This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Karen Johnson (talk | contribs) at 01:16, 15 June 2002 (linking history of the med.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 01:16, 15 June 2002 by Karen Johnson (talk | contribs) (linking history of the med.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea between Europe, Africa and Asia covering an approximate area of 2.5 million square kilometers. The sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Straits of Gibraltar on the west and to the Sea of Marmara and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and the Bosporus on the east. The Sea of Marmara -- but not the Black Sea -- is often considered a part of Mediterranean Sea. The Suez Canal in the southeast connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea.
Its major islands are Cyprus, Crete, and Rhodes in the east; Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, and Malta in the center; and Majorca in the west. Major countries bordering the sea are Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey on the north shore, Lebanon, Syria and Israel on the east, and Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco on the south shore. The 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 civilisation.
Parts of the Mediterranean are given their own names, for example the Aegean Sea.