The Mediterranean Sea is an inland sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between Eurasia and Africa. This water area has an average depth of 1.5 km and washes the shores of many countries, including Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, etc. Narrow expanses of water - the Strait of Gibraltar, the Dardanelles, the Bosphorus, the Suez Canal - connect the Mediterranean basin with The Atlantic Ocean, the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, and the Red Sea, respectively.
The Mediterranean region is considered the cradle of ancient civilizations; powerful ancient states competed for dominance over its coast. The warm, dry and favorable Mediterranean climate and bright blue sea attract people from all over the world. Even the name of the Mediterranean Sea is rich in its history.
Interesting Facts: The Mediterranean Sea includes the Tyrrhenian Sea adjacent to the western Italian coast; the Adriatic Sea, stretching along the eastern coast of Italy; Ionian Sea, located between Sicily and Crete; The Aegean Sea, separating Greece and Turkey, etc.
Ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea on the world map The historical region in the Mediterranean basin was inhabited by many ancient peoples - Phoenicians, Egyptians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans and Middle Eastern cultures (Arab, Persian, etc.). The sea in the center of the region was a transport route, a route for traders and travelers, which contributed to the development of trade and the establishment of cultural ties between the peoples of the Mediterranean.
Interesting Facts: The largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea are about. Sicily, o. Sardinia, belonging to the territory of Italy; O. Cyprus, the French island of Corsica and the Greek island of Crete.
The most famous Mediterranean civilizations are the Greek city-states and the Phoenicians. The ancient Greeks called the sea by the names of individual parts of the reservoir (“Cretan Sea”, “Sea of Io” (Ionian), etc.), since they did not have a common name for the entire water basin. Among the Carthaginians the name “Syrian Sea” was common; in Egypt the body of water was called “Great Green Water”.
"Our Sea" (Mare Nostrum)
Territory of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century Greece, Carthage, Egypt and Rome vied for control of the Mediterranean coast. The Romans, who conquered the Mediterranean region before the 2nd century, called the sea Mare Nostrum, which translated means “Our Sea”. The term Mare Nostrum was originally used by the Romans to refer to the Tyrrhenian Sea after their conquest of Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia during the Punic Wars with Carthage. By the first half of the 1st century BC. e. Roman rule extended from the Iberian Peninsula to Egypt, and the term "Our Sea" came to be used to refer to the entire Mediterranean Sea. Other Roman names for the Mediterranean Sea are also known, including “Inland Sea” (Mare Internum), since the coastal lands belonged to the Roman Empire at its height.
"Mediterranean Sea" (Mare Mediterraneum)
strait of Gibraltar In the 7th century, the name “Mediterranean Sea” (Mare Mediterraneum) spread. The term Mediterraneum comes from the Latin mediterraneus (Latin medius - middle, terra - earth), which translated means “in the middle of the earth”, “surrounded by the earth”. This name is justified in relation to the location of the sea, since it is surrounded by land, the coastline breaks are narrow: the width of the Strait of Gibraltar, connecting the sea in the western part with the Atlantic Ocean, is only 14 km; Dardanelles Strait – 1.3 km. The ancient Romans also discovered that the Mediterranean Sea is located at the center of the Earth.
The hydronym “Mediterranean Sea” was first used in the 3rd century by the Roman antiquarian writer Gaius Julius Solinus in the geographical work “On the Worthy of Memory.”
Other names
In the Old Testament, the Mediterranean Sea is called the “Western Sea” due to its proximity to the western coast of the Holy Land. In biblical texts the name “Sea of the Philistines” is also found, which arose on behalf of the people who inhabited the Mediterranean coast near Israel. However, the name “Great Sea” or simply “Sea” prevails.
In Hebrew, Mediterranean means “Middle Sea”; in Arabic and Turkish - “White Sea”, since in eastern countries the color white denoted the west. The term may also have arisen in opposition to the "Black Sea".
Interesting fact: The Mediterranean Sea is one of the saltiest and warmest seas in the World Ocean. Winter water temperature is on average 10 °C, in summer – 22 °C. The average salinity of the Mediterranean Sea (38‰) exceeds the average salt concentration in the Atlantic Ocean (35‰).
Thus, the ancient peoples who inhabited the Mediterranean region gave different names to the sea around which they were located: “Western Sea”, “Great Sea”, “Inland Sea”, etc. The Romans, having conquered the entire Mediterranean region, called the body of water “Our Sea” (Mare Nostrum). In the 7th century, the hydronym Mare Mediterraneum (“Mediterranean Sea”), which comes from the Latin word mediterraneus and is translated as “sea among the earth,” “sea surrounded by earth,” spread.
