Adriatic Sea Follow @FindCroatia Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula. The Adriatic Sea is a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The western coast is Italian, while the eastern coast runs mostly along Croatia , but lesser parts belong to Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania. Major rivers joining the Adriatic are the Reno, Po, Adige, Brenta, Piave, Soča (Isonzo), Neretva. The Adriatic Sea is situated largely between the eastern coast of Italy and Croatia. The Adriatic extends northwest from 40° to 45° 45′ N., with an extreme length of about 770 km. The northern part of the Adriati sea is very shallow, and between the southern promontories of Istria and Rimini the depth rarely exceeds 46 meters. Between Šibenik and Ortona a well-marked depression occurs, a considerable area of which exceeds 180 m in depth.

Search Hotels Search Check-out date From a point between Korčula and the north shore of the spur of Monte Gargano there is a ridge giving shallower water, and a broken chain of a few islets extends across the sea. The deepest part of the sea lies east of Monte Gargano, south of Dubrovnik , and west of Durrës where a large basin gives depths of 900 m and upwards, and a small area in the south of this basin falls below 1,460 m . The mean depth of the sea is estimated at 240 m. Coasts and islands in the Adriatic: Weather in Croatia Live Webcams The west shore is generally low, merging, in the northwest, into the marshes and lagoons on either hand of the protruding delta of the river Po, the sediment of which has pushed forward the coastline for several miles within historic times. The east coast is generally bold and rocky, with many islands. South of the Istrian Peninsula, the island-fringe of the east coast extends as far south as Dubrovnik.

The islands, which are long and narrow (the long axis lying parallel with the coast of the mainland), rise rather abruptly to elevations of a few hundred feet, with the exception of a few larger islands like Brač (Vidova gora, 778 m) or the peninsula Pelješac (St. Ilija, 961 m). There are over a thousand islands in the Adriatic, 66 of which are inhabited. Both coasts are popular tourist destinations and many consider this sea the most beautiful in the world. Have a look at live web camera overlooking Adriatic Sea. Adriatic Sea in different languages: Croatian: Jadransko more Map of Adriatic Sea - World Seas, Adriatic Sea Map Location Facts - World Atlas Map of Adriatic Sea - World Seas, Adriatic Sea Map Location Facts Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea is a part of the Mediterranean Sea positioned between the eastern coastline of Italy, and countries of the Balkan Peninsula, from Slovenia, south through Croatia. Montenegro, and to Albania. The southern boundary of the sea ends in the Strait of Otranto between Albania and Italy's Salento Peninsula. Immediately south of that strait the Ionian Sea begins.

The distance from Brindisi to Venice is 685 km (426 mi), and from Ancona to Split is 228 km (142 mi). The sea is about 805 km (500 mi) in length, with an estimated area of 135,250 sq km (52,220 sq mi). Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Split and Venice are its chief ports and the sea is well served by regional ferries. Mediterranean Sea | Britannica.com Mediterranean Sea Artemidorus Mediterranean Sea, an intercontinental sea that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to Asia on the east and separates Europe from Africa. It has often been called the incubator of Western civilization. This ancient “sea between the lands” occupies a deep, elongated, and almost landlocked irregular depression lying between latitudes 30° and 46° N and longitudes 5°50′ W and 36° E.

Its west-east extent—from the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco to the shores of the Gulf of Iskenderun on the southwestern coast of Turkey —is approximately 2,500 miles (4,000 km), and its average north-south extent, between Croatia ’s southernmost shores and Libya , is about 500 miles (800 km). The Mediterranean Sea, including the Sea of Marmara , occupies an area of approximately 970,000 square miles (2,510,000 square km). The Mediterranean Sea. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Ibiza, one of the Balearic Islands, in the western Mediterranean Sea off the east coast of Spain. © Goodshoot/Jupiterimages The western extremity of the Mediterranean Sea connects with the Atlantic Ocean by the narrow and shallow channel of the Strait of Gibraltar, which is roughly 8 miles (13 km) wide at its narrowest point; and the depth of the sill, or submarine ridge separating the Atlantic from the Alborán Sea, is about 1,050 feet (320 metres).

