The Mediterranean Sea separates Europe from Africa and connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Mediterranean is a nearly enclosed sea bordered by southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. Its name comes from Latin words meaning “in the middle of the Earth.” The Strait of Gibraltar, between Spain and Morocco, forms its narrow western entrance to the Atlantic Ocean. The sea connects eastward through artificial waterways to other waters, including the Suez Canal’s route to the Red Sea.
The Mediterranean contains several regional seas, including the Adriatic, Aegean, Ionian, Tyrrhenian and Levantine seas. Its shores supported major civilizations such as ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Phoenicia. Trade, migration and naval power across the Mediterranean have influenced European, African and Asian history for thousands of years.
The Mediterranean’s high evaporation and limited exchange with the Atlantic make it saltier than the nearby Atlantic. It is not the same body of water as the Black Sea, although the two connect through the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara and Dardanelles.