The Mediterranean Sea is a unique basin that separates three continents. The Mediterranean states include the countries of the European Union, Asia and Africa. Tourists associate the Mediterranean with a mild climate, warm water, delicious food and good rest. The area of \u200b\u200bthis largest sea in the world is more than 3 million square meters. km, and it includes the Black Sea, the Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara and the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Consider which countries wash the waters of the Mediterranean and where it is better to relax according to your interests.

It washes 21 states. All these countries are located on the gentle coasts of the largest sea in the world, and the coastal zone of these countries is distinguished by landscaped beaches and warm gentle waters. Consider where the Mediterranean Sea is located on the world map with the countries around it. On the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea there are resorts in the following countries:

  1. Morocco - Tangier and Saidia.
  2. Spain -, Almeria, Barcelona, \u200b\u200bCartagena, Ibiza,.
  3. Algeria - Bejaya, Oran, Annaba.
  4. France - French Riviera, Nice, Saint Tropez, Corsica.
  5. Tunisia - Kelibia, Monastir, Bizerte.
  6. Italy - Alghero, Sardinia, Syracuse.
  7. Libya - Tripoli, Kufra, Misrata, Ubari, Tobruk.
  8. Monaco - The whole state is one whole resort.
  9. Egypt - Alexandria, Dellis, El Alamen, Baltim.
  10. Malta - Valletta, Sliema, St. Julian's, Bugiba.
  11. Israel - Nahariya, Haifa, Ashdod, Akko, Herzliya.
  12. Slovenia - Portoroz, Izoloa.
  13. Lebanon - Juni, Tire.
  14. Croatia - Dalmatia, Istria.
  15. Syria - Latakia, Badrouseikh, Al-Samra.
  16. Bosnia and Herzegovina - Neum.
  17. Turkey - Izmir, Bodrum, Marmaris, Kemer, Antalya, Alanya, Belek.
  18. Montenegro - Budva, Milocer, Petrovac.
  19. Cyprus - Larnaca, Limassol, Protaras, Tuscany.
  20. Albania - Vlora, Himara, Saranda.
  21. Greece - Crete, Kythira, Methoni, Rhodes.

Also, countries on the Mediterranean Sea have access to sunny beaches such as the Palestinian State and the Northern Region of Cyprus, as well as Dakelia, Gibraltar and Akrotiri. Undoubtedly, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Italy and France are recognized as the most favorite among tourists from this list of states. It is here that beach lovers from all over the planet strive, because the best beaches and resort areas are equipped here.

The depth of the Mediterranean Sea is quite varied and depends on the region. Conventionally, the Mediterranean can be divided into three main basins - western, central and eastern. What depth in each of the basins can be seen on the depth map, because the bottom relief of such a huge reservoir is different in structure in each region. The maximum depth is observed in southern Greece in a deep trench and is 5120 m. However, the average depth of the Mediterranean Sea does not exceed 1540 m.

The length and width of the Mediterranean Sea is not indicated accurately, the fact is that the basin is constantly changing its boundaries and it is almost impossible to calculate the exact values. The length of the Mediterranean Sea from the northernmost to the southernmost section is approximately 3200 km, and from the western to the easternmost point is 1200 km. The total area is 2,500 sq. Km. The water temperature in the winter months is 12C °, and in the high summer season it is 25C °.

An interesting fact, scientists believe that the Mediterranean basin is nothing more than the remains of the ancient prehistoric oceanic basin Tethys, which covered the main part of the planet with water. In addition to the Mediterranean, these remains also include the Black Sea, the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea. Today, the Mediterranean is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a strait called Gibraltar, this is known to everyone, but not many people know that this strait passes between two rocks that were on Earth in the days of ancient heroes and were then called the Pillars of Hercules.

To understand what washes the Mediterranean Sea, one should look at the geographic images of the planet. On satellite footage and paper maps, you can see that the four largest peninsulas cut into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, these are the Apennine, Balkan, Iberian peninsulas and Asia Minor. Also in the water area of \u200b\u200bthe Mediterranean there is a cluster of the largest islands, which are also loved by tourists, in the first place are Sicily, Ibiza, Crete, Malta and Rhodes.

