Ionian Sea

Template:Short description Template:Infobox sea

The Ionian Sea, view from the island Kefalonia, Greece

The Ionian Sea, as seen from Corfu Island, Greece, and with Sarandë, Albania in the background

The Ionian Sea (Template:Langx, Template:IPA;Template:Efn Template:Langx or Template:Lang, Template:IPA;Template:Efn Template:Langx, Template:IPA) 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 Basilicata, 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 Template:Convert, is in the Ionian Sea, at Template:Coord.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The sea is one of the most seismically active areas in the world.

Etymology

The name Ionian comes from the Greek word Template:Lang. Its etymology is unknown.<ref>Babiniotis, Lexiko tis Neoellinikis Glossas.</ref> Ancient Greek writers, especially Aeschylus, linked it to the myth of Io. In ancient Greek the adjective Ionios (Template:Lang) was used as an epithet for the sea because Io swam across it.<ref name="Pigoń2008">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Liddel & Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon Ἰόνιος.</ref><ref name="Freely2008">Template:Cite book</ref> According to the Oxford Classical Dictionary, the name may derive from Ionians who sailed to the West,<ref name="Keahey2014">Template:Cite book</ref> however the word for Ionians is spelled with an omega ( Ἴωνες) rather than an omicron as in the word for the Ionian Sea. There were also narratives about other eponymic legendary figures;<ref name="Anthon1869">Template:Cite book</ref> according to one version, Ionius was a son of Adrias (eponymic for the Adriatic Sea); according to another, Ionius was a son of Dyrrhachus.<ref name="Tsetskhladze2008">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="Tsetskhladze2008"/> Cham Albanians used to call the Ionian sea "The Lady's Domain".<ref>Fatos Mero Rrapaj (1995). Fjalori Onomastik i Epirit. Eurorilindja. fq. 145, 312, 399. "Fushën e Zonjës, siç e quan populli çam"</ref>

Geography

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Ionian Sea as follows:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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

File:Gjipe beach, Albania.JPG

Gjipe in the south of Albania where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea

File:Ionian sea islands, pic1.JPG

The Ionian Sea, view from the island Lefkada, Greece

File:CapeDrastisCorfuJuly122022 02.jpg

Cape Drastis and the Ionian Sea, Corfu Island

From south to north in the west, then north to south in the east:

Syracuse, port, W
Augusta, 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
Koroni smal port
Kalamata,port, E
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

Islets

History

Template:Main The sea is famous for the seafaring adventures of the Ancient Greek hero Odysseus, who was from the island of Ithaca.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Ionian Sea was regularly crossed since at least the 8th century BC, by ancient Greek colonizers who were establishing colonies in Italy.<ref name="museum of cycladic art">Template:Cite web</ref>

During the Roman period, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A number of major naval engagements would be fought over the sea and its islands throughout the modern era, culminating in its control by the modern state of Greece.