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77-733: The canal connects the Great Bitter Lake to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea . The canal also connects it to the Small Bitter Lake ( Arabic : البحيرة المرة الصغرى ; transliterated: al-Buhayrah al-Murra as-Sughra). Ships traveling through the Suez Canal use the Great Bitter Lake as a "passing lane", where they can pass other ships or turn around. The Modern English and Arabic names are translations of

154-447: A trigonal planar arrangement, with D 3h molecular symmetry . It has a molecular mass of 60.01  g/mol and carries a total formal charge of −2. It is the conjugate base of the hydrogencarbonate (bicarbonate) ion, HCO − 3 , which is the conjugate base of H 2 CO 3 , carbonic acid . The Lewis structure of the carbonate ion has two (long) single bonds to negative oxygen atoms, and one short double bond to

231-426: A calcium-magnesium carbonate CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 ; and siderite , or iron(II) carbonate , FeCO 3 , an important iron ore . Sodium carbonate ("soda" or "natron"), Na 2 CO 3 , and potassium carbonate ("potash"), K 2 CO 3 , have been used since antiquity for cleaning and preservation, as well as for the manufacture of glass . Carbonates are widely used in industry, such as in iron smelting, as

308-417: A certain level for the heavy metals available in its periphery. Each type of chemical reaches its highest (or lowest) concentration somewhere in the lake and each at different spots. On one side, the distribution shows that the pollution is not only concentrated in one area of the lake, but also that it is vastly spread out; on the other side, it shows that molluscan species inside the lake are not all exposed to

385-470: A hydrogen ion, an example of Le Châtelier's principle . The result is to make the blood more alkaline (raise pH). By the same principle, when the pH is too high, the kidneys excrete bicarbonate ( HCO − 3 ) into urine as urea via the urea cycle (or Krebs–Henseleit ornithine cycle). By removing the bicarbonate, more H is generated from carbonic acid ( H 2 CO 3 ), which comes from CO 2 (g) produced by cellular respiration . Crucially,

462-519: A neutral oxygen atom. This structure is incompatible with the observed symmetry of the ion, which implies that the three bonds are the same length and that the three oxygen atoms are equivalent. As in the case of the isoelectronic nitrate ion, the symmetry can be achieved by a resonance among three structures: This resonance can be summarized by a model with fractional bonds and delocalized charges: Metal carbonates generally decompose on heating, liberating carbon dioxide leaving behind an oxide of

539-445: A raw material for Portland cement and lime manufacture, in the composition of ceramic glazes , and more. New applications of alkali metal carbonates include: thermal energy storage, catalysis and electrolyte both in fuel cell technology as well as in electrosynthesis of H 2 O 2 in aqueous media. The carbonate ion is the simplest oxocarbon anion . It consists of one carbon atom surrounded by three oxygen atoms, in

616-470: A similar buffer operates in the oceans. It is a major factor in climate change and the long-term carbon cycle, due to the large number of marine organisms (especially coral) which are made of calcium carbonate. Increased solubility of carbonate through increased temperatures results in lower production of marine calcite and increased concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This, in turn, increases Earth temperature. The amount of CO 2− 3 available

693-446: A verb, to describe carbonation : the process of raising the concentrations of carbonate and bicarbonate ions in water to produce carbonated water and other carbonated beverages – either by the addition of carbon dioxide gas under pressure or by dissolving carbonate or bicarbonate salts into the water. In geology and mineralogy , the term "carbonate" can refer both to carbonate minerals and carbonate rock (which

770-619: Is a calque of the Latin name, from μέσος ( mésos , "in the middle") and γήινος ( gḗinos , "of the earth"), from γῆ ( gê , "land, earth"). The original meaning may have been 'the sea in the middle of the earth', rather than 'the sea enclosed by land'. Ancient Iranians called it the "Roman Sea", and in Classical Persian texts , it was called Daryāy-e Rōm (دریای روم), which may be from Middle Persian form, Zrēh ī Hrōm (𐭦𐭫𐭩𐭤 𐭩 𐭤𐭫𐭥𐭬). The Carthaginians called it

847-767: Is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean , surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia , on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Europe , on the south by North Africa , and on the west almost by the Morocco–Spain border . The Mediterranean has played a central role in the history of Western civilization . Geological evidence indicates that around 5.9 million years ago,

