home Travel abroad Mediterranean sea type of sea. Mediterranean Sea: map, coastal countries, islands

Mediterranean sea type of sea. Mediterranean Sea: map, coastal countries, islands

Today the Mediterranean Sea washes the shores of 22 countries. Considering that the states of the Mediterranean Sea are located in the subtropical climate zone, excellent conditions are created for the creation of resort bases. Today Mediterranean coast is a favorite destination for most tourists from all over the world.

Mediterranean cruises are an opportunity to see with your own eyes past eras, visiting monuments of antiquity, masterpieces of the Middle Ages and outstanding creations of our time. Every day of such a trip brings new impressions, new states of the Mediterranean: the sandy beaches of Tunisia and Malta, ancient Pompeii and the formidable Vesuvius, the leaning tower of Pisa, the wide boulevards of Nice and Barcelona, the canals of Venice and the museums of Florence.

Cruises most often pass through European Mediterranean countries. Tourists visit Italy - the country of sun and wine, spaghetti and olive oil, haute couture and masterpieces of world architecture. And then eventful trip according to her famous cities you can relax on the sunny beaches of the island of Sardinia or stroll through the gardens and olive groves of picturesque Sicily.

Beautiful Spain is another Mediterranean country - a picturesque area with upscale resorts, rich nature and ancient cities. And of course, sea cruises No trip to the Mediterranean is complete without visiting Mallorca and Ibiza.

In France, every city is a cultural monument or historical Museum, wine center or luxury resort. Paris, Nice, Cannes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Avignon – attractions are found here at every step. The country’s landscapes are no less picturesque: the snow-white peaks of the Alps, beautiful beaches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, medieval castles, extensive vineyards and charming old distilleries.
Malta is another one amazing country included on many Mediterranean cruises. This is a contrasting island, the north-eastern coast of which is densely populated, and almost lifeless South coast breaks off steep cliffs to the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Here is Valletta, a medieval walled city, one of the few remaining in Europe.

Morocco is a Mediterranean country that brings an oriental flair to Western Mediterranean cruises. It is located at the junction of European and Islamic cultures and lies on the border of the greenest mountains of Africa and largest desert peace.

African countries are no less colorful Mediterranean region. For example, Tunisia is one of the world’s oldest resorts with many historical monuments, sandy beaches and dynamically developing tourism infrastructure. In addition to traditional beach holidays and modern hotels, Tunisia is home to ancient oriental architecture, unusual cuisine and numerous colorful markets.

Almost all countries washed by Mediterranean Sea, have their own famous resorts. Most of all, Russians love the countries of the Balkan Peninsula. The resorts of Montenegro and Croatia especially stand out.

Montenegro is a Mediterranean country famous for its resorts. Ada Boyana - south beach country, with a total length of 3.8 kilometers. The beach is covered with the best sand in the entire Adriatic. Ada Boyana Island has a triangular shape. On two sides the shores of the island are washed by the Boyana River, and on the third by the waters Adriatic Sea. On the island you can find great hotels, have a good time - whatever your heart desires. The resort town of Becici is another pride of Montenegro. The local resort is famous for its stunning Mediterranean nature, and the 2-kilometer golden pebble beach is famous all over the world.

Another Mediterranean country, Croatia, also has something to boast about. In particular, these are the beaches of Brela. Here the water is so clear that you can see the bottom even at a depth of 50 meters. Certainly the most popular resort Croatia, which in 2004 became the sixth in the world and the first in Europe.

Today, the states of the eastern Mediterranean have greatly succeeded in development tourism infrastructure. The beaches of Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece annually attract tens of millions of tourists. But, for example, tourists are in no hurry to go to Lebanon or Syria.
If you want to relax like a king, then the city of Limassol (in Cyprus) is already waiting for you.

If you want to diversify your vacation, then in addition to the already well-known resorts in Greece, Turkey or Italy, you can go to Algeria or Libya. Now countries are actively developing their resort beaches. They certainly have potential.

Countries of the Mediterranean basin, traditions and cultures of different peoples, architecture different eras, endless expanses of sea, picturesque islands and hot sun - all these are sea cruises in the Mediterranean, allowing you to see such different and such distant countries in a short time.