To the northeast the Mediterranean is connected with the Black Sea through the Dardanelles (with a sill depth of 230 feet [70 metres]), the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Bosporus (sill depth of about 300 feet [90 metres]). To the southeast it is connected with the Red Sea by the Suez Canal . Physiographic and geologic features Natural divisions A submarine ridge between the island of Sicily and the African coast with a sill depth of about 1,200 feet (365 metres) divides the Mediterranean Sea into western and eastern parts. The western part in turn is subdivided into three principal submarine basins. The Alborán Basin is east of Gibraltar , between the coasts of Spain and Morocco. The Algerian (sometimes called the Algero-Provençal or Balearic) Basin, east of the Alborán Basin, is west of Sardinia and Corsica , extending from off the coast of Algeria to off the coast of France . These two basins together constitute the western basin.

The Tyrrhenian Basin, that part of the Mediterranean known as the Tyrrhenian Sea , lies between Italy and the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. The Mediterranean Sea. Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies The northern shores of the eastern Mediterranean are highly complex and, unlike the southern shores, have variable fold mountains that offered favourable sites for the development of the Mediterranean civilizations. The north coast of Africa bordering the eastern Mediterranean is low-lying and of monotonous uniformity except for the Cyrenaica highlands in Libya, which lie to the east of the Gulf of Sidra . The largest islands of the eastern Mediterranean are Crete and Cyprus , both of which are mountainous. Low-lying coast on the Gulf of Tunis, at Al-Marsā, northeastern Tunisia. Steve Vidler/Leo de Wys, Inc. Hydrologic features and climate Hydrology Mediterranean hydrodynamics are driven by three layers of water masses: a surface layer, an intermediate layer, and a deep layer that sinks to the bottom; a separate bottom layer is absent. Deepwater formation and exchange rates and the processes of heat and water exchange in the Mediterranean have provided useful models for studying the mechanisms of global climatic change.

The surface layer has a thickness varying from roughly 250 to 1,000 feet (75 to 300 metres). This variable thickness is determined in the western basin by the presence of a minimum temperature at its lower limit. In the eastern basin the temperature minimum generally is absent, and a layer of low-temperature decrease is found instead. The intermediate layer is infused with warm and saline water coming from the eastern Mediterranean and is characterized by temperature and salinity maxima at 1,300 feet (400 metres). This layer is situated at depths between 1,000 and 2,000 feet (300 and 600 metres). The deep layer—containing the great bulk of Mediterranean water—occupies the remaining zone between the intermediate layer and the bottom. In general, the water of this layer is homogeneous . The Mediterranean Sea receives from the rivers that flow into it only about one-third of the amount of water that it loses by evaporation . In consequence, there is a continuous inflow of surface water from the Atlantic Ocean. After passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the main body of the incoming surface water flows eastward along the north coast of Africa.

This current is the most constant component of the circulation of the Mediterranean. It is most powerful in summer, when evaporation in the Mediterranean is at a maximum. This inflow of Atlantic water loses its strength as it proceeds eastward, but it is still recognizable as a surface movement in the Sicilian channel and even off the Levant coast. A small amount of water also enters the Mediterranean from the Black Sea as a surface current through the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. Trending Topics Economic aspects Biological resources Plant nutrients such as phosphates, nitrates, and nitrites are scarce in the Mediterranean Sea. Just as in all other seas, these nutrients show seasonal fluctuations, generally with a rise in the spring, the phytoplankton blooming season. However, several factors account for the scarcity of nutrients in Mediterranean waters, the most important being that the Mediterranean receives most of its water from the surface water of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite low nutrient levels, the Mediterranean has a rich diversity of marine biota. Nearly one-third of its roughly 12,000 species are endemic .

The effective potential productivity in various regions of the Mediterranean can be measured by radioactive methods using carbon-14 dating to determine the amount of carbon produced in a given volume of water over a period of time. The lowest values are observed in the Levant and also in the Ionian Basin. The highest primary-production values in the Mediterranean Sea have been observed in springtime (March–May) off the Egyptian coast in areas under the influence of the outflow of the Nile. Commercial fisheries are highly valuable in the nutrient-poor Mediterranean. There is great demand for fish, and total catches for consumption in Mediterranean countries—both from within and outside the region—constitute a significant portion of the total world catch. The high price of fresh fish in most Mediterranean countries has favoured the development of a large number of small-scale local fisheries, which take small catches in short trips. Though the boats used rarely exceed 70 feet (20 metres) in length, their numbers are sufficient to deplete the local stocks through overfishing. The tendency to overexploitation is strengthened by the use of trawl nets with very small mesh size that retain the smallest individuals.

