region are olives, grapes, oranges, tangerines, and cork. The region has a long history of civilization.
The Mediterranean Sea is sub-divided into a number of smaller seas, each with their own designation:
(from west to east): the Ligurian
Sea north of Corsica, the Tyrrhenian Sea enclosed by Sardinia,
Italy and Sicily, the Adriatic Sea between Italy 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:
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