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Created for lovers of an unconditionally comfortable holiday cruise ships and special routes and on-board entertainment programs have been developed. Having bought such a cruise, you will not need anything! Your ship will carry you along the waves like a floating luxury hotel.

Everyone at school read ancient Greek legends. And even if he didn’t read avidly, he clearly heard the names of gods and heroes. A trip to Rhodes can completely immerse you in the atmosphere of past millennia and give you a chance for a miracle. Maybe you'll get lucky! Take a risk!

If you are going to New Year's tour along the Mediterranean Sea, be sure to include Greece in your itinerary. Holidays in this country will give you a feeling of ongoing wonder, which is so important for both adults and children to feel at this time of year.

Another Mediterranean country that is definitely worth visiting on a cruise is Israel. The Promised Land will amaze a traveler of any religion with its inner grandeur, and visiting religious shrines will be of interest not only to believers.

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.

Separates Europe, Africa and Asia, but it also closely connected each other Southern Europe, North 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 - at east coast Spain; Lyonsky - at south coast 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 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 average temperature surface layer 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, since Atlantic Ocean less salty water flows 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 more fresh 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 large river, flowing into this sea from the south.

The Mediterranean Sea is famous for its calm and beauty, but like other seas, it can be rough during certain seasons, and then big waves hitting 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, semiaridity with an abundance of clear sunny days considered typical for a 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 animal world 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. From 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 located between Europe, Asia Minor and Africa. It is surrounded on all sides by land, with the exception of two narrow straits - the Strait of Gibraltar (connects the Mediterranean Sea with the North Atlantic) and the Bosphorus Strait (connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea) - and the Suez Canal (connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea).

Area of the Mediterranean Sea 2965.5 thousand km2, Average depth 1500 m; The greatest depth (5092 m) is the depression of the Ionian Sea, located west of the Peloponnese peninsula (part of the Hellenic depression). The shallow threshold of the Strait of Sicily and the narrow Strait of Messina divide the Mediterranean Sea into two parts - eastern and western (and, accordingly, into two basins). The boundaries of the seas that make up the Mediterranean Sea are set arbitrarily.

In the western part of the Mediterranean Sea there are the Alboran, Balearic, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas, in the eastern part - the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean and Marmara, located between the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits. The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by numerous small islands, especially in the Aegean and Ionian Seas.

Largest islands: Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, Corsica and Crete. The main rivers flowing into the Mediterranean Sea: Rhone, Nile and Po. The waters of the rivers that flow into the Black Sea enter the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.

Bottom relief

The Mediterranean Sea has many morphological features characteristic of an oceanic basin. The continental shoals are quite narrow (less than 25 miles) and moderately developed. Continental slopes are usually very steep and cut by submarine canyons. Canyons Cote d'Azur France and off the western coast of Corsica are among the most studied.

At the continental foot of the large deltas of the Rhone and Po rivers there are alluvial fans. The alluvial fan of the Rhone River extends and the sea towards the Balearic Abyssal Plain. This abyssal plain with an area of over 78 thousand km2 occupies most western basin.
The steepness of the slopes of this plain suggests that the deposition of sediments brought by turbidity currents from the Rhone largely occurs through channels cutting through the fan. However, the Balearic Abyssal Plain receives some sediment from the canyons of the Côte d'Azur and the canyons of the coast North Africa(region of Algeria).

In the Tyrrhenian Sea there is a central abyssal plain with several small plateaus, on which the highest seamount rises 2850 m above the sea floor (depth above the mountain 743 m). There are many other seamounts in this sea; on the continental slope of Sicily and Calabria, the tops of some of them rise above the surface of the sea and form islands. In soil cores taken from the central abyssal plain, layers of ash are clearly visible that correspond to historical volcanic eruptions on the Apennine Peninsula.

Bottom morphology The eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea is noticeably different from the morphology of the bottom of the western basin. In the western basin, except for a small abyssal plain in the center of the Ionian Sea, no other large areas with horizontally lying and undeformed terrigenous sediments were found. Vast areas of the bottom represent either a complexly dissected median ridge, or a series of collapsed depressions located in an arc parallel to the Hellenic archipelago.

