About Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is a beautiful sea surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean though with an opening through GIBRALTAR Strait. The name Mediterranean comes from the Latin word “mediterraneus”, meaning “inland” or “in the middle of the earth” (medius for “middle” and terra for “earth”). It covers an area of 2.5 million km² (965,000 sq mi), but its connection to the Atlantic (the Strait of Gibraltar) is only 14 km (9 mi) wide.
The Mediterranean has always been an important route for merchants and travelers throughout history and allowed for trade and cultural exchange between emergent peoples of the region — the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek, Illyrian, Levantine, Roman, Moorish, Slavic and Turkish cultures. Thus, the history of the Mediterranean region is important to understand the origins and development of many modern societies.
Some of the most important human civilizations have been established around the Mediterranean and it has thus had a major impact on these cultures by shaping their history and ways of life. This unique sea has witnessed many acts such as colonization and wars, trade from western Europe to the East and has been the source of life (via fishing and the gathering of other seafood) for many a communities all this time.
The ancient and modern societies around the Mediterranean have grown many historical and cultural connections between themselves due to facts such as a similarly-shared climate and geology as well as access to a common sea
Twenty-one modern states have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, today.
These are:
Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece and Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
With a unique combination of pleasant climate, beautiful coastline, rich history and diverse culture the Mediterranean region is the most popular tourist destination in the world – attracting approximately one third of the world’s international tourists. The holiday resorts on the coasts of this unique sea offer so many alternatives for tourists coming from all over the world.
Majority of the most beautiful and exotic cities of the world are located in this region.
Among these cities are;
Lisbon (Portugal), Barcelona (Spain), Marseilles (France), Naples (Italy), Palermo (Italy), Athens (Greece), Istanbul (Turkey), Antalya (Turkey)
On top of their innumerous offers for a wonderful summer holiday, some countries in this region also provide unique opportunities for skiing, . One can find in Spain, Italy and France some of the best facilities in the world, with unparalleled style and fashion.
And last but not the least, many a great historical sites in the world are certainly located in the Mediterranean region. Among the countries in the region Turkey takes the lead in the number of such attractions.
Here is a map of the Mediterranean region.
For a better view click on the picture
