subject: The Mediterranean Sea [print this page] Mediterranean Sea connects with the Atlantic Ocean and it's surrounded by the Mediterranean region. It covers approximately 2.5 million km2 or 965,000 square miles. The word Mediterranean is derived from the Latin word Mediterranean meaning an inland' or in the middle of the earth'. Medius means middle and terra means earth.' However its connection to the Atlantic covers only 14kilometres. The sea has an average depth of 1,500m or 4,900 ft and the deepest point recorded is Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea which is 5,267 metres deep. Mediterranean Sea has a very pleasant climate. It's endowed with rich history, beautiful coastline and diverse culture. The region is a very popular tourist destination in the world and attracts around one third of the world's international tourists. Most of the visitors are attracted by the nice beaches, islands and great marine life that can only be explored at best in the region. The area has also developed a lot as many countries have developed hotels and beach villas to cater for the growing number of tourists. Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a point known as Strait of Gibraltar on the west and Sea of Marmara, the Black Sea and the Bosporus to the east. Some of the large islands in the sea include: Cyprus, Euboea, Sardinia, Chios, Corsica, Andros, Rhodes and others. However the Sea of Marmara is often regarded a part of the Mediterranean whereas the Black sea is not. The Suez Canal, the largest man made lake connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. The Suez Canal is 163 kilometre long.
