Atlantic Ocean - Adriatic sea

The Adriatic is the sea separating the Apennine peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges.

The western coast is Italian, while the eastern coast runs along Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania.

The Adriatic Sea is situated largely between the eastern coast of Italy and Croatia, both major tourist attractions. It was used by the ancient Romans to transport objects (including animals and slaves) to Ostia (the Roman port).

Moreover, the chain of islands which fringes the northern part of the eastern shore reduces the extreme breadth of open sea in this part to 145 km (90 miles). Its total surface area is about 60,000 square miles (160,000 km²).

The northern part of the sea is very shallow, and between the southern promontories of Istria and Rimini the depth rarely exceeds 46 metres (25 fathoms). Between Sibenik and Ortona a well-marked depression occurs, a considerable area of which exceeds 180 metres (100 fathoms) in depth.

The deepest part of the sea lies east of Monte Gargano, south of Dubrovnik, and west of Durres where a large basin gives depths of 900 metres (500 fathoms) and upwards, and a small area in the south of this basin falls below 1,460 metres (800 fathoms). The mean depth of the sea is estimated at 240 metres (133 fathoms).

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, which separates the Gulfs of Venice and Gulf of Trieste from the Bay of Kvarner, the island-fringe of the east coast extends as far south as Dubrovnik. The bora (northeast wind), and the prevalence of sudden squalls from this quarter or the southeast, are dangers to navigation in winter.

Also notable are sirocco (southern wind) which brings rain in the winter and maestral (western wind) which brings clear weather in the summer. Tidal movement is slight. The amphidromic point is just off the northwestern shore, near Ancona. Both coasts are popular tourist destinations and many consider this sea the most beautiful in the world.

Other Mediterranean Seas:

Adriatic Sea | Aegean Sea | Alboran Sea | Balearic Sea | Ionian Sea | Ligurian Sea | Sea Of Marmara | Tyrrhenian Sea | Gulf Of Sidra