Aegean Sea

The Aegean Sea (also called the Aegean; Turkish: Ege Denizi) is part of the Mediterranean Sea located to the east of Europe. It lies between the eastern coast of Greece and the western coast of Turkey, with the island of Crete forming its southern boundary.

The sea contains a great many islands, most of which belong to Greece. It connects to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea by way of the Dardanelles Strait, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmara. To the south it borders the Mediterranean.

Geography

The Aegean Sea has a highly irregular coastline and many inlets. Its depth varies from place to place, with southern areas generally deeper than northern ones. The islands are grouped into clusters, such as the Cyclades, Dodecanese, Sporades, and the islands off the eastern coast (Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, and others). The climate is Mediterranean: hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

History

The coasts and islands of the Aegean Sea were sites of early cultural development, including the Minoan civilization of Crete and the Mycenaean civilization of mainland Greece. Later, the early Greek city-states used the sea extensively for commerce and colonial expansion. Subsequently it came under the rule of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and later the Ottoman Empire.

Economy and administration

Today the sea is an important shipping route used by commercial vessels. It contains significant fish stocks and tourism, particularly around the Greek islands. Maritime boundaries and continental shelf rights in parts of the region are matters of ongoing discussion between Greece and Turkey, and have at times been sources of political dispute.