Deep Sea Depressions stretch from the Ionian Islands and pass south of the islands Crete and Rhodes in the Gulf of Antalya (Hellenic Deep). The greatest depth of the Mediterranean Sea - 5092 m - has one of these depressions with a flat bottom (filled with sediments). Sediments began to fill another depression south of the island of Rhodes (depth 4450 m).

On the Nile fan there are well-developed channels that form a large branched system. The channels lead to a very narrow abyssal plain at the base of the fan, in contrast to the western Mediterranean basin where the Rhône fan feeds the greater Balearic abyssal plain. Currently, the narrow abyssal plain at the base of the Nile fan is actively deforming; Some of its sections are a median ridge, or a series of collapsed depressions located in an arc parallel to the Hellenic archipelago. Apparently, in the recent past, the process of sedimentation occurred more slowly than the tectonic deformation of large parts of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Hydrological regime. The Mediterranean Sea is surrounded by countries with a dry climate, as a result of which the amount of evaporation significantly exceeds the amount of precipitation and river flow. The resulting water deficit is replenished through the Strait of Gibraltar by the influx of North Atlantic surface water. An increase in water salinity due to evaporation causes an increase in its density. Denser water sinks to depth; thus, the western and eastern basins are filled with a homogeneous and relatively warm water mass.

Temperature and salinity deep and intermediate waters fluctuate within very small limits: from 12.7 to 14.5 ° C and from 38.4 to 39 prom.

Water circulation

North Atlantic surface waters entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar move along the coast of North Africa and gradually spread over the surface of the Mediterranean Sea; part of the waters extends into the Lugirian Sea, part into the Tyrrhenian Sea. There, cooling due to evaporation and the influence of dry polar air masses, coming from Europe, the waters submerge, forming a certain type of water mass in the western Mediterranean Sea. North Atlantic waters also enter the eastern sector of the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Sicily. where some of them deviate north into the Adriatic Sea. As a result of evaporation, they also cool here and sink to depth. North Atlantic waters sporadically flow over the threshold of the Strait of Otranto, forming a deep water mass in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The distribution of dissolved oxygen in the deep waters of the Ionian Sea indicates their circulation in a counterclockwise direction.

The remaining North Atlantic waters on the surface, now very much changed by evaporation, continue to move eastward to the island of Cyprus, where they sink during the winter months.

North Atlantic surface waters, carrying a large number of dissolved salts must eventually return to the North Atlantic, since the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea does not increase over time.

Outflow of waters from the Mediterranean Sea occurs through the threshold of the Strait of Gibraltar at a depth below the incoming flow (300 m). The Mediterranean water leaving the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar, despite its higher temperature, is significantly more saline and denser than the Atlantic water, which is at the same level. As a result, Mediterranean water, having entered the Atlantic Ocean, flows down the continental slope until, finally, at a depth of 1000 m it meets Atlantic deep water of the same density. The Mediterranean water then rises and spreads north, south and west, forming a layer that extends south into the Atlantic for several thousand miles.

Nutrients. The waters of the Mediterranean Sea are poor in nutrients. There are significantly less phosphates in them than in the waters of the North Atlantic. This is explained by this. that waters from the North Atlantic enter the Mediterranean Sea through a shallow threshold, therefore only North Atlantic surface waters, which themselves are already greatly depleted, pass through the Mediterranean Sea. The accumulation of nutrients in deep waters is also prevented by the continuous outflow of water returning through the Strait of Gibraltar. To completely ventilate the entire Mediterranean basin by removing water, about 75 children are required.

Tides in the Mediterranean Sea mostly semi-daily. The eastern and western basins have separate systems of standing waves. In the Adriatic Sea, a progressive (forward) tide of about 1 m is observed, moving around the aifidromic point located near the center of the Mediterranean Sea. In other points of the Mediterranean Sea the tide is about 30 cm.