This is due to the fact that the sea is located among the lands that made up the civilization of the Ancient World, it is surrounded on all sides by land, with the exception of narrow straits. In addition, the ancient Romans considered the Mediterranean Sea to be the center of the Earth. The meaning of the Mediterranean Sea, like its name, remains to this day - it is a transport and trade route that connects three parts of the world - Europe, Asia and Africa.
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MEDITERRANEAN SEA, one of the largest seas in size. The adjective “Mediterranean” is widely used to describe peoples, countries, climates, vegetation; For many, the concept of “Mediterranean” is associated with a particular way of life or with an entire period in human history.
The Mediterranean Sea separates Europe, Africa and Asia, but it also closely connected Southern Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia. The length of this sea from west to east is approx. 3700 km, and from north to south (at its widest point) - approx. 1600 km. On the northern coast are Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece. A number of Asian countries – Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel – reach the sea from the east. Finally, on the southern coast are Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The area of the Mediterranean Sea is 2.5 million square meters. km, and since it is connected with other bodies of water only by narrow straits, it can be considered an inland sea. In the west, through the Strait of Gibraltar, which is 14 km wide and up to 400 m deep, it has access to the Atlantic Ocean. In the northeast, the Dardanelles Strait, narrowing in places to 1.3 km, connects it with the Sea of Marmara and, through the Bosporus Strait, with the Black Sea. In the southeast, an artificial structure - the Suez Canal - connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. These three narrow water passages have always been very important for trade, navigation and strategic purposes. At various times they were controlled - or sought to be controlled - by the British, French, Turks and Russians. The Romans of the Roman Empire called the Mediterranean Sea mare nostrum ("our sea")
The coastline of the Mediterranean Sea is highly indented, and numerous protrusions of land divide it into many semi-isolated water areas that have their own names. These seas include: Ligurian, located south of the Riviera and north of Corsica; Tyrrhenian Sea, enclosed between peninsular Italy, Sicily and Sardinia; Adriatic Sea, washing the shores of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Albania; Ionian Sea between Greece and southern Italy; Cretan Sea between the island of Crete and peninsular Greece; Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. There are also a number of large bays, for example Alicante - off the eastern coast of Spain; Lyon - off the southern coast of France; Taranto - between the two southern protrusions of the Apennine Peninsula; Antalya and Iskenderun - off the southern coast of Turkey; Sidra - in the central part of the coast of Libya; Gabes and Tunisian - respectively, off the southeastern and northeastern coasts of Tunisia.
The modern Mediterranean Sea is a relic of the ancient Tethys Ocean, which was much wider and extended far to the east. Relics of the Tethys Ocean are also the Aral, Caspian, Black and Marmara seas, confined to its deepest depressions. It is likely that Tethys was once completely surrounded by land, and there was an isthmus between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar. The same land bridge connected southeastern Europe with Asia Minor. It is possible that the Bosporus, Dardanelles and Gibraltar straits were formed on the site of flooded river valleys, and many island chains, especially in the Aegean Sea, were connected to the mainland.
In the Mediterranean Sea there are western and eastern depressions. The border between them is drawn through the Calabrian ledge of the Apennine Peninsula, Sicily and the underwater Adventure Bank (up to 400 m deep), stretching for almost 150 km from Sicily to Cape Bon in Tunisia. Within both depressions, even smaller ones are isolated, usually bearing the names of the corresponding seas, for example, the Aegean, Adriatic, etc. The water in the western depression is slightly colder and fresher than in the eastern: in the west, the average temperature of the surface layer is approx. 12° C in February and 24° C in August, and in the east - 17° C and 27° C, respectively. One of the coldest and stormiest areas of the Mediterranean Sea is the Gulf of Lyon. The salinity of the sea varies widely, as less salty water comes from the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.
The tides here are low, but quite significant in very narrow straits and bays, especially during the full moon. However, quite strong currents are observed in the straits, directed both into and out of the Mediterranean Sea. Evaporation is higher than in the Atlantic Ocean or the Black Sea, so surface currents arise in the straits, carrying fresher water to the Mediterranean Sea. At depths below these surface currents, countercurrents occur, but they do not compensate for the influx of water at the surface.
