Adriatic Sea

Adriatic Sea
Map of the Adriatic Sea
Location	Europe
Coordinates	43°N 15°E / 43°N 15°E / 43; 15Coordinates: 43°N 15°E / 43°N 15°E / 43; 15
Type	Sea
Primary inflows	Adige, Bojana, Drin, Krka, Neretva, Po, Soča
Primary outflows	Ionian Sea
Catchment area	235,000 km2 (91,000 sq mi)
Basin countries	Coastal: Albania, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina Non-coastal: Serbia,Macedonia, Kosovo, Switzerland and France (drainage basins for inflow rivers)
Max. length	800 km (500 mi)
Max. width	200 km (120 mi)
Surface area	138,600 km2 (53,500 sq mi)
Average depth	252.5 m (828 ft)
Max. depth	1,233 m (4,045 ft)
Water volume	35,000 km3 (2.8×1010 acre·ft)
Residence time	3.4±0.4 years
Salinity	38–39 PSU
Shore length1	3,739.1 km (2,323.4 mi)
Max. temperature	24 °C (75 °F)
Min. temperature	9 °C (48 °F)
Islands	Over 1300
Settlements	Bari, Venice, Trieste, Split, Pescara, Šibenik, Rimini, Rijeka, Durrës, Ancona, Zadar, Vlorë, Brindisi, Dubrovnik
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The Adriatic Sea /ˌeɪdriˈætᵻk/ is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula and the Apennine Mountains from the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the northwest and the Po Valley. The countries with coasts on the Adriatic are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia. The Adriatic contains over 1,300 islands, mostly located along its eastern, Croatian, coast. It is divided into three basins, the northern being the shallowest and the southern being the deepest, with a maximum depth of 1,233 metres (4,045 ft). The Otranto Sill, an underwater ridge, is located at the border between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The prevailing currents flow counterclockwise from the Strait of Otranto, along the eastern coast and back to the strait along the western (Italian) coast. Tidal movements in the Adriatic are slight, although larger amplitudes are known to occur occasionally. The Adriatic's salinity is lower than the Mediterranean's because the Adriatic collects a third of the fresh water flowing into the Mediterranean, acting as a dilution basin. The surface water temperatures generally range from 30 °C (86 °F) in summer to 12 °C (54 °F) in winter, significantly moderating the Adriatic Basin's climate.