The Mediterranean is a semi-enclosed sealocated at the junction of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. On its shores there are 22 UN member states, of which the longest coasts in the Mediterranean are Spain, France, Italy and Greece in Europe, Turkey in Asia, Egypt, Libya and Algeria in Africa. In the Mediterranean Sea, up to eleven isolated seas are distinguished, the largest of which is the Levantine Sea with an area of \u200b\u200b320 thousand km², in the waters of which the island of Cyprus is located, and the smallest is the Ligurian Sea, with an area of \u200b\u200b15 thousand km², but on the shores of the Ligurian Sea there are major port cities such 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 for walks in European cities. When flying by leading airlines, everything depends on the country on the coast of which you want to enjoy the waters of the Mediterranean Sea: a flight from Moscow to Monaco, Barcelona, \u200b\u200bor Athens will take about 4 hours, but direct flights from Moscow to Naples, Rome or Tunisia no, you will have to fly with at least one change and the flight will take from seven hours to a day. And for those who prefer yachting, a trip to the Mediterranean Sea is a great opportunity to spend a couple of months sailing. Having sailed from the Crimea, from Novorossiysk or Sochi to the Black Sea, it remains only to get to the Bosphorus Strait, walk around Istanbul, then to the Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara and from there - through the Dardanelles Strait to get into the waters of the Aegean Sea and you can sail to any port of the Mediterranean Sea.

Fishing is well developed in the Mediterranean Sea and it is a real paradise for tourists. In addition, a new opportunity has recently appeared for wealthy citizens to ensure themselves an excellent vacation on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Due to internal economic problems, Greece began the sale of its islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas. Hollywood star Brad Pitt and his wife Angelina Jolie have already bought one. However, Greece knows the value of its islands: the "cheapest" of them costs more than three million dollars. But, if for some reason you don’t have three million dollars, or you just don’t need an island, you can rent a house in Malta for only 350 dollars 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 the Cretan beach

Monaco beach, Monte Carlo

A fish on a Mediterranean beach in Monaco loves a bun

Malta is the pearl of the Mediterranean!





The Mediterranean Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean in the west through the Strait of Gibraltar. This closed sea is surrounded by land on all sides. The ancient Greeks called the Mediterranean Sea - the sea in the middle of the Earth. At that time, such a name was fully justified, because all ancient European and North African civilizations appeared in the basin of this sea. And it was the Mediterranean Sea that served as the main route for contacts between them.

Interesting fact: the Mediterranean is said to be the remnants of its former greatness. Previously, in its place was the ancient Tethys Ocean. It stretched far to the east and was much wider. Today, apart from the Mediterranean Sea, only the drying up Aral and Caspian Seas, as well as the Black, Azov and Marmara Seas, remain from Tethys. The last three seas include the Mediterranean basin.

In addition, inside the Mediterranean Sea, the following are distinguished as separate seas: Alboran, Balearic, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, Cretan, Libyan, Cyprus and Levantine seas.

Detailed physical map of the Mediterranean seas in Russian. To enlarge, just click on the picture.

The currents of the Mediterranean Sea are not quite ordinary. Under the influence of high temperature, a lot of water evaporates and, therefore, the consumption of fresh water prevails over its arrival. This naturally leads to a decrease in the water level and it has to be drawn from the Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea. Interestingly, at depths in saltier layers, the opposite process takes place and salty water flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to the above factors, the currents of the Mediterranean Sea are mainly caused by wind processes. Their speed in the open parts of the sea is 0.5-1.0 km / h, in the straits it can increase to 2-4 km / h. (for comparison, the Gulf Stream moves to the North at a speed of 6-10 km / h.).

The magnitude of the tides is usually less than one meter, but there are places where, together with wind surges, it can reach up to four meters (for example, the northern coast of Corsica or the Strait of Genoa). In narrow straits (Strait of Messina), tides can cause strong currents. In winter, the waves reach their maximum level and the wave height can reach 6-8 m.