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924-401: Is a weak acid. In organic chemistry a carbonate can also refer to a functional group within a larger molecule that contains a carbon atom bound to three oxygen atoms, one of which is double bonded. These compounds are also known as organocarbonates or carbonate esters, and have the general formula R−O−C(=O)−O−R′ , or RR′CO 3 . Important organocarbonates include dimethyl carbonate ,

1001-582: Is known as al-Baḥr [al-Abyaḍ] al-Mutawassiṭ ( البحر [الأبيض] المتوسط ) 'the [White] Middle Sea'. In Islamic and older Arabic literature, it was Baḥr al-Rūm ( بحر الروم ) or al- Baḥr al-Rūmī ( بحر الرومي ) 'the Sea of the Romans' or 'the Roman Sea' or Baḥr al-šām ( بحر الشام ) or al-Baḥr al-šāmī ( البحر الشامي ) ("the Sea of Syria"). At first, that name referred only to the eastern Mediterranean, but

1078-399: Is made of chiefly carbonate minerals), and both are dominated by the carbonate ion, CO 2− 3 . Carbonate minerals are extremely varied and ubiquitous in chemically precipitated sedimentary rock . The most common are calcite or calcium carbonate , CaCO 3 , the chief constituent of limestone (as well as the main component of mollusc shells and coral skeletons); dolomite ,

1155-436: Is on a geological scale and substantial quantities may eventually be redissolved into the sea and released to the atmosphere, increasing CO 2 levels even more. It is generally thought that the presence of carbonates in rock is strong evidence for the presence of liquid water. Recent observations of the planetary nebula NGC 6302 show evidence for carbonates in space, where aqueous alteration similar to that on Earth

1232-433: Is sensitive to pH, temperature, and pressure. Although di- and trivalent carbonates have low solubility, bicarbonate salts are far more soluble. This difference is related to the disparate lattice energies of solids composed of mono- vs dianions, as well as mono- vs dications. In aqueous solution , carbonate, bicarbonate, carbon dioxide, and carbonic acid participate in a dynamic equilibrium . In strongly basic conditions,

1309-514: The Black Sea . In Persian, the name was translated as Baḥr-i Safīd , which was also used in later Ottoman Turkish . Similarly, in 19th century Greek, the name was Άσπρη Θάλασσα ( áspri thálassa ; "white sea"). According to Johann Knobloch, in classical antiquity , cultures in the Levant used colours to refer to the cardinal points: black referred to the north (explaining the name Black Sea ), yellow or blue to east, red to south (e.g.,

1386-740: The Italian Lakes (Po). While the Mediterranean watershed is bordered by other river basins in Europe, it is essentially bordered by endorheic basins or deserts elsewhere. The following countries are in the Mediterranean drainage basin while not having a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea: The following countries have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea: Several other territories also border

1463-735: The Italian city-states like Amalfi and Genoa before the Crusades, according to the Cairo Geniza documents. A document dated 996 mentions Amalfian merchants living in Cairo . Another letter states that the Genoese had traded with Alexandria . The caliph al-Mustansir had allowed Amalfian merchants to reside in Jerusalem about 1060 in place of the Latin hospice . The Crusades led to

1540-783: The Punic Wars in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, the Roman Republic defeated the Carthaginians to become the preeminent power in the Mediterranean. When Augustus founded the Roman Empire , the Romans referred to the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea"). For the next 400 years, the Roman Empire completely controlled the Mediterranean Sea and virtually all its coastal regions from Gibraltar to

1617-587: The Red Sea ) and white to west. That would explain the Bulgarian Byalo More , the Turkish Akdeniz , and the Arab nomenclature described above, lit. "White Sea". Major ancient civilizations were located around the Mediterranean. The sea provided routes for trade, colonization, and war, as well as food (from fishing and the gathering of other seafood) for numerous communities throughout

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1694-559: The Roman Empire , Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea"). The term Mare Mediterrāneum appears later: Solinus apparently used this in the 3rd century, but the earliest extant witness to it is in the 6th century, in Isidore of Seville . It means 'in the middle of land, inland' in Latin , a compound of medius ("middle"), terra ("land, earth"), and -āneus ("having the nature of"). The modern Greek name Μεσόγειος Θάλασσα ( mesógeios ; "inland")

