Aegean Sea | |
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Map of the Aegean Sea
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Location | Europe |
Coordinates | 39°N 25°E / 39°N 25°E |
Type | Sea |
Primary outflows | Mediterranean sea |
Basin countries | Greece, Turkey |
Max. length | 700 km (430 mi) |
Max. width | 400 km (250 mi) |
Surface area | 214,000 km2 (83,000 sq mi) |
The Aegean Sea (/ᵻˈdʒiːən/; Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος [eˈʝeo ˈpelaɣos]; Turkish: Ege Denizi Turkish pronunciation: [eɟe denizi]) is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the Greek and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosphorus. The Aegean Islands are within the sea and some bound it on its southern periphery, including Crete and Rhodes.
The sea was traditionally known as the Archipelago (in Greek, Αρχιπέλαγος, meaning "chief sea"), but in English the meaning of Archipelago has changed to refer to the Aegean Islands and, generally, to any island group.
In ancient times, there were various explanations for the name Aegean. It was said to have been named after the Greek town of Aegae, or after Aegea, a queen of the Amazons who died in the sea, or Aigaion, the "sea goat", another name of Briareus, one of the archaic Hecatonchires, or, especially among the Athenians, Aegeus, the father of Theseus, who drowned himself in the sea when he thought his son had died.