Mediterranean Sea: Location and Key Facts

The Mediterranean Sea is a semi‑enclosed sea situated between three continents:

• North: Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, etc.)
• East: Asia (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus)
• South: Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt)

It connects to the Atlantic Ocean only through the narrow Strait of Gibraltar (14 km wide). Surface area: ~2.5 million km² (965,000 sq mi). Maximum depth: 5,267 m (17,280 ft) in the Calypso Deep (Ionian Sea). It has been a cradle of civilizations and a vital trade route for millennia.