brief introduction
Mediterranean Satellite Map The western Mediterranean is connected with the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, and the eastern Mediterranean is connected with the Black Sea through the Turkish Strait (Da Daniil Strait and Bosporus Strait, Marmarahi). The western end communicates with the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, and the narrowest point is only 13km(8 miles). The waterway is shallow. The northeast is connected with the Black Sea through the Da Daniil Strait-Marmarahy-Bosporus Strait. The southeast is connected with the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, which was opened in19th century.
The Mediterranean coast is hot and dry in summer and warm and humid in winter, which is called the Mediterranean climate. Vegetation, with hard leaves, waxy leaves and deep roots, has the characteristics of drought tolerance to adapt to the dry and hot climate in summer and belongs to subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. It is the main subtropical fruit producing area in Europe, rich in citrus, figs and grapes, as well as woody oil crops olive.
The earliest Jews and ancient Greeks called it "sea" or "sea" for short. Because ancient people only knew that this sea was located between three continents, it was called "Mediterranean". The full name means "the sea in the middle of the land", and this name began to appear in ancient books in the 3rd century. In the 7th century AD, the Spanish writer Isir took the Mediterranean as a geographical name for the first time.
The geographical Mediterranean was once thought to be the remnant of the Tethys Sea that surrounded the old hemisphere. Its continental shelf is relatively shallow. The widest continental shelf is located in Gabes Bay on the east coast of Tunisia, with a length of 275km (170 miles). Most of the bottom of the Adriatic Sea is also a continental shelf. The Mediterranean sea floor is a sediment composed of lime, mud and sand, with blue mud below. The coast is generally steep and rocky, with deep serrations. The Dragon River, the Po River and the Nile River are just a few big deltas in the Mediterranean. The continuous injection of Atlantic surface water is the main supplementary source of Mediterranean sea water. The whole Mediterranean basin is active in structure and earthquakes often occur. It is one of the strongest earthquake zones in the world. Here, the underwater crust is broken, earthquakes and volcanoes are frequent, and the world-famous Vesuvius and Mount Etna are distributed in this area.
There is a ridge between Sicily and the African continent, which divides the Mediterranean into two parts. There are three main basins separated by seamounts in the western Mediterranean. From west to east: Alboran basin, Algeria basin and Kuanguang basin. The eastern Mediterranean is the Ionian Basin (Adriatic Sea in the northwest) and the Levant Basin (Aegean Sea in the northwest). The big islands in the Mediterranean are Mallorca, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Cyprus and Rhode Island. The three peninsulas in southern Europe and Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica divide the Mediterranean Sea into several small sea areas: Goulias Sea, tyrrhenian sea, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea and Aegean Sea.
The Mediterranean sea floor is undulating, with ridges and basins interlaced. It is divided into east and west parts, bounded by Apennine Peninsula, Sicily and Tunisia in Africa. The eastern Mediterranean is much larger than the western Mediterranean, with rugged seabed and different depths. The shallowest place is only tens of meters (such as the northern Adriatic Sea), and the deepest place can reach more than 4000 meters (such as the Ionian Sea).
Climate environment
Mediterranean scenery Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry heat and little rain in summer and warm and humid in winter, which makes the surrounding rivers abundant in winter and dry up in summer. Mediterranean Scenery The characteristics of the Mediterranean climate are: winter is controlled by westerlies, frontal cyclones are frequent, the climate is mild, the maximum Leng Yue temperature is between 4- 10℃, and precipitation is abundant. Summer is controlled by subtropical high, the airflow sinks, the climate is hot and dry, the clouds are sparse, and the sunshine is sufficient. The annual precipitation is 300- 1000mm, accounting for 60%-70% in winter and only 30%-40% in summer. The climate characteristics of rainy winter and dry summer are unique among various climate types in the world.
The Mediterranean climate distribution law is located on the west coast of the mainland between 30-40 degrees north and south latitude. Mediterranean climate is the only climate type that exists on all continents except Antarctica. Among the distribution areas of Mediterranean climate, the Mediterranean coast is the most obvious. Other areas such as California coast in North America, central Chile in South America, Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa and the southwest and southeast coasts of Australia. Most of its distribution areas are economically developed and are also hot spots in the world.
strategic position
the Mediterranean Sea
The traffic position is outstanding.