Bottom sediments near the coast include the following components: 1) carbonates, consisting mainly of coccolithophores, as well as foraminifera and pteropods; 2) detritus carried by wind and currents; 3) volcanogenic substances and 4) end products of weathering of land rocks, mainly clay minerals. The average carbon content in the soil cores of the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea is about 40% and in the soil cores of the western basin is about 30%. Detritus content varies from zero to maximum; in general, it is higher in the soil cores of the western basin of the Mediterranean Sea. Sometimes it is possible to recognize sandy horizons in soil cores and compare them from core to core. Volcanic ash forms more or less distinct layers and is also found in non-volcanic material. The amount of volcanic products is small, excluding areas close to the volcanoes (Vesuvius and Etna).

The rate of sedimentation near the Levanto and in the Ionian Sea is low, the same as in the central part of the North Atlantic; in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea it is several times greater.

Structure of the earth's crust. Analysis of data from seismic measurements using the refracted wave method, carried out in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, showed that the earth's crust here is of “oceanic nature”. Throughout the Balearic Abyssal Plain, the depth of the Mohorovicic surface is less than 12 km from sea level. This value increases towards the mainland and reaches more than 50 km under the Alpes-Maritimes, which end abruptly at the Côte d'Azur.

In the Mediterranean Sea, a layer of sediments (thickness 1-1.5 km) with a low velocity of longitudinal waves (1.7-2.5 km/s) is underlain by a thick layer of rocks with an average velocity of longitudinal waves (3.0-6.0 km/s) With). Precipitation with low wave speed is much more powerful in the western basin of the Mediterranean Sea than in the eastern basin. If a layer with intermediate wave speeds marks the base of the sediment column, then its thickness is extremely small, taking into account the large area over which the Rhone River flow extends. (In the deep-water part of the Gulf of Mexico, the sediment thickness is more than 6 km.)

However, if the reflector is composed of consolidated sediments or volcanic rocks within a sedimentary sequence, then it indicates a significant change in the geological history of that basin. The magnetic field in the Mediterranean Sea is remarkably uniform, especially in the tectonically active eastern basin. However, strong anomalies occur over seamounts in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The central part of the Hellenic Basin is associated with a wide strip of negative gravity anomalies. They are associated with a large subsidence of the earth's crust blocks inside this depression. Seismic studies in the northern part of the western basin of the Mediterranean Sea revealed its lowering relative to the European continent by 3 km. The underlying cause of such large vertical movements is not well understood. Weak Faya gravity anomalies in the western Mediterranean indicate that the basin is in isostatic equilibrium. It is extremely difficult to imagine how the modern "oceanic" crust could have maintained its previous uplift without some redistribution of density within the deep crust or upper mantle.

Geotectonic development. The Mediterranean Sea is a relict sea, the remnant of a huge water basin that formerly stretched from Portugal to Pacific Ocean(via the Alps, Southeast Europe, Turkey, Iran, Himalayas, Southeast Asia). It is believed to have been associated with the Maori Geosyncline in New Zealand. Suess called this ancient sea basin the Tethys Sea.

Its history is well known since the Triassic, but even in the Paleozoic traces of such a connection are noticeable, and many authors speak of proto- or paleo-Tethys. Tethys separated the northern continents (Eurasia and, possibly, the continuation of North America, i.e. Laurasia) from southern continents, originally united to form Gondwana.

Between the two mentioned giant continental blocks of the primary “Protogen” there was, apparently, constant interaction for at least the last half a billion years. Different authors imagine these relationships in different ways. Proponents of continental drift, for example Argand, Wegener, believe that there was a constant convergence of the two original earth masses, which led to the subsidence of deep-sea depressions and ultimately to the formation of the Alpine folding, which arose at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous period and resumed in several phases of the Tertiary period.

According to others (for example, Staub, Glanzho), so-called “ebbs and flows” took place, i.e. processes of compression and expansion.

Mediterranean Sea- Mediterranean, intercontinental sea of the Atlantic Ocean, connected to it in the west by the Strait of Gibraltar.

The seas of the Mediterranean basin wash the shores of the states: Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, Morocco.

In the northeast, the Dardanelles Strait connects it with the Sea of Marmara and then the Bosporus Strait - with the Black Sea, in the southeast with the Suez Canal - with the Red Sea.

Area 2500 thousand sq. km.

The average depth is 1541 m, the maximum is 5121 m.

The most significant bays are: Valencia, Lyon, Genoa, Taranto, Sidra (B. Sirte), Gabes (M. Sirte).