1771-578: The Six-Day War in 1967, the salinity of the lake increased substantially. In 2017 the minimum and maximum values measured at 41‰ and 45‰, with an average close to 41‰. The salinity of the lake also depends on how much seawater flows into it from the Red and the Mediterranean Seas. Even when the canal is open, in certain places the Great Bitter Lake can have a salinity level "more than twice"

1848-528: The "Syrian Sea". In ancient Syrian texts, Phoenician epics and in the Hebrew Bible , it was primarily known as the "Great Sea", הים הגדול HaYam HaGadol , ( Numbers ; Book of Joshua ; Ezekiel ) or simply as "The Sea" ( 1 Kings ). However, it has also been called the "Hinder Sea" because of its location on the west coast of the region of Syria or the Holy Land (and therefore behind a person facing

1925-579: The 16th century and also maintained naval bases in southern France (1543–1544), Algeria and Tunisia. Barbarossa , the Ottoman captain is a symbol of this domination with the victory of the Battle of Preveza (1538). The Battle of Djerba (1560) marked the apex of Ottoman naval domination in the eastern Mediterranean. As the naval prowess of the European powers increased, they confronted Ottoman expansion in

2002-524: The 7th century, and with it the religion of Islam , which soon swept across from the east; at its greatest extent, the Arabs, under the Umayyads , controlled most of the Mediterranean region and left a lasting footprint on its eastern and southern shores. A variety of foodstuffs, spices and crops were introduced to the western Mediterranean's Spain and Sicily during Arab rule, via the commercial networks of

2079-834: The Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar —the narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates the Iberian Peninsula in Europe from Morocco in Africa —is only 14 km (9 mi) wide. The Mediterranean Sea encompasses a vast number of islands , some of them of volcanic origin. The two largest islands, in both area and population, are Sicily and Sardinia . The Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and

2156-598: The Greek name ( Ancient Greek : Πικραὶ Λίμναι , lit.   'bitter lakes'). It was also known in Latin as "dead lake" ( Latin : Lacus mori ). The ancient Egyptian name for the Bitter Lakes region was km-wr , lit. "great black one". The salinity of the lake varies along its depth and is highest at the bottom where the water is in contact with the preexisting salt deposit, which has been consistently diminishing due to dissolution –thereby steadily increasing

2233-655: The Islamic world. These include sugarcane, rice, cotton, alfalfa, oranges, lemons, apricots, spinach, eggplants, carrots, saffron and bananas. The Arabs also continued extensive cultivation and production of olive oil (the Spanish words for 'oil' and 'olive'— aceite and aceituna , respectively—are derived from the Arabic al-zait , meaning 'olive juice'), and pomegranates (the heraldic symbol of Granada) from classical Greco-Roman times. The Arab invasions disrupted

2310-602: The Levant, being the only state in history to ever do so, being given the nickname "Roman Lake". The Western Roman Empire collapsed around 476 AD. The east was again dominant as Roman power lived on in the Byzantine Empire formed in the 4th century from the eastern half of the Roman Empire . Though the Eastern Roman Empire would continue to hold almost all of the Mediterranean, another power arose in

2387-400: The Mediterranean Sea (from west to east): Carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid , ( H 2 CO 3 ), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion , a polyatomic ion with the formula CO 2− 3 . The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester , an organic compound containing the carbonate group O=C(−O−) 2 . The term is also used as

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2464-852: The Mediterranean Sea is the Nile , which takes its sources in equatorial Africa. The basin of the Nile constitutes about two-thirds of the Mediterranean drainage basin and encompasses areas as high as the Ruwenzori Mountains . Among other important rivers in Africa, are the Moulouya and the Chelif , both on the north side of the Atlas Mountains . In Asia, are the Ceyhan and Seyhan , both on

2541-612: The Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea without ship lock, because the water level is essentially the same. The westernmost point of the Mediterranean is located at the transition from the Alborán Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar, the easternmost point is on the coast of the Gulf of Iskenderun in southeastern Turkey. The northernmost point of the Mediterranean is on the coast of the Gulf of Trieste near Monfalcone in northern Italy while

2618-476: The Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, were rare. The first recorded molluscan anti-Lessepsian migrant was Cerastoderma glaucum by Fisher (1870). The hypersaline state of the water in the lake was found to make faunal and floral growth impossible there. Nevertheless, some seaweed was found on the eastern side of the lake, giving a slight hope of prolific biotope . In 1998, Hoenselaar and Dekker studied