Efforts to reduce the catch of undersized fish through controlling mesh size have not been successful, because equipment varies from country to country and compliance is difficult to monitor. The most recent trend has been to use drift nets up to 15 miles (24 km) long that extend 40 feet (12 metres) into the water. These nets kill many noncommercial species, including dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and the endangered Mediterranean monk seal. The fishes of the Mediterranean are related to subtropical Atlantic species. Of the demersal (bottom-living) fishes, flounder, soles, turbot, whitings, congers, croakers, red mullet, gobies, gurnard, lizard fish, redfishes, sea bass, groupers, combers, sea bream, pandoras, and jacks and cartilaginous fishes such as sharks, rays, and skates are all caught by the trawlers . Among the demersal fishes, hake is one of the more commercially important in all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The coastal hake, sole, and red mullet fisheries have been seriously overexploited.

Rocky coasts once provided a valuable harvest of crabs, shrimps, prawns, and other shellfish, but coastal pollution and overfishing have largely depleted natural fisheries. Aquaculture has become increasingly important, especially in the eastern Mediterranean. In Egypt, coastal lagoons have been impounded to raise fish. About half of the Mediterranean catches are of pelagic species (those caught in the upper layers of the sea). Sardines constitute the main catch in the western and northeastern parts of the Mediterranean. Occasionally sardines also appear in relatively small quantities in the southeastern part. Closely related fishes (Sardinella aurita and S. maderensis), however, occur in large quantities in the southern and southeastern region of the Mediterranean. The sprat is taken in some quantities in the most northern parts, such as in the northern Adriatic. Anchovy fishing is important in most regions of the Mediterranean. The bluefin tuna is one of the high-value large fishes.

It moves into the Mediterranean from the Atlantic and disperses in several directions: toward the southern and eastern coasts of Spain, the coasts of the Balearic Islands , the northern coast of Morocco, and the coasts of Sardinia, Sicily, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Related commercially valuable species are the bonitos and mackerels. Varying quantities are caught by nearly all Mediterranean countries. Important nonedible marine products include the corals of Naples and the sponges of the Dodecanese islands , the Gulf of Gabes, and the western coasts of Egypt. Mineral resources Sea salt has been produced by evaporation in coastal pans along the eastern Mediterranean and elsewhere for millennia. In addition to its use as a seasoning, salt is now utilized by the chemical industry. Since the early 1980s, interest has grown in petroleum and natural gas exploration and production in the Mediterranean. Offshore wells produce a significant proportion of the oil and gas output of bordering countries. Italy, Libya, Egypt, and Algeria are the largest producers. Drilling also has been done off the coasts of Libya, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Tunisia.

Bouri, in Libyan waters, is the most active Mediterranean offshore oil field. While Mediterranean oil and natural gas production is only a small fraction of world production, a significant proportion of total world oil refining takes place in the Mediterranean region. Refineries and petrochemical works in a number of major Mediterranean ports process crude oil from Persian Gulf countries shipped through the Suez Canal, as well as oil from Mediterranean countries. In addition, petrochemicals and other petroleum derivatives are produced for domestic consumption and export. Transportation and tourism The 2,000-mile (3,200-km) access that the Mediterranean offers to rain-bearing westerly winds in the temperate zone, the ease of communications across the western, central, and eastern straits, and the prevailing freedom from storms in the summer months all made the Mediterranean the “inland sea” of early civilizations. Trade and communication flourished and declined with the fortunes of the Mediterranean civilizations. Following the Middle Ages, Constantinople ( Istanbul ), Barcelona , and the Italian commercial states assumed the role of trade intermediaries between the Orient and northwestern Europe.

In the 15th century, however, the rise of the Ottoman Turks was followed by a rule of oppression and exploitation, and piracy made traffic on the sea hazardous. Moreover, the discovery at the end of the 15th century of the route to Asia around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa created a safer and easier sea route connecting northwestern Europe directly with the Orient. Mediterranean lands lost their commercial function as intermediaries between Europe and Asia, and, for more than two and a half centuries, the Mediterranean Sea remained a backwater of world ocean trade and traffic. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, together with the advent of the steamship, continued industrialization in northwestern and central Europe, and French colonization in North Africa made the Mediterranean again one of the busiest sea-lanes of the world. Much of the traffic, however, passed through the sea en route between Asia and northwestern Europe. Countries in the Mediterranean basin had not been able to industrialize and had retained their agricultural and artisan economies, which limited their purchasing power and reduced their ability to trade.

