
The Ionian Sea ( el|Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it|Mar Ionio ; al|Deti Jon ) is an elongated
bay of the
Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the
Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by
Southern Italy, including
Calabria,
Sicily, and the
Salento peninsula to the west, southern
Albania (and western
Apulia, Italy) to the north, and the west coast of
Greece, including the
Peloponnese.
All major islands in the sea, which are located in the east of the sea, belong to
Greece. They are collectively named the
Ionian Islands, the main ones being
Corfu,
Kefalonia,
Zakynthos,
Lefkada, and
Ithaca.
There are
ferry routes between
Patras and
Igoumenitsa, Greece, and
Brindisi and
Ancona, Italy, that cross the east and north of the Ionian Sea, and from
Piraeus westward.
Calypso Deep, the deepest point in the Mediterranean at , is in the Ionian Sea, at . The sea is one of the most
seismically active areas in the world.
Etymology
The name ''Ionian'' comes from the Greek language . Its etymology is unknown. Ancient Greek writers, especially
Aeschylus, linked it to the myth of
Io. In
ancient Greek the adjective ''Ionios'' () was used as an
epithet for the sea because Io swam across it.
According to the ''
Oxford Classical Dictionary'', the name may derive from
Ionians who sailed to the West.
There were also narratives about other
eponymic legendary figures;
according to one version, ''Ionius'' was a son of ''Adrias'' (eponymic for the
Adriatic Sea); according to another, ''Ionius'' was a son of ''
Dyrrhachus''.
When Dyrrhachus was attacked by his own brothers,
Heracles, who was passing through the area, came to his aid, but in the fight the hero killed his ally's son by mistake. The body was cast into the water, and thereafter was called the Ionian Sea.
Geography
Extent
The
International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Ionian Sea as follows:
::''On the North.'' A line running from the mouth of the
Butrinto River (39°44'N) in
Albania, to Cape Karagol in
Corfu (39°45'N), along the North Coast of Corfu to Cape Kephali (39°45'N) and from thence to
Cape Santa Maria di Leuca in Italy.
::''On the East.'' From the mouth of the Butrinto River in Albania down the coast of the mainland to
Cape Matapan.
::''On the South.'' A line from Cape Matapan to
Cape Passero, the Southern point of
Sicily.
::''On the West.'' The East coast of Sicily and the Southeast coast of Italy to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca.
Places
thumb|230px|The Ionian Sea, view from the island Lefkada, Greece
From south to north in the west, then north to south in the east:
*
Syracuse, port, W
*
Catania, port, W
*
Messina, port, W
*
Taranto, port N
*
Himara, small port, NE
*
Saranda, port and a beach, NE
*
Kerkyra, port, E
*
Igoumenitsa, port, E
*
Parga, small port, E
*
Preveza, port, E
*
Astakos, port, E
*
Argostoli, port, E
*
Patra, port, E
*
Kyparissia, port, E
*
Pylos, port, E
*
Methoni, small port and a beach
*
Ionian Islands
Gulfs and straits
*
Strait of Messina, W
*
Gulf of Catania, W
*
Gulf of Augusta, W
*
Gulf of Taranto, NW
*
Gulf of Squillace, NW
*
Ambracian Gulf, E
*
Gulf of Patras, connecting the
Gulf of Corinth, ESE
*
Gulf of Kyparissia, SE
*
Messenian Gulf, SE
*
Laconian Gulf, ESE
Islands
*
Corfu
*
Kefalonia
*
Ithaca
*
Zakynthos
*
Lefkada
*
Paxi
*
Kythira
Islets
*
Antikythera
*
Antipaxi
*
Arkoudi
*
Atokos
*
Kalamos
*
Kastos
*
Ksamil Islands
* Kravia
* Kythros
*
Lazareto (Ithaca)
*
Lazaretto (Corfu)
*
Meganisi
*
Navtilos
*
Pontikonisi
*
Proti
*
Sphacteria
*
Skorpios
* Sparti (Lefkada)
*
Strofades
*
Vido
History
The Sea was the location of the famous
naval battle between
Octavian and
Marc Antony known as
The Battle of Actium, a war fought in 31 BC.
[https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Actium-ancient-Roman-history]
See also
*
Calypso Deep
References
External links
The Ionian-Puglia Network of Ground Meteorological Stations (real-time weather observations)
{{Authority control
Category:Seas of Italy
Category:Seas of Greece
Category:Seas of Albania
Category:Albania–Greece border
Category:Marginal seas of the Mediterranean
Category:European seas
Category:Landforms of Corfu (regional unit)
Category:Landforms of the Ionian Islands (region)
Category:Landforms of Thesprotia
Category:Landforms of Epirus (region)
Category:Landforms of Preveza (regional unit)
Category:Landforms of Aetolia-Acarnania
Category:Landforms of Western Greece
Category:Landforms of Cephalonia
Category:Landforms of Achaea
Category:Landforms of Messenia
Category:Landforms of Peloponnese (region)