2695-409: The Mediterranean Sea toward the Red Sea. Still, in the years since 1950, more molluscan populations likely have migrated. Thirty-one gastropods (table 1) and 19 bivalve species (table 2) are documented in the lake. The gastropods Pusulina radiata and Cyclope neritea , and the bivalves Cerastoderma glauca and Tapes decussatus are the only anti-Lessepsian species that are originally from

2772-456: The Mediterranean Sea. Between spring 2016 and winter 2017, 41 different species of four phyla were found, among which were 12 molluscan species. Of all phyla, molluscs recorded the highest density, with a record of 90,632 individuals per m, due to the dominant presence of Modiolus oriculatus (75,052 individuals per m annually). The Great Bitter Lake’s bottom soil is mainly composed of mud and sand (mostly carbonate ), which can be related to

2849-525: The Mediterranean towards East Africa and Asia. This led to a preference for the Mediterranean countries and their ports like Trieste with direct connections to Central and Eastern Europe experienced a rapid economic rise. In the 20th century, the 1st and 2nd World Wars as well as the Suez Crisis and the Cold War led to a shift of trade routes to the European northern ports, which changed again towards

2926-516: The Mediterranean was cut off from the Atlantic and was partly or completely desiccated over a period of some 600,000 years during the Messinian salinity crisis before being refilled by the Zanclean flood about 5.3 million years ago. The Mediterranean Sea covers an area of about 2,500,000 km (970,000 sq mi), representing 0.7% of the global ocean surface, but its connection to

3003-700: The ages. The earliest advanced civilizations in the Mediterranean were the Egyptians and the Minoans , who traded extensively with each other. Other notable civilizations that appeared somewhat later are the Hittites and other Anatolian peoples , the Phoenicians , and Mycenean Greece . Around 1200 BC the eastern Mediterranean was greatly affected by the Bronze Age Collapse , which resulted in

3080-528: The area as generic Mediterranean Sea, in the Western Basin. It does not recognize the label Sea of Sardinia . Note 2: Thracian Sea and Myrtoan Sea are seas that are part of the Aegean Sea . Note 3: The Black Sea is not considered part of it. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Mediterranean Sea as follows: Stretching from the Strait of Gibraltar in

3157-468: The bottom of the lake. In the recent years, a major part of heavy-metal pollution has originated from overpopulation , industrialization , sewage, dumpsites , crude-oil spills, agricultural chemicals , and more. Once these heavy metals integrate with the sediments composing the lake's soil, they serve as a guide to local pollution, answering the questions of where, how, and when did the polluting event occur. Heavy metals are spread out heterogeneously over

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3234-427: The carbonate ion predominates, while in weakly basic conditions, the bicarbonate ion is prevalent. In more acid conditions, aqueous carbon dioxide , CO 2 (aq) , is the main form, which, with water, H 2 O , is in equilibrium with carbonic acid – the equilibrium lies strongly towards carbon dioxide. Thus sodium carbonate is basic, sodium bicarbonate is weakly basic, while carbon dioxide itself

3311-467: The current is tidal , reversing with the tides in the Red Sea. Fish and crabs can migrate , generally in a northerly direction, through the canal and lakes in what is known as a Lessepsian migration , as some Red Sea species have come to colonize the eastern Mediterranean. Following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the area has witnessed massive marine migrations from the canal to the Mediterranean. Anti-Lessepsian migrations, species migrating from

3388-453: The cyclic compounds ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate , and the phosgene replacement, triphosgene . Three reversible reactions control the pH balance of blood and act as a buffer to stabilise it in the range 7.37–7.43: Exhaled CO 2 (g) depletes CO 2 (aq) , which in turn consumes H 2 CO 3 , causing the equilibrium of the first reaction to try to restore the level of carbonic acid by reacting bicarbonate with

3465-644: The deepest recorded point is 5,109 ± 1 m (16,762 ± 3 ft) in the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea . It lies between latitudes 30° and 46° N and longitudes 6° W and 36° E . Its west–east length, from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Gulf of Alexandretta , on the southeastern coast of Turkey , is about 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi). The north–south length varies greatly between different shorelines and whether only straight routes are considered. Also including longitudinal changes,