The Mediterranean plays an important role in transportation and strategy. It can reach the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, the Black Sea via the Turkish Strait in the northeast and the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in the southeast. It is an important waterway between Europe, Asia and Africa, and also an important channel to communicate between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The important coastal seaports are Gibraltar (Britain), Marseille (France), Genoa, Naples (Italy), Split, Rijeka (Croatia), Duras (Albania), Algiers (Algeria), Port Said (Egypt) and so on.
It is of great military significance.
The Mediterranean is the transportation hub of Europe, Asia and Africa, and a shortcut between the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, so it plays an extremely important role in economy, politics and military affairs. For a long time, the Mediterranean has become a place for great powers to compete. /kloc-At the beginning of the 8th century, Britain once regarded the Mediterranean as its "inner lake". /kloc-At the beginning of the 9th century, Napoleon ran across Europe, trying to seize British control of the Mediterranean. During the First World War, the Mediterranean became an active area for the navies of the warring parties. In World War II, the German and Italian navies fought fiercely with the British navy in the Mediterranean. Nowadays, western powers have launched increasingly fierce competition in the Mediterranean. Since World War II, the Sixth Fleet of the United States has been based in the Mediterranean Sea, and naval vessels of some western powers often cruise here, which has aggravated the tension. In order to protect national sovereignty and security, coastal countries put forward that "the Mediterranean is the Mediterranean of Mediterranean countries" and demanded that all the fleets and military bases of military powers withdraw from the Mediterranean.
Economic and trade ports
1869 The Suez Canal is navigable, and the southeast Mediterranean Sea is connected with the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, and then leaves the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea. Since then, the shortcut from Western Europe to the Indian Ocean has been shortened by more than 10000 kilometers through the Strait of Gibraltar-Mediterranean-Suez Canal-Red Sea, making the Mediterranean the busiest sea route in the world. At present, about 2000 ships sail in the Mediterranean every day. About 85% of the oil imported from western Europe is transported through the Mediterranean.
As an inland sea, the Mediterranean Sea is relatively calm. In addition, the coastal coastline is tortuous, there are many islands, and there are many natural harbors, which have become the traffic artery connecting the three continents. Such conditions have made the Mediterranean prosperous since ancient times. It also played an important role in the rise and development of ancient Egyptian civilization, Babylonian civilization and ancient Greek civilization, and became the cradle of ancient Egyptian civilization, ancient Greek civilization and Roman Empire. Now it is also one of the important places of maritime traffic in the world. Phoenicians, Cretes, Greeks, and later Portuguese and Spanish are all countries with developed maritime industry. Famous navigators such as Columbus, Da Gama, Magellan, etc. All people come from Mediterranean countries.
Main resources
Mediterranean Marine Resources The Mediterranean Sea is the main subtropical fruit producing area in Europe, which is rich in citrus, figs and grapes, as well as woody oil crops olive. Due to the lack of phosphate and nitrate necessary for marine life in seawater, the fish resources in the Mediterranean are not very rich. There is a small-scale fishery. The most important fish are hake, sole, sole, halibut, sardines, anchovies, bluefin tuna, silver carp and mackerel. It also produces shellfish, corals, sponges and seaweed. Excessive collection of marine animals and plants is still a serious problem.
Oil has been found off the coast of Spain, Sicily, Libya and Tunisia, and natural gas has been found in the Adriatic Sea. The local specialties are olives, oranges, grapes and cork. Tourism is an important source of income for many countries along the Mediterranean coast.
As the Mediterranean Sea is the largest continental sea, it is warm and rainy in winter, hot and dry, with high seawater temperature and strong evaporation, and the salinity of seawater is as high as 39‰, so salt making has become an important economic activity in coastal countries. Because the geographical environment around the Mediterranean is almost land, it has seriously hindered the circulation of seawater, and the mixing of oxygen and nutrients on which marine life depends has been seriously hindered, which has also become the main reason why the creatures in the Mediterranean are very scarce compared with other creatures near the mainland.
