Its waters, its coast, its climate... The entire Mediterranean is a paradise!
HOW MANY COUNTRIES DO THE WATERS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN REACH?
The Mediterranean Sea bathes 22 countries on 3 continents: 11 in Europe, 5 in Asia and 5 in Africa.
WHAT ARE YOUR MEASURES?
With 2.51 million km2 and 3,700 km from end to end, it is the 2nd largest inland sea in the world.
WHAT IRREGULARITIES DOES IT HAVE?
It has 3 outlets: 2 natural straits (Gibraltar and Bosphorus) and 1 canal, the Suez Canal, built between 1859-69.
HOW IS ITS COAST DIVIDED?
Of its 46,027 kilometers of coastline, 13,676 belong to Greece and 2,606 to Spain.
Greece is one of the most tourist destinations on the Mediterranean coast.
WHEN DOES YOUR NAME COME UP?
It has been called Mediterranean since the 2nd century AD.
WHAT DOES IT KEEP INSIDE YOU?
It contains 12 seas, 2 island countries -Malta and Cyprus- and 152 islands of more than 10 km2.
ONE OF THE MOST KNOWN COUNTRIES ON THE COAST IS GREECE, HOW MANY ISLANDS DOES IT HAVE?
Greece has about 6,000 islands and islets, but only 227 are permanently populated.
Its largest island is Sicily, a piece of paradise located in Italy.
WHAT IS YOUR LARGEST ISLAND?
The largest island is Sicily, with 25,460 km2. Majorca is number 7.
AND THE SMALLEST?
Tabarca, 4 km from the Alicante coast and shaped like an 8, is the smallest inhabited island.
WHAT PORTS STAND OUT?
Last year, the gigantic port of Algeciras managed 107.15 million tons of merchandise.
HOW MANY PEOPLE SAIL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN?
The Western Mediterranean and Central received 2.27 million cruise passengers in 2018. El Oriental, 746,000.
WHAT TEMPERATURE DOES YOUR WATER REACH?
The highest sea temperature, 31ºC, is recorded in the Gulf of Sidra, off the coast of Libya. The average water temperature in Ibiza in summer is 26.2ºC.
WHAT SONGS HAVE PAID TRIBUTE TO YOU?
Serrat composed Mediterráneo in 1970. In 2004 it was chosen "the best song in the history of Spanish music". El Mediterráneo by Los Rebeldes was the song of the summer in 1988.
Touring the waters of the Mediterranean by boat is one of the favorite plans of many travellers.
WHAT VOLCANIC FORMATIONS STAND OUT?
It takes 6 hours to walk to the Stromboli crater, 924 meters above sea level. Mount Etna in Sicily, the oldest and largest volcano in Europe, approaches the sea by 14 millimeters a year.
WHAT ARE YOUR OLDEST BUILDINGS?
Around the year 650 B.C. The lighthouse at Cape Sigeo already existed, on the western coast of the Aegean.
WHERE IS YOUR GREATEST DEPTH?
The deepest point, 5,267 meters, is in the Calypso Trench, Greece.
Volcanic formations, islands, channels... The Mediterranean is home to all kinds of geography.
_***** This report was published in **number 117 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (May 2018)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The May issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available at its digital version to enjoy it on your favorite device. _