3542-402: The depth of the lake– since the canal started operation in 1869. Salinity is subject to seasonal variation as a result of yearly evaporation cycles. In the early 20th century, the minimum and maximum values were measured as 45‰ and 54‰, respectively, with an average salinity of 49‰ ( i.e. 49 g of salt per kg of lake water). When the Suez Canal was closed for eight years, beginning during

3619-563: The destruction of many cities and trade routes. The most notable Mediterranean civilizations in classical antiquity were the Greek city states and the Phoenicians , both of which extensively colonized the coastlines of the Mediterranean. Darius I of Persia , who conquered Ancient Egypt, built a canal linking the Red Sea to the Nile, and thus the Mediterranean. Darius's canal was wide enough for two triremes to pass each other with oars extended and required four days to traverse. Following

3696-596: The east), which is sometimes translated as "Western Sea". Another name was the "Sea of the Philistines ", ( Book of Exodus ), from the people inhabiting a large portion of its shores near the Israelites . In Modern Hebrew , it is called הים התיכון HaYam HaTikhon 'the Middle Sea'. In Classic Persian texts was called Daryāy-e Šām (دریای شام) "The Western Sea" or "Syrian Sea". In Modern Standard Arabic , it

3773-555: The entire Mediterranean. Once, most of the trade between Western Europe and the East was passing through the region , but after the 1490s the development of a sea route to the Indian Ocean allowed the importation of Asian spices and other goods through the Atlantic ports of western Europe. The sea remained strategically important. British mastery of Gibraltar ensured their influence in Africa and Southwest Asia. Especially after

3850-429: The extensive and continuous drilling activities happening in the Suez Canal for its expansion. The soil is bleak due to the stagnant nature of the lake combined with the accumulation of pollutants coming from the naval traffic that occurs inside the lake. The motionless state of the lake, though, transforms the lake sediments into a depository of heavy metals . Several factors determine the availability of heavy metals at

3927-672: The flourishing of trade between Europe and the outremer region. Genoa, Venice and Pisa created colonies in regions controlled by the Crusaders and came to control the trade with the Orient. These colonies also allowed them to trade with the Eastern world. Though the fall of the Crusader states and attempts at banning of trade relations with Muslim states by the Popes temporarily disrupted

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4004-499: The heavy cruiser USS Quincy with Saudi Arabia 's King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud . President Roosevelt's interpreter was U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Bill Eddy , who recorded the men's conversation in his book FDR Meets Ibn Saud . The meeting is the subject of a BBC documentary by Adam Curtis , entitled Bitter Lake (2015). During the Six-Day War in 1967, the canal was closed. Egypt kept it closed until 1975, trapping 15 ships in

4081-436: The immediate coastline on all sides of the Mediterranean tends to have strong maritime moderation. The sea was an important route for merchants and travellers of ancient times, facilitating trade and cultural exchange between the peoples of the region. The history of the Mediterranean region is crucial to understanding the origins and development of many modern societies. The Roman Empire maintained nautical hegemony over

4158-448: The insoluble metal carbonates, CaCO 3 is important because, in the form of scale , it accumulates in and impedes flow through pipes. Hard water is rich in this material, giving rise to the need for infrastructural water softening . Acidification of carbonates generally liberates carbon dioxide : Thus, scale can be removed with acid. In solution the equilibrium between carbonate, bicarbonate, carbon dioxide and carbonic acid

4235-614: The lake. These ships became known as the " Yellow Fleet ", because of the desert sands that soon covered their decks. The crews of the ships eventually organized, shared resources, and later set up their own post office and stamp. Two German-flagged ships eventually sailed out of the canal on their own power. Stranded cargo included various perishables (such as eggs and fruit), T-shirts, and a load of toys destined for Woolworth's . Mediterranean Sea For other countries, click here . The Mediterranean Sea ( / ˌ m ɛ d ɪ t ə ˈ r eɪ n i ən / MED -ih-tə- RAY -nee-ən )

4312-432: The lake’s area. The different concentrations of these metals were in 11 areas of the lake; six were onshore at 2–3 m deep, and five were offshore at a depth of 12–15 m. Molluscs are bioindicators of heavy-metal pollution in an aquatic body due to their ability to absorb heavy metals. The distribution of heavy metals is widespread all over the lake at different depths in both water and sediments. Each station records