The water of the Mediterranean Sea has an intense blue color and a relative transparency of 50-60 m. It is one of the saltiest and warmest seas in the world. In summer, the water temperature varies from 19 to 25 degrees, while in the east it can reach 27-3 ° C. In winter, the average water temperature decreases from north to south and varies between 8-17 ° C in the east and in the central part of the sea. At the same time, in the west, the temperature regime is more stable and the temperature is kept within the range of 11-15 ° C.

There are many large and not very large islands in the Mediterranean Sea and almost every one of them is an attraction for many tourists. Let's name just a few of them:

The islands of Majorca and Ibiza in Spain, Sardinia and Sicily in Italy, Corfu, Crete and Rhodes in Greece, Corsica in France, as well as Cyprus and Malta.

Mediterranean Sea surrounded by earth on all sides. One glance at the map is enough to agree with this judgment. This was known more ancient greek scientists.

  • Countries and islands
  • Country
  • Islands
  • Eastern Mediterranean

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Features of geographical location and climate

Mediterranean Sea named for a reason, from all sides it touches with continents.

Nowhere else in the world has this been found large indoor pool, which is connected to the ocean only by a tiny, for such a scale, a jumper - Strait of Gibraltar.

The sea in its own way geographic location is between: Asia, Europe, Africa.

Total area - 2,500 square kilometers... The maximum depth is 5 121 meters.

It connects channels and straits with Black, Red and Marmara seas.

Concerning bottom relief, then everything is typical for the sea features:

  • continental slope indented by canyons;
  • shelf narrow.

    • Part The middle sea includes and inland seas:

    • Aegean;
    • Alboran;
    • Adriatic;

      • If you are going to rest on the Adriatic Sea, find out detailed information about its resorts from this article

    • Balearic;
    • Ionian;
    • Ligurian;
    • Tyrrhenian.

    In winter the weather is very changeable, regularly storms happen, 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 in droves to these places closer to the middle of summer. By July the reservoir warms up to +27 degrees.

    Countries and islands

    To the Mediterranean include vast territories of countries and islands. We will give examples of some of them below.

    Country

    • Turkey... There are resorts that are very fond of Russian tourists. Most of the attendants speak in Russian, which makes it easier for our tourists to rest in a foreign country. There are many excellent beaches, inexpensive hotels and one of the best in the world kitchens... The reservoir washes the following large Turkish cities - Mersin, Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir.
    • Italy... It is located in the west of the Mediterranean. People come here to eat delicious pizza and spaghettiand also enjoy warm sun... Resort cities are Rome, Sicily and Milan.

      • Italy is a great holiday destination not only in summer but also in winter. Read about the winter resorts of this country here

    • Spain. Ibiza, Barcelona and Majorca - these are exactly the settlements where travelers come who want to have a fun and good time. Especially it concerns youthloving noisy parties.
    • Croatia... Country attractive for tourists primarily rapidly gaining momentum yachting... For this, the state allocates multimillion investment.
    • Montenegro... Especially the beach is worth a look Ada Boyana... Here 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.

      • In ancient times it was believed that the Mediterranean Sea is located in the center of the world... Roman aborigines called him Inland sea, since all its shores were conquered by them.

    • Morocco... Cross here european and islamic traditions and culture. This fact attracts tourists. According to statistics, people also come here to look at cultural attractions... Especially popular Casablanca.
    • Tunisia... The ancients museums, mysterious artifacts, monuments memorable architecture markets - at the local resorts which are not found miracles.

    Islands

    In the Mediterranean also lots of big and small islandsinteresting for travelers. Among them stand apart:

    • Djerba... Located in the north African... From the ancient Arabic language it is translated as "Wheat city"... The island is mentioned in the famous "Odyssey" Homer. Pink flamingos, ancient synagogue, fireballs, local delicious rice- something like that simply cannot be missed if you find yourself on 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 many volcanic craters.

    Scientists have found outthat because of the catastrophic floods, which happened 5.3 million years ago, just filling occurred Mediterranean Sea. In two years formed such a large water basin!