Important islands
Sardinia has a winding coastline and many islands along the Mediterranean coast. The big islands are Mallorca, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Cyprus and Rhode Island. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, followed by Sardinia, Cyprus, Corsica and Crete.
Cyprus
Cyprus is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean, located in southern Turkey. Phoenicians settled here at least in 800 BC, and were later occupied by Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Macedonian Greeks, Egyptians and Romans (58 BC). Byzantium ruled the region from 395 to 1 19 1 and was occupied by British Rechard Ⅰ during the Third Crusade. 1489 was annexed by Venice. 157 1 conquered by Turkey. Great Britain declared its sovereignty. 1960 Cyprus becomes independent. Nicosia is the capital and largest city with a population of 642,731. At present, there are two main groups living in Cyprus: Turks and Greeks.
Corsica i.
Corsica is 0/93km away from the coast. Located on the southeast coast of France, the island covers an area of 8,480 square kilometers and is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Islands, with about 550,000 residents. Between the lush mountains and the blue sea, Cossiga Island is an excellent holiday resort. Corsica, like several other islands, is full of turmoil. It was first colonized by Phoenicians, once occupied by Romans, then occupied by Pisa and Genoa, and 1769 became French territory. This state has been preserved to this day. This island not only produced Napoleon, a famous political figure, but also produced many navigators and mapmakers, including many Arabs.
Malta island, malta island.
Malta is also a small island that cannot be ignored. The whole territory consists of five islands, of which malta island is the largest, with an area of 3 16 square kilometers, which is located at the junction of the eastern and western Mediterranean. Malta, an island country in the middle of the Mediterranean, is called "the heart of the Mediterranean". Coastline length180km. It belongs to the subtropical Mediterranean climate. The annual average temperature is 2 1.3 degrees, the highest temperature is 40 degrees, and the lowest temperature is 5 degrees. The average annual precipitation is 560mm. The population of the island is mainly composed of Arabs, sicilian, Normans, Spaniards, Italians and British. The locals speak English and a Marta language with Semitic characteristics, and many people speak Italian. Everyone believes in Roman Catholicism. Historically, Malta was occupied by Phoenicians, then Greeks, then Carthaginians and finally Romans. Then Arabs, Normans, Turks, and finally Napoleon. /kloc-At the beginning of the 9th century, Britain expelled the French and became a British colony.
There are 19 coastal countries, which are divided into:
European countries: (from west to east) Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta (island), Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Greece.
Asian countries: (from north to south) Turkey, Syria, Cyprus (island), Lebanon, Israel and Palestinian self-government.
African countries with Mediterranean scenery: (from east to west) Egyptian, Libyan, Tunisia, Algerian, Moroccan.
Countries active near the Mediterranean:
Kingdom of Egypt
Hittite Empire Hittite Empire Hittite Empire is an ancient tribe living in northern Syria and Asia Minor from 2000 BC to 1200 BC.
the kingdom of israel
Kingdom of Judea: Ancient southern Palestine, including present-day southern Israel and southwestern Jordan. When Jesus was alive, he was a kingdom ruled by Herod and a part of the Syrian province of the Roman Empire.
Assyrian empire
Babylonian empire, Babylonian kingdom
Persian Empire Persian Empire
Macedonia & The Greek Empire Macedonia and the Greek Empire
Roman Empire Roman Empire
Byzantine Empire
Sassanian dynasty: A dynasty of Persia (A.D. 224-65 1 year) that was the last king of Persia before the Arab conquest. The Sassanian era was marked by wars against Romans, Armenians and Huns and the revival of Zoroastrianism.
Caliph (Islamic Empire)
During the Crusade of the Crusader Kingdom.
