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Mediterranean Sea

Borders of the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is the body of water that separates Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow passage called the Strait of Gibraltar. The sea is almost completely surrounded by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Middle East. It covers around 2.5 million square kilometres (0.97 million square miles). Its name was invented in the early Middle Ages from the Latin words Mare Mediterraneum ("in the middle of the land").