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Table of Contents
The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean and separates Europe and Africa, and is also known as the incubator of Western civilization.
See the fact file below for more information on the Mediterranean Sea or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Mediterranean Sea worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
INTRODUCTION
- The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, a narrow strait that also separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa.
- The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Sea of Marmara by the Straits of Dardanelles and to the Black Sea by the Bosporus, in the east.
- The Mediterranean Sea is also known as the “sea between lands”
as it is almost completely enclosed by land.
GEOGRAPHY
- Besides being connected to the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.
- Large islands in the Mediterranean Sea include Cyprus, Crete, Euboea, Rhodes, Lesbos, Chios, Kefalonia, Corfu, Limnos, Samos, Naxos, and Andros, which all can be found in the eastern Mediterranean. In the central Mediterranean, the islands include Sicily, Cres, Krk, Brač, Hvar, Pag, Korčula, and Malta. In the western Mediterranean, the islands include Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands, which include Ibiza, Majorca, and Menorca.
- There are 14 marginal seas in the Mediterranean Sea, these 14 include: (1) Levantine Sea, (2) Tyrrhenian Sea, (3) Adriatic Sea, (4) Aegean Sea, (5) Libyan Sea, (6) Balearic Sea, (7) Ionian Sea, (8) Alboran Sea, (9) Sea of Marmara, (10) Sea of Crete, (11) Sea of Sardinia, (12) Ligurian Sea, (13) Thracian Sea, and (14) Myrtoan Sea.
LIMITS
- The limits of the Mediterranean Sea were defined by the International Hydrographic Organization. The limits of the Mediterranean Sea are defined from the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, to the entrances of the Dardanelles and Suez Canal in the east.
- The Mediterranean Sea is bounded by the coasts of Africa, Asia, and Europe.
- The Mediterranean Sea is divided into two deep basins – the western basin and the eastern basin.
COASTAL COUNTRIES
- The Mediterranean countries are the countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea.
- Mediterranean countries from the Southern European coast are Spain, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, and Turkey.
- The Mediterranean countries from the Levantine coast are Syria, Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine.
- The Mediterranean countries from the Northern African coast are Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
- Cyprus and Malta are both island nations.
HYDROLOGY
- Tides in the Mediterranean Sea are very limited due to its narrow connection with the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Mediterranean Sea is known for its recognizable deep blue color.
- The hydrodynamics of the Mediterranean Sea are guided by three (3) layers of water masses: (1) surface layer, (2) intermediate layer, and (3) deep layer.
- The surface layer of the Mediterranean Sea has a thickness reaching up to 1,000 feet.
- The intermediate layer of the Mediterranean Sea is infused with warm and saline water coming from the eastern part of the sea.
- The deep layer of the Mediterranean Sea occupies the great bulk of the Mediterranean Sea. The water in this layer is homogenous.
- The current in the Mediterranean Sea is the most powerful in summer, when evaporation is at its maximum.
BIODIVERSITY
- The Mediterranean Sea has scarcity when it comes to plant nutrients such as phosphates, nitrates, and nitrites, which is mostly due to the fact that the sea receives most of its water from the surface water of the Atlantic Ocean.
- Despite having a low level of plant nutrients, the Mediterranean Sea has a rich biodiversity of marine biota.
- Most of the fishes in the Mediterranean Sea are related to the subtropical species in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Hake is one of the more commercially important demersal fishes
that can be found in the Mediterranean Sea. - Other fishes that can be found in the Mediterranean Sea include flounder, sole, turbot, whitings, congers, croakers, red mullet, gobies, gurnard, lizard fish, redfishes, sea bass, grouper, combers, sea bream, pandoras, and jacks.
- Cartilaginous fishes that can be found in the Mediterranean Sea include sharks, rays, and skates.
- The bluefin tuna is one of the high-value large fishes.
ECONOMY
- Sea salt production has been one of the industries of the coastline countries in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Several petroleum and natural gas explorations have been done in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Due to the growth of oil and gas production and refineries in the Mediterranean, there has been a significant increase in trade and transportation industries.
- Tourism is also one of the industries in the Mediterranean. In fact, tourism is one of the major industries of the coastal countries.
STATUS
- Overfishing in the Mediterranean Sea is one of the major problems as fish stock levels are alarmingly low.
- Another problem is tourism. The increase of tourism industries is causing serious threats to the habitats of the endangered species in the Mediterranean Sea such as sea turtles and monk seals.
- Another major problem in the Mediterranean is pollution. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, millions of tons of sewage, mineral oil, mercury deposits, lead deposits, and phosphate deposits are being dumped into the Mediterranean each year which causes pollution.
Mediterranean Sea Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Mediterranean Sea across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Mediterranean Sea worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Mediterranean Sea which is an intercontinental sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean and separates Europe and Africa, and is also known as the incubator of Western civilization.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Mediterranean Sea Facts
- Blue Box
- Fourteen
- Coastal Countries
- Island Hopping
- Connections
- Match Them
- Let’s Travel
- Island Nations
- Puzzle
- Tell The World
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Link will appear as Mediterranean Sea Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 27, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.