The growth of the Mediterranean oil and gas industries has been paralleled by an increase in trade and transportation of the diverse consumer and industrial goods needed by expanding cities on both the northern and southern Mediterranean coasts. Coastal zones—especially in Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, and Morocco—have some of the world’s fastest-growing urban areas. Increased economic consolidation of Europe, however, has stimulated new trading patterns. The lands ringing the Mediterranean Sea include some of the world’s most renowned tourist destinations, which lie either directly on the sea or its embayments (e.g., the French and Italian Riviera and Athens) or are close by (e.g., Rome and the Holy Land of the Middle East). Tourism is now a major source of income for those coastal countries, where a significant portion of world income from tourism is generated annually. Tens of millions of people descend each year to enjoy the Mediterranean’s beaches and culture-rich shores. Ravello on the Tyrrhenian Sea, southern Italy; it lies on the Amalfi Coast, designated a UNESCO … David C.

Tomlinson—Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images Impact of human activity Growing industrialization, shoreline populations, and tourism since the mid-20th century have resulted in severely polluted waters in many Mediterranean coastal areas. Pollution in the Mediterranean tends to remain near its source of discharge because of relatively weak tidal and current movements. Despite the absence of significant transborder effects, the countries of the region have agreed to cooperate to control the threat of marine pollution. Assisted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 16 countries adopted the Mediterranean Action Plan ( Med Plan) in 1975. The Med Plan comprises four elements: legal measures, institutional and financial support, integrated planning to prevent environmental degradation , and coordinated pollution monitoring and research. The two most important legal measures are the Barcelona Convention (1976), which calls for protective action against all forms of pollution, and the Athens Protocol (1980), which requires state parties to adopt programs to prevent and control pollution from land-based sources. The Med Plan has been widely regarded for successfully raising awareness of pollution in the Mediterranean; however, improvements in environmental quality under the plan have been limited.

Oceanographers sponsored by the European Union have discovered that major dam projects on rivers emptying into the Mediterranean (notably the Aswān High Dam on the Nile River in Egypt and the heavily impounded Ebro River in Spain) have been changing the Mediterranean’s hydrological characteristics. The reduced flow of fresh water from those rivers has been replaced by increased flows of saltier water from the Atlantic and the Red Sea. The saltier (and thus denser) seawater has modified circulation patterns, as evidenced by observed elevated flows from the Aegean Sea into the deeper parts of the Mediterranean. The impact of such changes, including the potential effects on Atlantic currents influenced by high-salinity Mediterranean waters exiting the Strait of Gibraltar, has been the focus of much research. Page 1 of 2 Mediterranean Sea - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea has been called the "cradle of civilization." The sea lies between Europe to the north and west, Africa to the south, and Asia to the east. Including the Sea of Marmara, the area of the Mediterranean is 970,000 square miles (2,512,000 square kilometers).

The sea evokes images of Homer’s early stories and of deep blue water against light blue skies. It is so vast that it could be divided into ten lakes, each as large as the combined five Great Lakes of North America. Article Contributors Adriatic Sea | sea, Mediterranean Sea | Britannica.com sea, Mediterranean Sea Alternative Titles: Deti i Adriatikut, Jadransko More, Mare Adriatico Related Topics Mediterranean Sea Adriatic Sea, Italian Mare Adriatico, Bosnian, Croatian, and Montenegrin Jadransko More, Albanian Deti i Adriatikut, arm of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between the Italian and Balkan peninsulas. The Strait of Otranto at its southeasterly limit links it with the Ionian Sea . It is about 500 miles (800 km) long with an average width of 100 miles, a maximum depth of 4,035 feet (1,324 metres), and an area of 50,590 sq mi (131,050 sq km). The Adriatic has been of great importance in the historical development of Mediterranean Europe and is of considerable scientific interest in itself.

Modern study of the Adriatic has been carried out mainly under the auspices of several Italian and Balkan scientific institutes. Warm weather and a rich history have made the Adriatic Coast a popular destination despite the … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. There is a striking contrast between its two shores. The Italian coast is relatively straight and continuous, having no islands, whereas the Croatian coast is full of both large and small islands, generally oblong in shape and running parallel to the continental shore. Many tortuous straits form inlets between the islands similar to those of the Norwegian fjords and make the coastline very intricate. The walled old city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, on the Adriatic Sea. Dennis Jarvis (CC-BY-2.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner) The depths of the Adriatic near its shores bear a close relationship to the physiography of the adjacent coasts. Wherever such coasts are high and mountainous, the nearby sea depths are considerable, as in the case of the Istrian and Dalmatian areas of Slovenia and Croatia .

