For centuries, the Mediterranean Sea has been the focal point of western civilization. It is an area rich in history and has played critical roles in the development of shipping and trade, as a resource for feeding growing populations, and as an aid to the spread and mingling of races and cultures.

The Mediterranean Sea has been known by a number of alternative names throughout human history. It was, for example, commonly called Mare Nostrum (Latin, Our Sea), and occasionally Mare Internum by the Romans.

The Mediterranean is a sea with names that correspond to all the seas that it comprises: Alboran Sea, Balearic Sea, Liguria Sea, Sea of Algeria, Tyrrhenian Sea, Ionian Sea, Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Levantine Sea, Sea of Marmara, Black Sea.

Mare Nostrum

The Mediterranean Sea covers approximately 965,000 square miles with a narrow 8.7 mile wide opening to the Atlantic Ocean called the Strait of Gibraltar. Interesting Mediterranean Sea Facts: The average depth of the Mediterranean Sea is 4,900 feet. Its deepest point is 17,280 feet, in the Ionian Sea’s Calypso Deep.

The Mediterranean has been a holiday destination for decades. In recent years, however, it has acquired new fame as the world’s deadliest sea crossing. In October 2013, off the Italian island of Lampedusa more than 500 people drowned attempting the journey to Europe from the North African coast.

Russia’s navy conducts live-fire exercises. Greek and Turkish ships collide while staking claims to undersea resources. European coast guards and navies struggle to stem a flood of refugees fleeing unrest in North Africa and the Levant. …

Rough Waters: Cruise travelers might experience rough seas in several places in Europe. The biggest offender is the Mediterranean, which tends to be roughest in the fall and winter, due to winds and storms. However, avid cruisers have experienced rough seas in the spring and summer, so be prepared for anything.

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant….Coastal cities.

about 4,000 km

1. The Maldives. The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, have around 1,190 islands and sandbanks. A lagoon with crystal clear water encircles all the islands, which are protected by a reef structure that is home to an array of underwater life.

Some of the clearest, bluest ocean waters on Earth are found in the South Pacific.