4389-404: The level of the sea. While this makes plant life difficult to exist there, many species (of crabs , for example) migrate from the Red Sea through the area. As the canal has no locks , seawater flows freely into the lake from the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. In general, north of the lakes, the current reverses seasonally, being north-going in winter and south-going in summer. South of the lakes,

4466-691: The major ranges bordering Southern Europe. Total annual precipitation is significantly higher on the European part of the Mediterranean basin, especially near the Alps (the 'water tower of Europe') and other high mountain ranges. As a consequence, the river discharges of the Rhône and Po are similar to that of the Nile, despite the latter having a much larger basin. These are the only three rivers with an average discharge of over 1,000 m /s (35,000 cu ft/s). Among large natural fresh bodies of water are Lake Victoria (Nile basin), Lake Geneva (Rhône), and

4543-430: The material collected in 1950 by Beets (1953), in which they discovered a total of 44 gastropods and 47 bivalve species in the lake. Of these species, they concluded that only three gastropods and five bivalves were of Mediterranean origin. The rest were all originally from the Red Sea. This imbalance of origin is due to the water currents, which mainly flow toward the Mediterranean Sea, generally hampering migration from

4620-583: The metal. This process is called calcination , after calx , the Latin name of quicklime or calcium oxide , CaO, which is obtained by roasting limestone in a lime kiln : As illustrated by its affinity for Ca , carbonate is a ligand for many metal cations. Transition metal carbonate and bicarbonate complexes feature metal ions covalently bonded to carbonate in a variety of bonding modes. Lithium , sodium , potassium , rubidium , caesium , and ammonium carbonates are water-soluble salts, but carbonates of 2+ and 3+ ions are often poorly soluble in water. Of

4697-414: The migrants and arrest the traffickers of immigrants. In 2015, more than one million migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe. Italy was particularly affected by the European migrant crisis . Since 2013, over 700,000 migrants have landed in Italy, mainly sub-Saharan Africans. The Mediterranean Sea connects: The 163 km (101 mi) long artificial Suez Canal in the southeast connects

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4774-435: The naval battles of Abukir (1799, Battle of the Nile ) and Trafalgar (1805), the British had for a long time strengthened their dominance in the Mediterranean. Wars included Naval warfare in the Mediterranean during World War I and Mediterranean theatre of World War II . With the opening of the lockless Suez Canal in 1869, the flow of trade between Europe and Asia changed fundamentally. The fastest route now led through

4851-428: The number of drowned refugees in the region as a direct result of the policies. An Azerbaijani official described the sea as "a burial ground ... where people die". Following the 2013 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck , the Italian government decided to strengthen the national system for the patrolling of the Mediterranean Sea by authorising " Operation Mare Nostrum ", a military and humanitarian mission in order to rescue

4928-474: The region when the Battle of Lepanto (1571) checked the power of the Ottoman Navy . This was the last naval battle to be fought primarily between galleys . The Barbary pirates of Northwest Africa preyed on Christian shipping and coastlines in the Western Mediterranean Sea. According to Robert Davis, from the 16th to 19th centuries, pirates captured 1 million to 1.25 million Europeans as slaves. The development of oceanic shipping began to affect

5005-430: The same quantity nor type of heavy metals. Consequently, molluscan species accumulate different types of heavy metals depending on their location in the lake, which can be used to estimate the various toxicity rates in the water of the lake. On 14 February 1945, Great Bitter Lake was the site of the Quincy agreement . U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt , having flown directly from the Yalta Conference , met on board

5082-468: The sea for centuries and is the only state to have ever controlled all of its coast. The countries surrounding the Mediterranean and its marginal seas in clockwise order are Spain , France , Monaco , Italy , Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Montenegro , Albania , Greece , Turkey , Syria , Lebanon , Israel , Palestine ( Gaza Strip ), Egypt , Libya , Tunisia , Algeria , and Morocco ; Cyprus and Malta are island countries in

5159-458: The sea. In addition, Northern Cyprus ( de facto state ) and two overseas territories of the United Kingdom ( Akrotiri and Dhekelia , and Gibraltar ) also have coastlines along the Mediterranean Sea. The drainage basin encompasses a large number of other countries, the Nile being the longest river ending in the Mediterranean Sea. The Ancient Egyptians called the Mediterranean Wadj-wr/Wadj-Wer/Wadj-Ur. This term (literally "great green")