Where low and sandy shores are found, the nearby sea is shallow, as in the vicinity of Venice or, farther south, near the delta of the Italian Po River . Generally speaking, the waters are shallow all along the Italian coast. The site of maximum depth of the Adriatic Sea is situated south of the central area; average depth is 1,457 feet (444 metres). Similar Topics Black Sea The Adriatic has two types of rather special sea bottoms, difficult to arrange in a rigorous classification but very common in the Mediterranean, namely, inlet-derived sediments and heat-altered sediments of the sea bottom proper. In general, the seabed consists of a yellowish mud and sand, containing fragments of shells, fossil mollusks, and corals. The main winds prevailing in the area are the bora , a strong northeast wind that blows from the nearby mountains into the sea, and a southeasterly wind named the sirocco that is less troublesome from a navigational point of view. During the six winter months, bora and sirocco alternate, with or without an interval of a few days calm.

The tides of the Adriatic, which have been intensively studied, follow a complicated pattern, sweeping into the region from the south and being linked with those of the Ionian Sea. The tidal range is about three feet, in contrast to the general Mediterranean tidal range of about 0.9 foot. The surface currents are chiefly influenced by the blowing winds, with currents spurred by north winds reaching a speed of four miles per hour. Temperatures in the surface layers of the sea reach 75–77 °F (24–25 °C) during the month of August , and the minimum readings, some 50 °F (10 °C), are usually reached during January and February. In the northern Adriatic, river mouth temperatures are even lower because the waters are cooled by melting ice and snow. At greater depths (820–980 feet) the maximum temperatures fluctuate around 57 °F (14 °C), while minimum temperatures are about 52 °F (11 °C). The Adriatic Sea, like the Mediterranean in general, is deficient in life; nutrient content, as indicated by the amount of phosphates and nitrates, is extremely low.

Three main areas of marine life may nevertheless be recognized. In the northern Adriatic area, significant winter cooling and a lowered salinity further impoverish the typical Mediterranean marine life. In the middle Adriatic area, life is much richer than farther north, while the southern Adriatic area has its own distinctive forms of life. Learn More in these related articles: Prayercast | Slovenia • Pray that nominal, secular believers to be ignited with Holy Spirit fervor. • Pray for committed Christians to generously support their churches and ministers. • Pray for disillusioned, materialistic youth to hear and own the truth of Jesus Christ. SUMMARY Speckled with Alpine Mountains and bursting with thick forests, the Republic of Slovenia lies on the Adriatic Sea between Italy and Croatia. This small European nation controls some of the continent’s major transit routes due to its central location between Central and Eastern Europe. After World War II, Slovenia became part of Yugoslavia, and it finally gained independence in 1991 after a 10-day war. The independence was almost bloodless, and Slovenia now has a solid infrastructure. Since the break up of the former Yugoslavia, Croatia and Slovenia have had ongoing border disputes.

Otherwise, Slovenia has remained relatively stable; they joined the European Union in 2004, they maintain a free media with privately owned newspapers, and they have the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe. Slovenia has accepted nearly 100,000 refugees from Bosnia and has also made efforts to stabilize the region. The Catholic Church is predominant in Slovenia, but high rates of secularism and spiritual apathy are growing within it. Despite having an evangelical witness since the Reformation, today’s evangelical presence is too often known for nominalism and a failure to serve and witness outside of the Church. Most pastors in the nation are bivocational, as they cannot rely on their congregations to provide. Of the 193 municipalities in Slovenia, only 26 have an evangelical church. Furthermore, very few Christian books have been translated into Slovene, the nation’s official language. Pray that those in Slovenia would break free from their nominal ways towards Jesus. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

- John 14:14 Europe Europe Andorra Andorra, a tiny landlocked principality in southwestern Europe, is situated in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains, bordered on the north and east by France and on the south and west by Spain. It comprises a region of 7 narrow valleys and the adjacent peaks reaching heights of more than 2,700 meters (about 8,860 feet) above sea level. Armenia Armenia is located in the southwest Caucasus Region, neighboring on Georgia and Azerbaijan to the north, Iran and Turkey to the south, and a separate province of Azerbaijan in the southeast. The total area of the country is 29,800 square kilometers (11,505 square miles), making it about the size of Maryland. Austria Austria is a landlocked country situated in southern Central Europe. Slightly smaller than Maine, it occupies a territory of approximately 84,000 square kilometers (32,000 square miles), which includes much of the mountainous territory of the eastern Alps and the Danube region.

