Mediterranean Sea Facts

The Mediterranean sea is an inland sea in the middle of the Mediterranean region, which is partially connected to the Atlantic ocean, and hence, associated with it. This amazing water body is virtually landlocked by three continents surrounding it - Europe, Africa and Asia. The sea typically characterized by its deep blue color, has been a subject of fascination for many people across the world, but surprisingly enough, some Mediterranean Sea facts continue to elude the common man's mind even today.

Mediterranean Sea Information

Being a landlocked sea makes the Mediterranean sea a unique component of the planet Earth. Given below is a compilation of some of the most interesting facts about Mediterranean sea, which are bound to leave you amazed.

History: The Mediterranean Sea was formed along with the Mediterranean region, which came into existence owing to the tectonic breaking and collision of African and Eurasian plates. The sea has been witness to some of the oldest civilizations in the world, the Aegean civilization being the best example of the same. All throughout the history, this sea has served as an important travel route to the Atlantic. Read more on the history of the Mediterranean Sea.

Etymology: The sea derives its name from the Latin word 'mediterraneus', meaning 'inland' or 'in the middle of Earth'. The word can be broken up into two words - 'medius', meaning 'middle' and 'terra', meaning the 'Earth'. Historical records suggest that the Romans believed that the sea was 'the middle of the Earth', and hence gave it this name.

Size and Coastline: The Mediterranean sea covers an area of around 965,000 sq miles or 2.5 million sq km, and has a coastline running for approximately 28,600 miles, through several nations on Europe, Africa and Asia. Some of the major nations lying along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea include France, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Algeria, Morocco and Cyprus.

Division: The Mediterranean sea is divided into two sub-regions by the Strait of Sicily - a shallow submarine ridge, located between Sicily and Tunisia. These two sub-regions are the Western Mediterranean, spanning over 0.33 million sq miles, and the Eastern Mediterranean, spanning over 0.64 million sq miles. Each of these sub-regions are further divided into several smaller regions.

Depth: On an average the depth of the Mediterranean sea is about 1,500 meters, however the deepest point in this water body is believed to be the Calypso Deep, with a depth of 5,267 meters, located in the Lonian sea. This is only half the depth of the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, which is the deepest part of the ocean.

Connection with the Atlantic: Though it has a coastline of almost 28,600 miles, extending across 3 continents, the Mediterranean sea is connected to the Atlantic ocean only for 9 miles, while the rest is landlocked. In the west, the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean at the Strait of Gibraltar, and in the east, it meets the Sea of Marmara and the Black sea. In the south-east, the Suez Canal which connects the Mediterranean sea with the Red sea.

Islands: You can't ignore the beautiful islands of the Mediterranean when you talk about the Mediterranean sea facts. The Mediterranean sea is home to some of the major islands in the world. These include Cyprus and Rhodes in eastern Mediterranean, Sicily and Malta in central Mediterranean and Ibiza and Majorca in the western Mediterranean.

Other Geographical Features: Owing to its landlocked nature, the Mediterranean sea seldom shares the characteristics of a normal sea. For instance, the tides in this water body are not as prominent as the tides in other seas. The Mediterranean sea also affects the climate of this region, which is most often wet, with cold winters and hot summers.

To know more about the fascinating world of oceans, you can refer to:

• Facts about the Baltic Sea
• Marine Biome Facts
• Marine Biology Facts

These were some of the most prominent Mediterranean sea facts, which make it one of the most amazing components of planet Earth. Several ancient human civilizations were raised on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, and this water body in itself has had a major influence on those civilizations. Things haven't changed much, as even today the Mediterranean sea has a strong influence on various aspects of the life of people inhabiting in the Mediterranean region.