Mediterranean+Sea

__Geography__

The Mediterranean Sea is almost compleletly surrounded by land. Europe sits on the northern coastline, Africa is to the south, and Asiais to the east. The sea covers 2.5 million km2 (965,000sq mi). The Strait of Gibraltar, the sea's connection to the Atlantic Ocean, is 14 km (9mi) wide.

__What does the Mediterranean mean?__

The Mediterranean is sometimes called //Eurafrican Mediterranean Sea// or the //European Mediterranean Sea// to distinguish it from other Mediterranean Seas. The Mediterranean Region surrounds the sea, thus its name. Mediteranean comes from the Latin word //mediterraneus,// which means "in the middle of the earth." The sea is also commonly called //Mare Nostrum// which in Latin means "Our Sea".

It was a well used route by the ancient Roman, Semitic, Moorish, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Persian, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek, and Levantine merchants and travelers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/m/Mediterranean_Sea.htm