Belarus Belarus is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe bordering Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia to the west; Ukraine to the south; and Russia to the east and north. It has a total border of 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles), with almost one-third of its border (960 kilometers, or 600 miles) touching Russia. Bulgaria The Republic of Bulgaria shares its borders with 5 other countries in southeastern Europe and has a coastline on the Black Sea. Romania lies to the north, Turkey to the southeast, Greece to the south, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the southwest, and Serbia (with Montenegro part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) to the west. Croatia The Republic of Croatia is located in southeastern Europe, with a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea to the south, and borders with Slovenia and Hungary to the north, and Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east. It has an area of 56,538 square kilometers (21,829 square miles), approximately the size of West Virginia.

Germany Located in western Central Europe, Germany has an area of 357,021 square kilometers (137,810 square miles), which makes it slightly smaller than the state of Montana. The country is bordered by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea to the north; Poland and the Czech Republic to the east; Austria and Switzerland to the south; and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west. Greece Greece is located on the southernmost point of the Balkan Peninsula and is flanked by 3 large bodies of water: the Aegean Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. Greece is bordered to the north by Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M.), and Bulgaria. Iceland A small volcanic island located between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean in the Arctic, Iceland is the westernmost European country.

Found between Greenland and Europe, just northwest of the United Kingdom, Iceland has an area of 103,000 square kilometers (39,768 square miles) of which 100,250 square kilometers (38,707 square miles) is land and 2,750 square kilometers (1,062 square miles) is water. Ireland The Republic of Ireland constitutes 26 out of the 32 counties that make up the island of Ireland, with 6 northern counties under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. Situated in Western Europe, it is bordered on the east by the Irish Sea from the United Kingdom and bordered on the west by the North Atlantic Ocean. Latvia Located in the Baltic region of Eastern Europe, Latvia is bordered by Estonia (339 kilometers; 211 miles), Russia (217 kilometers; 135 miles), Belarus (141 kilometers; 88 miles), Lithuania (453 kilometers; 281 miles), and the Baltic Sea (531 kilometers; 330 miles).

Slightly larger than the state of West Virginia, Latvia has a total area of 64,589 square kilometers (40,136 square miles). Liechtenstein The independent principality of Liechtenstein is located in central Europe and bordered on the east by Austria and on the south, west, and north by Switzerland. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with a total area of only 160 square kilometers (62 square miles). Lithuania An East European country bordering on the Baltic Sea, Lithuania has an area of 65,200 square kilometers (25,174 square miles) and a total coastline of 99 kilometers (62 miles). Lithuania is a mid-size country by European standards and is about the size of West Virginia. Luxembourg Luxembourg is a landlocked nation in Western Europe, at the intersection of Belgium, France, and Germany. It is one of the smallest nations in the world with an area of 2,586 square kilometers (998 square miles), which makes it slightly smaller than Rhode Island.

Macedonia Located in southeastern Europe, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (generally referred to as Macedonia) is a completely landlocked country, covering an area of 25,333 square kilometers (9,781 square miles). It is bounded on the north by Serbia and Montenegro (collectively the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)—mostly by the province of Kosovo—on the east by Bulgaria, on the south by Greece, and on the west by Albania. Malta Malta consists of a series of small islands in the Mediterranean Sea, 97 kilometers (60 miles) south of the Italian territory of Sicily and 288 kilometers (179 miles) north of Africa. It is at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Moldova Located in southeastern Europe and bordered on the west by Romania and on all other sides by Ukraine, landlocked Moldova has an area of 33,843 square kilometers (13,067 square miles), making it slightly larger than Maryland. Moldova's border totals 1,389 kilometers (864 miles).

Monaco Monaco, a small independent hereditary principality in Western Europe, is located on the Mediterranean Sea along the southern coast of France, which is also known as the French Riviera or Côte d'Azur. Monaco is 18 kilometers (11 miles) east of the French city of Nice, near the border with Italy. Norway Norway is situated in the western and northern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe. It is bordered on the north by the Barents Sea (an arm of the Arctic Ocean), on the northeast by Finland and Russia, on the east by Sweden, on the south by Skagerrak Strait and the North Sea, and on the west by the Norwegian Sea. Poland Located in Central Europe, Poland is bordered on the west by Germany, in the north by the Baltic Sea, in the north-east by Russia and Lithuania, in the east by Belarus and Ukraine, and in the south by Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Poland covers a total area of 312,685 square kilometers (120,728 square miles), making it slightly smaller than the state of New Mexico.