The bottom of the Mediterranean Sea in many places is composed of yellow carbonate silt, below which lies blue silt. Near the mouths of large rivers, the blue silts are overlain by deltaic deposits, which occupy a large area. The depths of the Mediterranean Sea vary greatly: the highest level - 5121 m - was recorded in the Hellenic deep-sea trench off the southern tip of Greece. The average depth of the western basin is 1430 m, and its shallowest part, the Adriatic Sea, has an average depth of only 242 m.
In some places, significant areas of dissected relief rise above the general surface of the Mediterranean Sea bottom, the tops of which form islands. Many (though not all) of them are of volcanic origin. Among the islands, we note, for example, Alboran, located east of the Strait of Gibraltar, and the group of Balearic Islands (Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera) east of the Iberian Peninsula; mountainous Corsica and Sardinia - to the west of the Apennine Peninsula, as well as a number of small islands in the same area - Elba, Pontine, Ischia and Capri; and to the north of Sicily - Stromboli and Lipari. Within the Eastern Mediterranean Basin is the island of Malta (south of Sicily), and further to the east are Crete and Cyprus. There are numerous small islands in the Ionian, Cretan and Aegean seas; Among them are the Ionian - to the west of mainland Greece, the Cyclades - to the east of the Peloponnese Peninsula and Rhodes - off the southwestern coast of Turkey.
Large rivers flow into the Mediterranean Sea: Ebro (in Spain); Rhône (in France); Arno, Tiber and Volturno (in Italy). The rivers Po and Tagliamento (in Italy) and Isonzo (on the border of Italy and Slovenia) flow into the Adriatic Sea. The Aegean Sea basin includes the rivers Vardar (in Greece and Macedonia), Struma, or Strymon, and Mesta, or Nestos (in Bulgaria and Greece). The largest river in the Mediterranean basin, the Nile is the only major river flowing into this sea from the south.
The Mediterranean Sea is renowned for its calm and beauty, but like other seas, it can be rough during certain seasons, causing large waves to hit the coast. The Mediterranean has long attracted people due to its favorable climate. The term "Mediterranean" is used to describe a climate with long, hot, clear, and dry summers and short, cool, wet winters. Many coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea, especially the southern and eastern ones, have semiarid and arid climate features. In particular, semi-aridity with an abundance of clear sunny days is considered typical for the Mediterranean climate. However, in winter there are many cold days when damp, cold winds bring rain, drizzle and sometimes snow.
The Mediterranean is also famous for the attractiveness of its landscapes. The French and Italian Riviera, the outskirts of Naples, the Adriatic coast of Croatia with numerous islands, the shores of Greece and Lebanon, where steep mountain slopes approach the sea itself, are especially picturesque. Important trade routes and cultural spread passed through the main islands of the eastern Mediterranean - from the Middle East, Egypt and Crete to Greece, Rome, Spain and France; another route ran along the southern coast of the sea - from Egypt to Morocco.
Mediterranean Sea surrounded on all sides by earth. One glance at the map is enough to agree with this judgment. This was also known ancient Greek scientist.
- Countries and islands
- Countries
- Islands
- Eastern Mediterranean
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Features of geographical location and climate
Mediterranean Sea it's not named in vain, from all sides it touches with continents.
This has not yet been found anywhere in the world. large indoor pool, which is connected to the ocean by only a tiny, for this scale, bridge - Strait of Gibraltar.
The sea in its own way geographical location is between: Asia, Europe, Africa.
Total area - 2,500 square kilometers. The maximum depth is 5,121 meters.
It is connected by channels and straits with Black, Red And Seas of Marmara.
Concerning bottom relief, then everything is typical for the sea peculiarities:
Part Mediterranean Sea includes inland seas:
- Aegean;
- Alboran;
- Adriatic;
- Balearic;
- Ionian;
- Ligurian;
- Tyrrhenian.
If you are planning a vacation on the Adriatic Sea, find out detailed information about its resorts from this article
in winter the weather is very changeable, regularly there are storms, and pass heavy rainfall. The temperature drops significantly due to the influence northern winds.
In summer observed here dry fog and a small amount precipitation.
Tourists come en masse to these places closer to mid-summer. By July the reservoir warms up to +27 degrees.
Countries and islands
To the Mediterranean include vast territories of countries and islands. We give examples of some of them below.
Countries
- Türkiye. There are resorts here that are very popular with Russian tourists. Most of the service staff are talking in Russian, which simplifies holidays in a foreign country for our tourists. There are a lot of excellent ones here beaches, inexpensive hotels and one of the best in the world kitchens. The reservoir washes the following major Turkish cities - Mersin, Istanbul, Antalya And Izmir.
