The Mediterranean Sea is a body of water between Africa and Europe. It is connected with the Atlantic Ocean through the of Gibraltar, the Black Sea through the Bosporus and the Sea through the Suez Canal. The Mediterranean Sea is split into many parts through various bays, islands and . Thousands of years ago civilizations developed along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. It was also the world's trade route.

The sea has a of up to 4,000 meters. Currents and are not as strong as in the Atlantic Ocean. Rivers form deltas into the sea. The Mediterranean has a high concentration of because much water evaporates during the hot summer months.

The sea is what is left of a huge ocean called the Tethys. When the Eurasian and African started moving towards each other the body of water became smaller. During this process today's Alps developed. Earthquakes and volcanic around the Mediterranean coasts show that geologic movement is still continuing.

Countries around the Mediterranean coast face many problems. as their main source of income, has driven away many animals, for example sea , from their regions. Overfishing has caused many fish in the area to die out. of the sea has become widespread because of oil tankers leaking oil into the sea and rivers dumping waste into the Mediterranean. Recently, the countries of the Mediterranean have been working together to attempt to the region.