Portugal Located in southwestern Europe in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal borders Spain to the north and east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. The total area of the country—including the overseas territories of Azores (2,247 square kilometers/868 square miles) and the Madeira Islands (794 square kilometers/307 square miles), both autonomous regions of Portugal—is 92,345 square kilometers (35,655 square miles). Romania Located in southeastern Europe on the Black Sea, Romania covers an area of 238,500 square kilometers (92,085 square miles), making it slightly smaller than Oregon. It borders Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine, and has a coastline of 225 kilometers (140 miles). San Marino San Marino is an enclave lying wholly within northern Italy. It surrounds the 3-peaked Mount Titano (739 meters/2,425 feet) in the central Apennine Mountains, east of the city of Florence, Italy, and southwest of the city of Rimini, Italy, near the Adriatic Sea.

Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a land-locked nation in the eastern portion of Central Europe, with access to the Black Sea via the Danube River. Its neighbors are the Czech Republic to the northwest, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, and Austria to the west. Slovenia Located in southeastern Europe, bounded on the north by Austria, on the northeast by Hungary, on the southeast and south by Croatia, and on the west by Italy and the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia has an area of 20,253 square kilometers (7,820 square miles), slightly smaller comparatively than New Jersey, and a coastline of 46.6 kilometers (29 miles). The capital city, Ljubljana, is situated on the Sava River in the central part of the country; the second major city is Maribor on the Drava River in the northeast.

Sweden Located in northern Europe, in the eastern part of the Scandinavian peninsula, Sweden is bordered on the west and northwest by Norway, on the northeast by Finland, on the east by the Baltic Sea and its arm, the Gulf of Bothnia, On the southwest, Sweden is separated from Denmark by the Skagerrak, Kattegat, and Ôresund straits that connect the Baltic and the North Seas. The fourth largest country in Europe, Sweden has an area of 449,964 square kilometers (173,731 square miles), slightly larger than California. Switzerland Located in west central Europe, bordered on the north by France and Germany, on the east by Austria and Liechtenstein, on the south by Italy, and on the west and south-west by France, this landlocked alpine country has an area of 41,290 square kilometers (15,942 square mi), making it slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey.

The capital, Bern, is situated on the Aare River in the north-western part of the country; the largest city is Zürich in the north; other major cities include Geneva and Lausanne in the south-west, Basel in the north, and Lugano in the south. Great cities: Venice, Genoa and Florence, Renaissance in Europe, Renaissance and Reformation, SOSE: History Year 8, QLD | Online Education Home Schooling Skwirk Australia 0 Exams Introduction Most of the significant achievements that came out of Renaissance Italy have been attributed to the northern cities of Genoa (Genoa), Florence (Firenze), and Venice (Venezia). It was in these northern cities that the environment of imagination and creativity and the generous spirit of patronage blossomed. See Image one Genoa Genoa is located on Italy's north-western coastline. It was considered one of Italy's greatest mercantile (commercial) powers during the Middle Ages. Genoa was also an important sea port during the time of the Roman Empire, due to its position at the crossroads of Italy and Northern Europe and its natural harbour, which is located in the deepest gulf of the Mediterranean Sea.

During the Middle Ages, Genoa was a rival power to the eastern Italian trading ports of Venice and Pisa. By the late 15th century, Genoa began looking to the west for trading opportunities, establishing commercial relations with Spain and Portugal. Genoa was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who 'discovered' the Americas in 1492 after being commissioned by the Spanish Royals, Isabella and Ferdinand of Castile, to find an alternate route to India. See Image two Venice Venice, a city built on a group of islands located just off Italy's north-eastern coastline, was another one of Italy's major mercantile powers during the Middle Ages. For much of this period, Venice was known as the 'Queen of the Adriatic' (the sea which lies between Italy and the Dalmatian Coast of present-day Croatia) because of its strength in trade and commerce. It was also an important link between Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire to the east. A famous Venetian merchant was Marco Polo. Owing to his many journeys to the Near East, Marco Polo spread word of foreign lands and peoples and imported 'exotic' merchandise into Italy.

The knowledge sea traders like Marco Polo brought to Italy increased commercial activity there and in other parts of Europe. See Image three Florence Just as Italy is considered the heart of Renaissance Europe, Florence is considered the birthplace of Renaissance Italy. The name Florence is derived from the Latin word Florentia, which means 'flourishing town'. This describes perfectly what was happening in Florence during the Renaissance period. Located in the Arno Valley in Italy's central-north, Florence was the centre of the European wool industry during the late Middle Ages. The city's strength in textiles attracted many merchants, who came to Florence to invest their money the thriving wool industry. This greatly boosted the Florentine economy, as did investment in the banking sector. The Florin, Florence's currency, was a gold coin. It was such a valuable currency that it was used throughout many parts of Europe during the Renaissance. By the late 14th century, textile merchants held a great deal of political power and social influence in Florence. Many of these merchants became patrons of budding Florentine artists and scholars. Most of the art and architecture which came out of Renaissance Florence has survived the test of time intact.

