We explain what the Mediterranean Sea is, where it is located and how it is divided. Also, what are its characteristics, its fauna, its flora and more.
The Mediterranean is the second largest inland sea on the planet.
What is the Mediterranean Sea?
The Mediterranean Sea is one of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Europe (to the north), Asia (to the east) and Africa (to the south).. It is a practically closed sea, which means that it is almost entirely surrounded by land. It connects with the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, with the Black Sea through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, and with the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.
The Mediterranean is one of the largest seas on the planet, with an area of approximately 2.5 million km2. Its average depth is 1,430 metres and its deepest part is the Calypso Trench, at 5,270 metres.
This region has enormous historical importance for Western civilization, as it was the scene of the development of numerous cultures, such as Greco-Roman, Phoenician, Egyptian and Hebrew.
Some of the world’s most important cities are located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. These include Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France), Rome (Italy), Athens (Greece), Istanbul (Turkey), Alexandria (Egypt) and Tel Aviv (Israel).
What does the name Mediterranean mean?
The ancient Romans called it “Mare nostrum” or “our sea”.
The name “Mediterranean” comes from the Latin Medi Terraneum, which means “the middle of the earth.” This is because, in ancient times, the societies that named it only knew the regions around this sea, and that is why the Mediterranean was located at the centre of the lands identified until that time.
Anciently, the Greeks called it Mesogeios Thalassa (with the same meaning as the Latin term) and the Romans, Our Sea (“our sea”), while the Arabs called it al-Bahr al-Mutawäsit (“intermediate sea”) and the Egyptians, “the Great Green”.
The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic by the Strait of Gibraltar.
Seas that make up the Mediterranean
The Alboran Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean Sea is divided into a set of smaller seas:
- Alboran Sea, between Spain and Morocco.
- Balearic Sea, between the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the island of Sardinia.
- Ligurian Sea, between Corsica and Liguria.
- Tyrrhenian Sea, between the east coast of Sardinia, the Italian peninsula and the northern coast of Sicily.
- Adriatic Sea, between the Italian peninsula and the coasts of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro.
- Ionian Sea, between the Italian peninsula, Greece and Albania.
- Aegean Sea, between Greece and Türkiye.
- Sea of Cilicia, between Türkiye and Cyprus.
- Levantine Sea, between the coasts of Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, Israel, Syria and Türkiye.
Mediterranean countries
The Mediterranean bathes the coasts of many countries. These are:
- Of Europe: Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Cyprus, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malta.
- From Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt.
- From Asia: Israel, Türkiye, Northern Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria.
When was the Mediterranean Sea formed?
The Mediterranean Sea began to form after the separation of the supercontinent Pangea, approximately 200 million years ago.. As the Eurasian plate moved away from the African plate, the bottom surface of the Mediterranean expanded to its current extent.
6 million years ago, the Mediterranean Sea separated from the Atlantic Ocean, its basin began to dry out as a result of evaporation and practically disappeared. Some time later, towards the end of the Miocene, approximately 5 million years ago, the Mediterranean began to fill again with water from the Atlantic, and thus acquired the extension, shape and depth that it has today.
Mediterranean Sea Islands
Sicily is the largest and most populated of the Mediterranean islands.
Among the numerous islands in the Mediterranean, the following stand out for their size:
- Sicily (Italy), with 25,460 km2.
- Sardinia (Italy), with 23,821 km2.
- Cyprus, with 9251 km2.
- Corsica (France), with 8680 km2.
- Crete (Greece), with 8336 km2.
- Euboea (Greece), with 3655 km2.
- Mallorca (Spain), with 3640 km2.
- Lesvos (Greece), with 1632 km2.
- Rhodes (Greece), with 1400 km2.
Mediterranean Sea Climate
The Mediterranean climate features hot, dry summers.
The climate of the Mediterranean region has characteristics that are practically not found in other parts of the world.It even designates a subtype of temperate climate: the temperate Mediterranean.
The Mediterranean climate is characterized by having hot and very dry summers. During this season, precipitation is practically non-existent and entire months can pass without rain. Temperatures during the warm period always exceed 22 °C on average.
During winter, temperatures drop and precipitation occurs. Average temperatures are approximately 10 °C, and monthly rainfall can reach 100 millimeters.
Fauna and flora of the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean is among the most polluted seas in the world.
The flora of the Mediterranean Sea is mainly composed of phytoplankton, diatoms and cyanobacteria. These organisms constitute the base of the food chain of marine fauna.
For its part, the fauna is characterized by the presence of various species of fish and cetaceans, and migratory birds. Marine invertebrates are also abundant, such as mollusks and crustaceans, as well as anemones and jellyfish.
Today, the flora and fauna of these waters are threatened by pollution.. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most polluted in the world, and it is believed that there are more than 650,000 tons of plastic in its waters. In addition, the large cities that are located on its banks produce sewage and chemical waste that also contribute to the loss of water quality.
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African migration
For several decades now, the Mediterranean Sea has been part of the route chosen by African migrants to reach Europe in search of better living conditions.. This sea crossing is often carried out in precarious boats and in dangerous circumstances, which exposes people who migrate to the risk of suffering accidents and losing their lives.
The motivations for this migration are generally related to extreme poverty in the place of origin, regional conflicts and the search for job opportunities and stability.
However, most European governments have very strict immigration policies for the African population. For this reason, migrants are often not welcomed and are generally deported back to their countries as soon as they reach European shores.
Exploitation of resources in the Mediterranean Sea
Fishing constitutes a fundamental economic activity in the region. Species such as sardine, anchovy and tuna are particularly valued in the regional fishing economy. Spain and Italy are leaders in the fishing industry worldwide.
Hydrocarbon reserves on the seabed of the Mediterranean Sea are also an important source of income for several countries in the region. Greece and Türkiye are two of the main oil producing countries in the world.
Tourism is also a very important economic activity. Paradise beaches, historic cities and cruise ships that travel the waters of the Mediterranean Sea contribute significantly to the economy of the countries bordering it. Greece, Morocco, Italy and Spain are some of the countries that take the most advantage of the tourist destinations offered by the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean Sea in history
The Mediterranean Sea was the scene of the Roman Empire.
The Mediterranean region is the meeting point of cultures from the European, African and Asian continents. For this reason, it was the scene of the emergence of different civilizations and empires.among them, ancient Egypt, the Semitic peoples of Israel, ancient Persia, the Carthaginian civilization, Greek and later Latin classical antiquity, and the Roman Empire.
Thus, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the cradles of Western civilization and appears in numerous founding epic stories.
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References
- WWF. (nd). According to WWF, the Mediterranean is in danger of becoming a “plastic trap”. https://www.wwf.es/
- GeoEncyclopedia. (2022). Mediterranean Sea. https://www.geoenciclopedia.com/
- Tarbuck, E. and Lutgens, F. (2005). Earth sciences. An Introduction to Physical Geology. Pearson Education.