What is the maximum depth of the Aegean Sea?
The Aegean Sea reaches a maximum depth of 2,639 metres at a point west of the island of Karpathos. The sea covers approximately 215,000 square kilometres in total area.
Questions about Aegean Sea
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where does the word archipelago come from?
The word archipelago derives from the medieval name for the Aegean Sea. A Venetian-Greek treaty dated the 30th of June 1268 used the form Arcipelago to refer to the Aegean, and the term later became a generic word in many European languages for any island-studded stretch of water.
What ancient civilizations developed around the Aegean Sea?
Two Bronze Age civilizations arose in the Aegean region: the Minoan civilization on Crete, which flourished from around 3000 to 1450 BC and is considered the first advanced civilization in Europe, and the Mycenaean Greeks on the mainland, who lasted from approximately 1600 to 1100 BC. Both collapsed with the broader Bronze Age collapse in the eastern Mediterranean.
What happened at the Battle of Salamis in the Aegean Sea?
On the 20th of September 480 BC, the Athenian fleet won a decisive victory over the Persian fleet of Xerxes II at the Battle of Salamis, ending the Achaemenid Empire's attempts at westward expansion into Europe.
How long did the Ottoman Empire control the Aegean Sea?
The Ottoman Empire held a presence over the Aegean Sea for over 500 years, until its dissolution following World War I, when it was replaced by modern Turkey. The Ottomans controlled the entire Aegean coast with the exception of Crete, which remained a Venetian colony until 1669.
What is the Aegean dispute between Greece and Turkey?
The Aegean dispute refers to ongoing disagreements between Greece and Turkey over territorial waters, national airspace, exclusive economic zones, and flight information regions within the Aegean Sea. The dispute has significantly affected Greece-Turkey relations since the 1970s.