Florence's extensive collection of Renaissance relics, combined with its long list of famous Renaissance figures, attests to the city's status as one of the major contributors to Western European culture since the late Middle Ages. The Medicis (refer to chapter three) were the most powerful and famous of all the Florentine merchant families. The Medicis were patrons of many great renaissance figures such as Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci (refer to Topic two, Chapter three), Brunelleschi, Michelangelo and Botticelli. See Image four European Bike Tours | DuVine View All Dates Greek Islands freckle the Mediterranean, a constellation of rocky outcroppings and volcanic vestiges afloat in the sapphire-blue sea. Life here is full of simple pleasures: the uncomplicated flavor of fresh-caught mackerel straight from the fisherman’s net, simple salads of homemade cheese and organic vegetables, and bread studded with olives fallen from windswept trees. Rides take advantage of the bright, clear days abundant in this archipelago, coasting through car-free towns, climbing to island pinnacles for unobstructed views, and passing lumbering donkeys on stone streets.

When you’re not cycling, swim along beaches as white as the hillside villages or sip ouzo beneath a canopy of bougainvillea. The allure of ancient history can be found almost everywhere. Yachts parting the Aegean Sea nod to Homer’s seafaring Odyssey, crumbling temples hint at the mysterious lives of monks and oracles, and the medieval city of Rhodes radiates Byzantine and Ottoman roots. View All Dates Nestled in central Europe alongside Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland, the Czech Republic features famous regions like Bohemia and Moravia. Its thick Bohemian forests and Renaissance and Baroque castles like the Lednice Valtice palace make it a truly enchanting place. Neighboring Austria is an equally beautiful mountainous nation, with the majority of the country perched high in the Alps. One of its most beautiful and popular sites is the Wachau Valley, forged by the flowing Danube River. The lush valley is home to ancient castles and ruins, as well as quaint villages and esteemed vineyards. From the Czech Republic to Austria, both beer and wine are in abundance, from the Pilsners of the Czech Republic to Austria’s celebrated Grüner Veltliner wines.

View All Dates A mountainous and lushly forested nation in central Europe, Slovenia is known for its glistening alpine lakes, majestic mountain peaks, thick green forests, spectacular hillside vineyards, and stunning Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts. A dense network of rivers crisscrosses the country and makes it one of the most water-rich in Europe. Stunning rivers like the Soča are popular for water sports like kayaking and rafting. Slovenian cuisine is nothing if not delicious, a delectable combination of Austrian, Hungarian, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines. Enjoy local sausages, prosciutto, mountain cheeses, pumpkin seed oil, and Prekmurska gibanica (layer cake). With such a culinary heritage, Slovenia needs the wine to match, and it certainly has it. Drink outstanding Rebulas and Refoscos from Brda and excellent variations on international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. View All Dates Nestled in the heart of Western Europe, between Italy, France, Germany, and Austria, Switzerland is a pristine land known for the majestically soaring Alps that dominate its terrain.

Cystal clear lakes, hillside forests, green pastures, and old cog railways dot the countryside, make Switzerland a truly charming place for a European bike tour. In addition to its incredible natural beauty, Switzerland is known for its remarkably high quality of life, most notably in its major cities like Zurich and Geneva. The cuisine is hearty and indulgent, including outstanding cheese like Emmental, Gruyère, and Appenzeller. And of course no visit to Switzerland would be complete without trying racclette, fondue, and a variety of Swiss chocolates. Enjoyed with a glass of excellent Swiss wine from the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Valais, and Vaud, any one of them makes for a fine Swiss meal. View All Dates A land of windmills and Tulips, the Netherlands is a quaint and quiet coastal nation along the North Sea. Holland is a nation with a rich cycling history and you're likely to spot countless Dutch going about their daily business on two wheels. Dotting the flat land are picturesque windmills, an intricate canal system, and endless rows of colorful tulips – this is, after all, the tulip capital of the world.

Dine on Gouda and Edam cheese, Dutch pancakes, apple cake, Stroopwafels, smoked sausages, and sauerkraut, all of which go perfectly with on of the local world-renowned beers.

Question: What sea lies between Italy and Croatia?
Answer: Adriatic Sea