    Eastern Mediterranean

    Most often to Eastern Mediterranean include the shores of Greece, Italy and Turkey, this opinion is wrong... If we come to this question in terms of geography and look at the map, it turns out that the Eastern Mediterranean includes:

  • Syria;
  • Palestine;
  • Cyprus;

    • Have you decided to relax in Cyprus? Find out what others think of the island's hotels with this article

  • Lebanon;
  • Jordan.
  • Israel;

    • Pros and cons of relaxing in the Mediterranean

    On the mediterranean sea perfect to relax in September... At this time already the heat subsides, while the water remains warm. An additional plus is that the reservoir contains a large amount useful salts and no dangerous poisonous plants and animals.

    Can be viewed attractions completely different countries of the world and get to know their culture... After all, the Mediterranean Sea washes the shores of a good half continents of the world.

    The resorts of the Mediterranean are very developed health resort infrastructure... Therefore, people suffering diseases of various originscan easily find a place for relaxation and recovery.

    There are no cons... Unless, of course, the scorching summer sun is considered a disadvantage.

    The Mediterranean Sea is considered intercontinental. It washes Europe, Africa, Asia and is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar (length 65 km, minimum width 14 km). The area of \u200b\u200bthe water surface of the intercontinental reservoir is 2.5 million square meters. km. The average depth is 1540 m. The maximum depth reaches 5267 m in the Ionian Sea, near the town of Pylos in southern Greece. The volume of water is 3.84 million cubic meters. km.

    The length of the sea from west to east is 3800 km. The southernmost point of the reservoir is located in Africa in the Sirte Gulf. The northernmost in the Adriatic Sea. The western one is in Gibraltar and the eastern one is in Iskanderun Bay (southern Turkey).

    Taking into account its shape, the inter-continental reservoir is divided into 2 pools. West from Gibraltar to Sicily, and east from Silicia to the coast of Syria. The minimum width of sea waters is 130 km and lies between Cape Granitola (Sicily) and Cape Bona (Tunisia). The maximum width is 1665 km between Trieste (a city in Italy) and Greater Sirte (a bay on the coast of Libya).

    The Mediterranean basin includes such seas as Marmara, Black and Azov. Communication with them is carried out through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits. Through the Suez Canal, a huge reservoir is connected to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

    In the intercontinental body of water there is its own inland sea - the Adriatic. It is located between the Apennine and Balkan peninsulas. The Adriatic Sea is connected to the main waters by the 47 km wide Otranto Strait.

    Mediterranean coast

    Geography

    Country

    The waters of a huge reservoir are washed by countries in which peoples with completely different cultures and mentality live.

    On the European coast there are such states as Spain (population 47.3 million), France (66 million), Italy (61.5 million), Monaco (36 thousand), Malta (453 thousand) ), Slovenia (2 million people), Croatia (4.4 million people), Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.8 million people), Montenegro (626 thousand people), Albania (2.8 million people), Greece (10.8 million), Turkish East Thrace (7.8 million).

    The following states are located on the African coast: Egypt (82.3 million), Libya (5.6 million), Tunisia (10.8 million), Algeria (38 million), Morocco (32.6 million people), Spanish Ceuta and Melilla (144 thousand people).

    On the Asian coast there are states such as Turkey in Asia Minor (68.9 million people), Syria (22.5 million people), Cyprus (1.2 million people), Lebanon (4.2 million people), Israel (8 million people), the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt (520 thousand people).

    Seas

    The huge reservoir has its own seas. Their names and boundaries were formed historically many centuries ago. Consider them from west to east.

    Alboran sea located in front of the Strait of Gibraltar. Its length is 400 km, and its width is 200 km. The depth varies from 1000 to 1500 meters.

    Balearic sea washes the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. It is separated from the main body of water by the Balearic Islands. Its average depth is 770 meters.

    Ligurian sea is located between the islands of Corsica and Elba. Washes France, Italy and Monaco. The average depth is 1200 meters.

    Tyrrhenian sea splashing off the west coast of Italy. Limited to islands such as Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. It is a deep tectonic basin with a depth of 3 thousand meters.

    Adriatic Sea lies between the Balkan and Apennine peninsulas. Washes Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy. In the northern part, the depth of the reservoir is only a few tens of meters, but in the south it reaches 1200 meters.