5236-423: The shortest shipping route between the multinational Gulf of Trieste and the Libyan coastline of the Gulf of Sidra is about 1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi). The water temperatures are mild in winter and warm in summer and give name to the Mediterranean climate type due to the majority of precipitation falling in the cooler months. Its southern and eastern coastlines are lined with hot deserts not far inland, but

5313-400: The south side of the Taurus Mountains . In Europe, the largest basins are those of the Rhône , Ebro , Po , and Maritsa . The basin of the Rhône is the largest and extends up as far north as the Jura Mountains , encompassing areas even on the north side of the Alps . The basins of the Ebro, Po, and Maritsa, are respectively south of the Pyrenees , Alps, and Balkan Mountains , which are

5390-421: The southern ports through European integration, the activation of the Silk Road and free world trade. In 2013, the Maltese president described the Mediterranean Sea as a "cemetery" due to the large number of migrants who drowned there after their boats capsized. European Parliament president Martin Schulz said in 2014 that Europe's migration policy "turned the Mediterranean into a graveyard", referring to

5467-599: The southernmost point is on the coast of the Gulf of Sidra near the Libyan town of El Agheila . Large islands in the Mediterranean include: The Alpine arc , which also has a great meteorological impact on the Mediterranean area, touches the Mediterranean in the west in the area around Nice . The typical Mediterranean climate has hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Crops of the region include olives , grapes , oranges , tangerines , carobs and cork . The Mediterranean Sea includes 15 marginal seas : Note 1: The International Hydrographic Organization defines

5544-602: The term was later extended to the whole Mediterranean, it was also called Baḥr al-Maghrib ( بحر المغرب ) ("the Sea of the West"). A name that was used mainly for the western basin. In Turkish , it is the Akdeniz 'the White Sea'; in Ottoman, ﺁق دڭيز , which sometimes means only the Aegean Sea . The origin of the name is not clear, as it is not known in earlier Greek, Byzantine or Islamic sources. It may be to contrast with

5621-672: The trade in western Europe and brought it to a halt. However, the Norsemen developed the trade from Norway to the White Sea , while also trading in luxury goods from Spain and the Mediterranean. The Byzantines in the mid-8th century retook control of the area around the north-eastern part of the Mediterranean. Venetian ships from the 9th century armed themselves to counter the harassment by Arabs while concentrating trade of Asian goods in Venice. The Fatimids maintained trade relations with

5698-600: The trade relations between Western and Eastern Europe while disrupting trade routes with Eastern Asian Empires. This, however, had the indirect effect of promoting trade across the Caspian Sea . The export of grains from Egypt was re-routed towards the Eastern world . Products from East Asian empires, like silk and spices, were carried from Egypt under the Arab rule to ports like Venice and Constantinople by sailors and Jewish merchants. The Viking raids further disrupted

5775-649: The trade with the Orient, it however continued. Europe started to revive, however, as more organized and centralized states began to form in the later Middle Ages after the Renaissance of the 12th century . Ottoman power based in Anatolia continued to grow, and in 1453 extinguished the Byzantine Empire with the Conquest of Constantinople . Ottomans gained control of much of the eastern part sea in

5852-657: The west to the entrances to the Dardanelles and the Suez Canal in the east, the Mediterranean Sea is bounded by the coasts of Europe, Africa, and Asia and is divided into two deep basins: The drainage basin of the Mediterranean Sea is particularly heterogeneous and extends much further than the Mediterranean region. Its size has been estimated between 4,000,000 and 5,500,000 km (1,500,000 and 2,100,000 sq mi), depending on whether non-active parts (deserts) are included or not. The longest river ending in

5929-734: Was the name given by the Ancient Egyptians to the semi-solid, semi-aquatic region characterized by papyrus forests to the north of the cultivated Nile delta, and, by extension, the sea beyond. The Ancient Greeks called the Mediterranean simply ἡ θάλασσα ( hē thálassa ; "the Sea") or sometimes ἡ μεγάλη θάλασσα ( hē megálē thálassa ; "the Great Sea"), ἡ ἡμετέρα θάλασσα ( hē hēmetérā thálassa ; "Our Sea"), or ἡ θάλασσα ἡ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ( hē thálassa hē kath’hēmâs ; "the sea around us"). The Romans called it Mare Magnum ("Great Sea") or Mare Internum ("Internal Sea") and, starting with

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