Saladin Empire Saladin Empire
The Mongol empire
Ottoman Turkish Empire
European colonialism during the period of European colonial rule
politics
Mediterranean Union
In July 2009, the Union for the Mediterranean, which was "nurtured" and "spawned" by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, was restarted in Paris in July after more than half a year's silence. At the request of France, representatives from 43 countries of the Union jointly reviewed the future development direction. Although France has high hopes for the smooth operation of the alliance, it may not be easy with the increasingly complicated situation in the Middle East. When the Mediterranean Union was restarted in Paris this time, France put forward a new concept, that is, only the cooperation plan should be followed. In other words, countries should discuss and formulate a number of development plans, and then countries will study how to cooperate and implement them, without involving political prejudice.
Create background
So far, Libya, one of the great powers around the Mediterranean, has not joined the Union for the Mediterranean, which also complicates the status of the Union. In addition, the United States, Russia and other countries have frequently carried out diplomatic and economic activities in North Africa oil-producing areas in recent years, making the international situation in this region more subtle. I am worried that the EU's intention to exert its regional influence through the Union for the Mediterranean is not overwhelming, or even necessary, to avoid being important. The primary goal of the Union for the Mediterranean is to establish a free trade area in 20 10.
Plague is an ancient disease, and its life span may be as long as that of mice. It was recorded in the text before 2000. The plague outbreak is no less harmful to mankind than the world war. There have been three plague pandemics in the world. The first one occurred in the 6th century A.D. and was introduced into Europe from the Mediterranean region, with a death toll of nearly 654.38 billion.
The second worldwide plague epidemic occurred in 1346- 135 1 year, which almost destroyed the whole of Europe. Yersinia pestis, carried by fleas parasitic on mice, spread to Sicily through Mediterranean ports in 1347 and spread all over the European continent in 1350. Throughout the14th century, the epidemic and plague recurred four times, causing 25 million deaths in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The "Missing Gate" plane continues to mysteriously disappear.
1may, 969 15 18, an albatross plane of the Spanish navy inexplicably plunged into the sea in the Mediterranean sea off arvo. There are eight crew members on board, and the flight altitude is very low. The pilot may try to land on the water, but he failed. Captain McKinley was lucky to be alive, but after being rescued, he couldn't tell the cause of the plane crash.
1July 29, 969, around 15: 50, another albatross plane of the Spanish navy mysteriously disappeared while performing an anti-submarine alert mission in the same sea area. Captain Boado's last call was "We are flying towards the huge sun", which is hard to decipher. The military used more than 10 aircraft and 4 surface ships to search in the vast sea area.
1975 July 1 1 day 10: 30, four "Saita" planes of the Spanish Air Force Academy are training in formation in this sea area. Suddenly, a flash of light flashed, and then four planes crashed into the sea together. The rescue team only found the bodies of five crew members.
According to statistics, from the end of World War II to 1969, there were1/air crashes here and 229 people were killed. When the plane passes through the sea area, the instruments and wireless communication on board will be disturbed strangely, and even the positioning system often fails, so it is impossible to know its position. The sea area was called "airplane graveyard" by pilots in horror.
Ships crashed one after another.
In the Mediterranean Sea of Toulon Bay, during the 25 years from 1964 to 1989, six submarines were missing, and during this period, there were 1 1 submarine accidents all over the world. Four of the six wrecked submarines are French, and there are many deep trenches on the seabed in Toulon. The task is to test the performance of the submersible. 1968 65438+1October 20th, the French submarine Minerva suddenly disappeared while testing there. The French military sent more than 30 naval vessels, reconnaissance planes and rescuers equipped with advanced sonar instruments to immediately search. At the request of the French government, the United States also sent a special ship "Haiyan" for assistance. At this time, Haiyan also searched the same sea area for the Israeli submarine Daccord, which disappeared two days ago. After careful search, no remains were found, and Minerva and Dallol disappeared from the earth forever.
War-Gods of the Deep
Mediterranean customs for thousands of years, ancient Greek fables, myths and epics have repeatedly mentioned that there was once an extremely powerful city on the Mediterranean-the "ancient city of France" in Egypt.