Largest islands: Balearic, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete and Cyprus.

The large rivers Ebro, Rhone, Tiber, Po, Nile, etc. flow into the Mediterranean Sea; their total annual flow is approx. 430 cubic km

The flora and fauna of the Mediterranean Sea are 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 surface horizons is only 8-10 mg/cub.m; at a depth of 1000-2000 m it is 10-20 times less. Algae are very diverse (peridinea and diatoms predominate).

The fauna of the Mediterranean Sea is characterized by great species diversity, but the number of representatives of the department. there are few species. There are dolphins, 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.

Fishing in the Mediterranean Sea is of secondary importance compared to other Atlantic basins. Industrialization of the coast, urban growth, and development of recreational areas lead to intense pollution of the coastal strip.

The resorts of the Cote d'Azur (Riviera) in France and Italy, the resorts of the Levantine coast and Balearic Islands in Spain, etc.

Photos of the Mediterranean Sea:

Menton, France

This question is asked much more often by tourism enthusiasts than by schoolchildren. This sea plays an important role in the lives of not only the modern inhabitants of its coast, it has influenced the emergence of many civilizations.

"The Sea in the Middle of the Earth"

The Mediterranean Sea began to be used long before new continents were discovered. It seemed to people that this large body of water was located in the very center of the planet. This is how the sea got its name.

“The sea in the middle of the Earth” became the most important trade route. It helped transport from Eurasia to Africa. Not only trade ties were established between peoples. Ethnic groups living on the coast sought to establish diplomatic contacts with other countries. Alliances were formed with some, and hostilities were fought with others. But even wars to some extent had a positive effect on the development of mankind. Captured peoples adopted the experience and culture of the occupiers. As a result of cultural exchange, new civilizations emerged.

Today, the Mediterranean Sea continues to facilitate contacts between different cultures. The main source of income for the ancient inhabitants of the coast was trade with foreigners. Nowadays tourism has also been added to trade. Having learned which countries are washed by the Mediterranean Sea, tourists plan their vacation.

Where to go on a trip?

On sea coast there are a huge number of countries. It will take more than one vacation to get to know everyone:

Malta. Many people mistakenly believe that the state consists of just one island. In fact, in addition to the main part, Malta, the state includes the island of Gozo (also called Gozo) and several smaller inhabited islands. The small state is inhabited by only about 500,000 thousand people. Thanks to its climate in 2011, Malta was recognized as one of the... best countries to live in peace.
Italy. Here tourists will find relaxation for body and soul. In Italy you can lie on the beach and visit a huge number of museums. The rich culture of this country will not leave anyone indifferent. Italy is famous for its gastronomic delights. National cuisine not just tasty, but also healthy. Beach holiday in this country is suitable for lovers of nudism. In 2006, being on the beach without clothes was legalized. Sunbathing in this way is not possible in every country on the Mediterranean Sea. In some states, travelers and the local population will face a large fine or arrest for such behavior. More than half a million people visit Italian nudist beaches every year.
Spain. This country seems like a place for endless celebrations. Some celebrations are terrifying foreign tourists. Tomatina is a holiday during which people throw tomatoes at each other. Not every traveler will appreciate this way to spend his free time. You can give preference to less exotic entertainment. Some tourists, returning from Spain, decide to take a flamenco or guitar course.
France. The southeast of this country is washed by the Mediterranean Sea. French culture is very diverse. The specifics of a region will be determined by its location. Being in the south of the country, travelers often feel like they are in some Spanish or Italian town. And this feeling is not far from the truth. Most Mediterranean cities are really similar to each other. Some settlements in the south of France were founded by representatives of other ethnic groups. Marseille, for example, was founded by the Greeks. It was originally called Massilia.
Türkiye. This country is most popular among Russian tourists. Europeans are much less common here. For thousands of Russians, Antalya, Mersin, Istanbul and some other Turkish cities are a permanent destination summer holiday during several years. Türkiye attracts cozy beaches, architectural attractions and local cuisine. Prices in this country are significantly lower than in Europe. The Turkish lira is cheaper than the dollar or euro. It is noteworthy that while in Turkey, you can relax not only on the Mediterranean, but also on the Black Sea.