- Italy. It is located in the western Mediterranean. People come here to eat delicious pizza And spaghetti and also enjoy warm sun. Resort towns are considered Rome, Sicily And Milan.
- Spain. Ibiza, Barcelona And Majorca- these are exactly the settlements where travelers come who want to have fun and have a good time. Especially it concerns youth, loving noisy parties.
- Croatia. A country attractive for tourists, first of all, quickly gaining momentum yachting. For this purpose the state allocates multi-million dollar investment.
- Montenegro. The beach is especially worth a look Ada Boyana. Here the purest sand, which can only be found throughout Adriatic. In addition, tourism is actively developing here among nudists.
- Albania. Chic kitchen, beautiful landscapes– this is how local resorts are characterized.
- Morocco. Intersect here European And Islamic traditions and cultures. This fact attracts tourists. According to statistics, people also come here to see cultural attractions. Particularly popular Casablanca.
- Tunisia. Ancients museums, mysterious artifacts, monuments architecture, memorable markets– at local resorts you can’t find any miracles.
Italy is a great place to relax not only in summer, but also in winter. Read about the winter resorts of this country here
In ancient times it was believed that the Mediterranean Sea was located in the center of the world. The Roman aborigines called it Inland Sea, since all its shores were conquered by them.
Islands
Also in the Mediterranean a bunch of big and small islands, interesting for travelers. Among them stand out:
- Djerba. Located in the north Africa. Translated from ancient Arabic as "wheat town". The island is mentioned in the famous "Odyssey" Homer. Pink flamingos, ancient synagogue, fireballs, local delicious rice– something like this simply cannot be missed if you find yourself in Djerba.
- Sardinia. Located next to Dirk And Sicily. Archaeologists constantly find various tombs And ziggurats. These are the main attractions of the island.
- Vulcano. Tourists come here to see the numerous volcanic craters.
Scientists have found out that due to the catastrophic floods, which occurred 5.3 million years ago, is precisely filling occurred Mediterranean Sea. In two years such a large water basin was formed!
Eastern Mediterranean
Most often to Eastern Mediterranean include the shores of Greece, Italy and Turkey, this the opinion is wrong. If we approach this issue from a geographical point of view and look at the map, it turns out that the Eastern Mediterranean includes:
Have you decided to relax in Cyprus? Find out what others think about the island's hotels in this article
Pros and cons of holidays on the Mediterranean Sea
On the Mediterranean Sea ideal to relax in September. At this time already the heat subsides, and the water remains warm. An additional advantage is that the reservoir contains a large amount healthy salts And No dangerous poisonous plants And animals.
Can be inspected attractions completely different countries of the world and get to know them culture. After all, the Mediterranean Sea washes the shores of a good half continents of the world.
In Mediterranean resorts there is a very developed resort and medical infrastructure. Therefore, people suffering diseases of various origins, can easily find a place for relaxation and recovery.
There are no cons. Unless, of course, you consider the scorching summer sun a disadvantage.
One of the largest seas in size. The adjective “Mediterranean” is widely used to describe peoples, countries, climates, vegetation; For many, the concept of “Mediterranean” is associated with a particular way of life or with an entire period in human history.
It divides Europe, Africa and Asia, but it also closely connected Southern Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia. The length of this sea from west to east is approx. 3700 km, and from north to south (at its widest point) - approx. 1600 km. On the northern coast are Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece. A number of Asian countries – Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel – reach the sea from the east. Finally, on the southern coast are Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The area of the Mediterranean Sea is 2.5 million square meters. km, and since it is connected with other bodies of water only by narrow straits, it can be considered an inland sea.
In the west, through the Strait of Gibraltar, which is 14 km wide and up to 400 m deep, it has access to the Atlantic Ocean. In the northeast, the Dardanelles Strait, narrowing in places to 1.3 km, connects it with the Sea of Marmara and, through the Bosporus Strait, with the Black Sea. In the southeast, an artificial structure - the Suez Canal - connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. These three narrow water passages have always been very important for trade, navigation and strategic purposes. At various times they were controlled - or sought to be controlled - by the British, French, Turks and Russians. The Romans of the Roman Empire called the Mediterranean Sea mare nostrum ("our sea").