    Ionian sea is located south of the Adriatic Sea between the Apennine and Balkan peninsulas. It washes the shores of Crete, Peloponnese, Sicily. The average depth corresponds to 2 km.

    the Aegean sea located between Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula, from the south it is bounded by the island of Crete. It connects through the Dardanelles with the Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara. The depth ranges from 200 to 1000 meters.

    Cretan Sea located between Crete and the Cyclades archipelago. The depth of these waters varies from 200 to 500 meters.

    Libyan Sea lies between Crete and North Africa. The depth of these waters reaches 2 thousand meters.

    Cyprus sea located between Asia Minor and the North African coast. This is the warmest and sunniest part of the Mediterranean. Here the depth reaches 4300 meters. This reservoir is conditionally divided into the Levantine and Cilician Seas.

    Mediterranean Sea on the map

    Rivers

    Such large rivers as the Nile (the second longest river in the world), the largest Po river in Italy with a length of 652 km, the Italian Tiber river with a length of 405 km, the largest river in Spain, the Ebro (910 km) and the Rhone (812 km), flowing through Switzerland and France.

    Islands

    There are many islands. These are Cyprus, Crete, Evia, Rhodes, Lesvos, Lemnos, Corfu, Chios, Samos, Kefalonia, Andros, Naxos. All of them are located in the eastern Mediterranean. In the central part there are islands such as Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia, Malta, Cres, Korcula, Brač, Pag, Hvar. In the western part are the Balearic Islands. These are 4 large islands: Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, Formentera. There are small islands near them.

    Climate

    The climate is strictly specific, Mediterranean. It is characterized by hot and dry summers and mild winters. In winter, there are frequent storms and rains at sea. Local bora and mistral winds prevail. Summer is characterized by clear weather, minimal cloud cover and light precipitation. There are fogs. Sometimes there is a dusty haze, which is carried out from Africa by the sirocco wind.

    The average winter temperature in the southern part of the reservoir is 14-16 degrees Celsius. In the northern part of the reservoir, it is 8-10 degrees Celsius. In summer, the average temperature in the north is 22-24 degrees Celsius, and in the south, respectively, 26-30 degrees Celsius. The minimum precipitation occurs in August, and the maximum is observed in December.

    View of the Mediterranean Sea from space

    Sea level rise

    According to experts, by 2100, the level of Mediterranean waters may rise by 30-60 cm. As a result, most of the island of Malta will disappear. 200 sq. M. Will be flooded. km in the Nile delta, which will force 500 thousand Egyptians to leave their ancestral lands. Salt levels in the groundwater will rise, which will reduce the amount of drinking water on the entire Mediterranean coast. In the XXII century, the sea water level may rise by another 30-100 cm. This will cause significant economic, political and natural changes in the Mediterranean.

    Ecology

    In recent years, there has been an extremely high level of pollution of sea water. According to the UN, 650 million tons of wastewater, 129 tons of mineral oils, 6 tons of mercury, 3.8 tons of lead, 36 thousand tons of phosphates were discharged into the Mediterranean Sea annually. Many marine species are on the brink of extinction. This is especially true for white-bellied seals and sea turtles. There is a huge amount of garbage at the bottom. Most of the seabed is dotted with it.

    Environmental problems hit fisheries. Fish such as bluefin tuna, hake, swordfish, red mullet, sea bream are on the verge of destruction. The size of commercial catches is decreasing from year to year. Tuna has been fished in the Mediterranean for thousands of years, but the stocks are now extremely low. Over the past 20 years, they have decreased by 80%.

    Tourism

    The unique climate, beautiful coastline, rich history and culture attract millions of tourists to the Mediterranean every year. Their number is one third of all tourists in the world. Hence the enormous economic importance of tourism for this region.

    But large financial flows cannot justify the degradation of the marine and coastal environment. Huge crowds of tourists pollute the Mediterranean coast. The situation is aggravated by the fact that guests from all over the world are concentrated in areas with the highest level of natural resources. All this causes irreparable damage to flora and fauna. Their destruction and destruction will reduce the flow of tourists. Those will begin to look for new places on the planet, where it will again be possible to destroy the unique gifts of nature with impunity.