History was written by Herodotus, the "father of history" in western languages, and described in detail what he saw and heard during his visit to the "Old Town of France" in Egypt, such as heraklion Harbor and the spectacular "Hercules" temple in the city, which was a place of pilgrimage for many religions at that time. But this civilized city mysteriously disappeared more than 2400 years ago. What is even more surprising is that there is no written record about this city in the official history of ancient Egypt. It was not until 1870 that German archaeologist Heinrich Sheriman excavated the ancient city of Troy according to the description in Homer's epic that people believed that Homer's epic was not a myth. But where is the lost "Old Town of France"?
1988, an expert group composed of world-renowned archaeologists borrowed high technology including electromagnetic waves and discovered the possible location of the "ancient French city" under the seabed 30 meters deep off the coast of Alexandria in northern Egypt. Archaeologists found the black Sphinx and the statue of Isis in the sea. It is speculated that it may be the father of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII and Queen Cleopatra.
In June 2000, when archaeologists in diving suits finally dived into the sea floor, they finally found the ruins of the palace in the city. Judging from the cultural relics, the city was built in the 7th century BC ~ 6th century BC. Archaeologists also found that these houses tilted in the same direction. It is expected that the earthquake may cause the city to sink to the bottom of the sea quickly because it is located in the Mediterranean-Himalayan earthquake zone.
On June 3, 2000, the news that "the ancient city of France" was discovered spread all over the world by radio waves. Ali Jalaba, an Egyptian archaeological authority, said excitedly: "(This) is the greatest discovery in the history of marine archaeology. Ancient Egypt mysteriously went from underground to the ocean, which is really rich. " Archaeologists will work with relevant experts to make a final appraisal of the old town of France and the black Sphinx and Isis statues salvaged ashore. Finally, it is confirmed that the "Old Town of France" and the underwater palace are Cleopatra's father's palaces.
The mysterious Mediterranean and its surrounding ancient civilizations are mysterious, but with the development and progress of science and technology, people will one day be able to uncover their mystery and find out their true colors.
Diet and diet
The so-called Mediterranean diet refers to eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, beans, cereals and unsaturated fatty acids); Such as olive oil; Eat a small amount of dairy products, meat, chickens and ducks; Eat more fish "in moderation"; Drink some wine with dinner.
Mediterranean Cuisine Columbia University's research team has also published reports in the past, pointing out that this eating habit can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Scarmis of Columbia University Medical Center said in the latest issue of Neurology that the more strictly people with Alzheimer's Harmo's disease follow the Mediterranean diet, the longer their life expectancy will be. Earlier, other studies in Britain also found that Mediterranean food can help patients with rheumatoid arthritis improve their symptoms.
artistic style
There are many countries around the Mediterranean with different folk customs, but the unique climate characteristics still make the Mediterranean customs of all countries show some consistent characteristics.
Usually, the "Mediterranean style" residence will adopt several design elements: white gypsum walls, continuous arcades and arches, tiles, sea blue tiles and doors and windows.
Of course, design elements cannot be simply pieced together, and there must be a style soul running through them. At present, the most consistent view of the Mediterranean-style soul is "blue romantic feelings, pure beauty and nature of the sea and sky, and the sun is shining."
The magical Crete civilization
the Mediterranean Sea
1. Overview
Crete is one of the cradles of Mediterranean civilization. Neolithic cultural sites from 10000 BC to 3300 BC were unearthed here. From about 2600 BC to 65438 BC +0 125 years, the famous Minoan culture appeared on the island, which flourished unprecedentedly in art, architecture and engineering technology, and established a unified Minoan dynasty. At this time, the earliest writing in Europe appeared in Crete, which was originally a graphic. Later, the font was gradually simplified into a linear character and evolved into a syllable symbol, which was called a linear character A and has not been interpreted so far.