Coastline Mediterranean Sea strongly indented, and numerous protrusions of land divide it into many semi-isolated water areas that have their own names. These seas include: Ligurian, located south of the Riviera and north of Corsica; Tyrrhenian Sea, enclosed between peninsular Italy, Sicily and Sardinia; the Adriatic Sea, washing the shores of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Albania; Ionian Sea between Greece and southern Italy; Cretan Sea between the island of Crete and peninsular Greece; Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. There are also a number of large bays, for example Alicante - off the eastern coast of Spain; Lyon - off the southern coast of France; Taranto - between the two southern protrusions of the Apennine Peninsula; Antalya and Iskenderun - off the southern coast of Turkey; Sidra - in the central part of the coast of Libya; Gabes and Tunisian - respectively, off the southeastern and northeastern coasts of Tunisia.
Modern is a relic of the ancient Tethys Ocean, which was much wider and extended far to the east. Relics of the Tethys Ocean are also the Aral, Caspian, Black and Marmara seas, confined to its deepest depressions. It is likely that Tethys was once completely surrounded by land, and there was an isthmus between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar. The same land bridge connected southeastern Europe with Asia Minor. It is possible that the Bosporus, Dardanelles and Gibraltar straits were formed on the site of flooded river valleys, and many island chains, especially in the Aegean Sea, were connected to the mainland.
In the Mediterranean Sea there are western and eastern depressions. The border between them is drawn through the Calabrian ledge of the Apennine Peninsula, Sicily and the underwater Adventure Bank (up to 400 m deep), stretching for almost 150 km from Sicily to Cape Bon in Tunisia. Within both depressions, even smaller ones are isolated, usually bearing the names of the corresponding seas, for example, the Aegean, Adriatic, etc. The water in the western depression is slightly colder and fresher than in the eastern: in the west, the average temperature of the surface layer is approx. 12° C in February and 24° C in August, and in the east – 17° C and 27° C, respectively. One of the coldest and stormiest areas Mediterranean Sea is the Gulf of Lyon. The salinity of the sea varies widely, as less salty water comes from the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Tides are low here, but quite significant in very narrow straits and bays, especially during the full moon. However, quite strong currents are observed in the straits, directed both into and out of the Mediterranean Sea. Evaporation is higher than in the Atlantic Ocean or the Black Sea, so surface currents arise in the straits, carrying fresher water to the Mediterranean Sea. At depths below these surface currents, countercurrents occur, but they do not compensate for the influx of water at the surface.
Bottom The Mediterranean Sea in many places is composed of yellow carbonate silt, below which lies blue silt. Near the mouths of large rivers, the blue silts are overlain by deltaic deposits, which occupy a large area. Depths Mediterranean Sea very different: the highest elevation - 5121 m - was recorded in the Hellenic deep-sea trench off the southern tip of Greece. The average depth of the western basin is 1430 m, and its shallowest part, the Adriatic Sea, has an average depth of only 242 m.
Above the general bottom surface Mediterranean Sea In some places, significant areas of dissected relief rise, the tops of which form islands. Many (though not all) of them are of volcanic origin. Among the islands, we note, for example, Alboran, located east of the Strait of Gibraltar, and the group of Balearic Islands (Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera) east of the Iberian Peninsula; mountainous Corsica and Sardinia - to the west of the Apennine Peninsula, as well as a number of small islands in the same area - Elba, Pontine, Ischia and Capri; and to the north of Sicily - Stromboli and Lipari. Within the Eastern Mediterranean Basin is the island of Malta (south of Sicily), and further to the east are Crete and Cyprus. There are numerous small islands in the Ionian, Cretan and Aegean seas; Among them are the Ionian - to the west of mainland Greece, the Cyclades - to the east of the Peloponnese Peninsula and Rhodes - off the southwestern coast of Turkey.
Large rivers flow into the Mediterranean Sea: Ebro (in Spain); Rhône (in France); Arno, Tiber and Volturno (in Italy). The rivers Po and Tagliamento (in Italy) and Isonzo (on the border of Italy and Slovenia) flow into the Adriatic Sea. The Aegean Sea basin includes the rivers Vardar (in Greece and Macedonia), Struma, or Strymon, and Mesta, or Nestos (in Bulgaria and Greece). The largest river in the Mediterranean basin, the Nile is the only major river flowing into this sea from the south.
The Mediterranean Sea is renowned for its calm and beauty, but like other seas, it can be rough during certain seasons, causing large waves to hit the coast. The Mediterranean has long attracted people due to its favorable climate. The term "Mediterranean" is used to describe a climate with long, hot, clear, and dry summers and short, cool, wet winters. Many coastal areas Mediterranean Sea, especially the southern and eastern ones, are characterized by semiarid and arid climate features. In particular, semi-aridity with an abundance of clear sunny days is considered typical for the Mediterranean climate. However, in winter there are many cold days when damp, cold winds bring rain, drizzle and sometimes snow.
