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The Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a body of water that is almost completely surrounded by land. It lies between three continents: Europe to the north, Asia to the east and Africa to the south. Africa. It stretches over 2,500 miles (4000 km) from Gibraltar to Israel. The Mediterranean is connected to the Atlantic through a 14 km wide strait, where Europe and Africa meet. The Suez Canal links it to the Red Sea and the Bosporus to the Black Sea. The Mediterranean region is often called the cradle of civilization because many early cultures and civilizations developed along its shores.
The Mediterranean Sea was formed through movements of the Earth’s plates. When the ancient landmass of Pangaea broke apart about 250 million years ago a huge ocean, the Tethys, evolved around its middle. This ocean extended to the north of today’s Alps and to the east as far as the Ural Mountains. When Africa and Europe started moving towards each other this ocean became smaller. The Mediterranean Sea is what is left of this large ancient ocean. Geologists think that the Mediterranean dried up several times in the last few million years because the Strait of Gibraltar closed and reopened, allowing water from the Atlantic to flow in. Today the whole Mediterranean region is still very active. Earthquakes hit the Balkans, Italy and Turkey regularly. The region’s volcanoes, for example Mt. Etna and Stromboli, are among the most active in Europe. Mount Vesuvius became known for its famous eruption in 79 A.D. which wiped out the Roman town of Pompeii. ClimateThe Mediterranean region has a special climate that can be found in other parts of the world, like South Africa or southeastern Australia. The summers are very hot and dry with almost no rain at all, while winters are mild and rainy. Water of the MediterraneanThe Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of 1 500 meters or over 5,000 feet. Because of its hot climate much water evaporates and the sea has a higher concentration of salt than other oceans, especially in the eastern part where the water temperature is also higher. EconomyThe Mediterranean attracts millions of tourists every year. About one third of global tourism takes place here. Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey rely on tourism for a large part of their yearly income. Although it is very dry during the summer months, farming plays an important role in the region. Olives, oranges and grapes are grown. The Mediterranean is the world’s most important wine-growing region. Apart from that farmers grow other crops, especially wheat and barley. A small part of the coastal population earns their money by fishing. Recently, natural gas and oil have been discovered in the Aegean Sea, causing a conflict between Greece and Turkey. HistoryAncient cultures in Greece, Egypt and Rome and Phoenicia developed along the shores of the Mediterranean region. The people of these civilizations not only traded with others but sailed over the calm seas to enlarge their territories through warfare. For hundreds of years the Mediterranean Sea was the main water route. Muslims controlled a large part of the Mediterranean throughout the early part of the Middle Ages. Some centuries later Venice and Florence became the world’s main trading centers. However , when Vasco da Gama sailed around Africa during the Age of Exploration the trade route across the Mediterranean to Asia became less important. This changed when the Suez Canal opened in 1869. The Europeans had a new trade route through the Red Sea to their colonies Asia. Environmental Problems in the Mediterranean RegionEnvironmental problems are a big challenge to the future of the Mediterranean region. Climate change and global warming could raise the sea level of the Mediterranean as much as 60 cm and, thus, flood parts of the Nile Delta or the city of Venice. Pollution has become widespread along the coasts of the Mediterranean as tourism dumps thousands of tons of sewage into the sea each year. Although many coastal areas and small islands of the Mediterranean depend on tourism as a main source of income it has also driven animal life away from the shores. Sea turtles are in danger of becoming extinct because tourists take away their nesting places. The Mediterranean is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Oil is carried through tankers from the Middle East to ports in Italy and France. Leaky tankers and washing containers at sea contribute to water pollution of the Mediterranean. Some ships carry heavy metals and other poisonous material. Overfishing has also become a problem in the Mediterranean region. Over 60% of all fish species are in danger of dying out. Recently, the countries surrounding the Mediterranean region have been moving closer together in an attempt to protect the region.
Words although = while ancient = old apart from = except attempt = try attract = pull towards something average = normal, standard barley = a plant that produces grain which is used for food and alcohol bay = a part of the sea that is enclosed by a curve of the land busy = here: a lot of traffic calm = quiet cause = lead to century = a hundred years challenge = problem coastal = near the sea coastline = where water meets land colony = country that not free but controlled by another country completely = wholly, all of it connect = link contribute = add to cover = to lie over cradle = here: the place where something begins crop = plant, like wheat, corn or rice that is grown by farmers and sold as food current = the movement of water in an ocean, lake or river delta = area of low land where a river spreads into many smaller rivers and flows into the ocean depth = how deep something is develop = grow discover = to find for the first time divide = separate dump = unload earthquake = a sudden shaking of the Earth’s surface that causes a lot of damage and kills people enlarge = expand, make larger eruption = the outbreak of a volcano especially = above all evaporate = water changes into gas evolve = grow extend = reach to extinct = die out flood = to cover with water flow = pour, rush global = worldwide heavy metal = metal that has a high density, like gold or lead; many of them are poisonous high tide = the time when the sea reaches its highest level however = but huge = very large income = money you get for something you do inlet = narrow area of water that reaches from the sea into the land leaky = with a hole in it so that oil or gas can pass through location = where something is low tide = the time when the sea reaches its lowest level main = most important movement = when something moves nesting place = here: where they come to lay their eggs peninsula = piece of land with water all around it connected to a large area of land plate = one of the many large sheets of rock that form the Earth’s surface poisonous = deadly pollution = the process of making air, water , soil etc.. dirty and unusable port = harbor ; where ships load and unload their goods recently = shortly, in the last few years regularly =all the time, often reopen = open again sea level = the average height of the sea several = many sewage = used water and the waste of the human body that is carried away from pipes in houses shore = coast source = where something comes from species = group of animals or plants that are similar and can have babies together strait = a narrow passage of water between two areas of land stretch = reach from one place to another surrounded = to be around something throughout = in all of thus = that is why tide = the regular rising and falling of the sea towards = in the direction of trade = to buy and sell things trade route = road, path or sea passage used to transport goods warfare = the activity of fighting a war (责任编辑：) |