The Mediterranean is also famous for the attractiveness of its landscapes. The French and Italian Riviera, the outskirts of Naples, the Adriatic coast of Croatia with numerous islands, the shores of Greece and Lebanon, where steep mountain slopes approach the sea itself, are especially picturesque. Important trade routes and cultural spread passed through the main islands of the eastern Mediterranean - from the Middle East, Egypt and Crete to Greece, Rome, Spain and France; another route ran along the southern coast of the sea - from Egypt to Morocco.
Vegetation and fauna Mediterranean Sea is characterized by a relatively weak quantitative development of phyto- and zooplankton, which entails. the small number of larger animals that feed on them, including fish. The amount of phytoplankton in the surface horizons is only 8-10 mg/m?, at a depth of 1000-2000 m it is 10-20 times less. Algae are very diverse (peridinea and diatoms predominate).
Fauna Mediterranean Sea characterized by great species diversity, but the number of representatives of the department. there are few species. There are kaki, one type of seal (the white-bellied seal); sea turtle. There are 550 species of fish (sharks, mackerel, herring, anchovies, mullet, coryphenidae, tuna, bonito, horse mackerel, etc.). About 70 species of endemic fish, including stingrays, anchovy species, gobies, and mora. blennies, wrasse and needlefish. Of the edible shellfish, the most important are the oyster, the Mediterranean-Black Sea mussel, and the sea date. Of the invertebrates, octopuses, squids, sepia, crabs, lobsters are common; numerous species of jellyfish and siphonophores; In some areas, especially in the Aegean Sea, sponges and red coral are found.
Mediterranean coastal countries:
- Spain
- France
- Monaco
- Italy
- Malta
- Montenegro
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Bosnia
- Albania
- Greece
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Ukraine
- Russia
- Georgia
- Türkiye
- Syria
- Lebanon
- Israel
- Egypt
- Libya
- Tunisia
- Algeria
- Morocco
Largest islands of the Mediterranean Sea:
- Balearic
- Corsica
- Sardinia
- Sicily
The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed sea, located at the junction of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. There are 22 UN member states on its shores, of which the longest coasts in the Mediterranean Sea are Spain, France, Italy and Greece in Europe, Turkey in Asia, Egypt, Libya and Algeria in Africa. In the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, up to eleven separate seas are distinguished, the largest of which is the Levantine Sea with an area of 320 thousand km², in whose waters the island of Cyprus is located, and the smallest is the Ligurian Sea, with an area of 15 thousand km², but on the shores of the Ligurian Sea there are such large port cities as Genoa and Nice.
You can get to the Mediterranean Sea from Russia in different ways: by land, by air and by water. When traveling by car or bus, you will have the opportunity to visit Belarus, Poland, further to Germany, from there to France, along the way you can visit the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. The duration of such a trip depends only on the route and time spent walking around European cities. When flying with leading airlines, it all depends on the country on whose coast you want to enjoy the waters of the Mediterranean Sea: a flight from Moscow to Monaco, Barcelona, or Athens will take about 4 hours, but to Naples, Rome or Tunisia there are direct flights from Moscow no, you will have to fly with at least one transfer and the flight will take from seven hours to a day. And for those who prefer yacht trips, a trip to the Mediterranean Sea is an excellent opportunity to spend a couple of months sailing. Having sailed from the Crimea, from Novorossiysk or Sochi to the Black Sea, all that remains is to get to the Bosphorus Strait, walk around Istanbul, then to the Sea of Marmara and from there, through the Dardanelles Strait, enter the waters of the Aegean Sea and you can sail to any port of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean Sea has a developed fishing industry and is a real paradise for tourists. In addition, a new opportunity has recently emerged for wealthy citizens to secure an excellent vacation on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Due to internal economic problems, Greece began selling off its islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas. Hollywood star Brad Pitt and his wife Angelina Jolie have already bought one for themselves. However, Greece knows the price of its islands: the “cheapest” of them costs more than three million dollars. But, if for some reason you don’t have three million bucks, or just don’t need an island, you can rent a house in Malta for just $350 a month.
Mediterranean resorts
Storm on the coast of Crete
The resort town of Budva in Montenegro on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea
Shark on Cretan beach
Monaco Beach, Monte Carlo
A fish on the Mediterranean beach of Monaco loves a bun
Malta is the pearl of the Mediterranean!