Crete is densely forested, and the eastern plain is suitable for farming. Agriculture mainly grows cereals, olives and grapes, with grain as an exception. Olive oil and wine unearthed in Portugal are also the bulk of production. The palace has specially set up a storage room to store oil and wine in giant urns. The warehouses are often connected in rows and there are hundreds of urns, which shows the importance of oil and wine in agricultural production and daily life. The main achievements of Crete's economic development include industry and commerce and maritime trade. Its handmade products are famous for their exquisite appearance, and the daily necessities and handicrafts made of bronze and gold and silver are quite exquisite. Pottery is particularly prominent. There is a kind of painted pottery called Kamalesi, which was produced in the ancient court period. It is beautiful, lovely and elegant, and it is recognized as the most exquisite painted pottery in the ancient world. Its shipbuilding industry is also very developed, and merchant ships travel between the Mediterranean. The cities and palaces in Crete are not equipped with thick walls and high barriers, which is completely different from other ancient civilizations' emphasis on Yugoslav defense buildings. Crete has extensive trade with all parts of the Mediterranean, especially Egypt, for its agricultural and industrial products. From the very beginning, Crete took the palace as the political center, and the royal power was strong, which was one of the biggest differences between Crete and the Greek city-state system that pursued politics later.
Later, the Minoan dynasty of Knossos ruled not only Crete, but also cyclades and many colonies in the Aegean Sea and Asia Minor, and its influence spread to Miletus in Asia Minor, Mycenae in Greece, Athens and Thebes, and some places in Italy. In addition, the relationship between Crete and Egypt is closer, and friendly relations may have been established, and business exchanges are more frequent. The development of overseas commerce and the strength of the navy made the Minoan dynasty establish maritime hegemony, which was later passed down as a beautiful talk by the Greeks.
2. Civilized construction site
At the beginning of the 20th century, the ruins of Knossos Palace were excavated in the northern part of the island, which was large in scale and vaguely consistent with the legendary maze, representing the achievements of Crete civilization. This palace is the greatest creation of Crete civilization. It is not only the political, religious and cultural center of Minoan dynasty, but also the economic center, because there are many warehouses, workshops, offices for storing economic files and tax collection agencies in the palace. During the new palace period, the last palace was a group of multi-storey buildings around the central courtyard, covering an area of 22,000 square meters. The total number of halls and rooms in the palace exceeds 65,438+0,500. The floors are closely connected, the stairs and corridors are tortuous and complicated, the halls are scattered, the patios are numerous, and the layout is asymmetric, which is difficult for outsiders to find. Therefore, it is called "maze" in ancient Greek myths and legends. It is built on the mountain, with a rectangular courtyard in the center, surrounded by the king's palace, the queen's bedroom, the religious double axe palace, storage room and warehouse. There are cloisters, hallways, many roads and stairs between buildings, and there are thousands of households with twists and turns. It's called a maze. Every palace and promenade is painted with magnificent murals, especially the king and lily. There is a theater in the northwest corner outside the palace, and there are royal villas and mausoleum sites nearby. There are many other historical sites in Crete, which add infinite charm to the island.
Now the ruins of the palace have been completely excavated and partially restored, and its buildings are generally rectangular. According to the general practice of Minos Palace, there is no fence around the palace. The whole palace is built on a hill with a rectangular central courtyard (60 meters long and 30 meters wide) as the center. The terrain is high in the west and low in the east. So there are two or three floors in the west and four or five floors in the east. You can see the palace from the east foot, but the floors are towering and the doors and windows are staggered. The buildings in the west of the courtyard are mainly used for office meetings, sacrifices and property counting, while the buildings in the east are bedrooms, living rooms, schools and workshops. Every floor is connected by stairs everywhere, especially the central staircase in the east of the courtyard, which is the most magnificent. It has a daylighting patio, colonnades on three sides, a wide staircase and colorful paintings, which is called the most outstanding memorial of palace architecture. The double axe hall next to it is divided into two rooms, inside and outside, separated by folding doors, which are warm in winter and cool in summer, showing the dexterity of Minos architecture. The queen's bedroom next to the hall is a typical luxury residence in Minos. The inner wall is painted with murals of dolphins playing in the water, which is beautiful and generous. There is a bathroom and a toilet in the adjacent room. This kind of sanitary equipment was unique in ancient times. Similar to the height of architecture, the murals in various parts of the palace are also excellent works of ancient art, which shows that Crete civilization pays attention to dexterity and elegance, which is different from the majesty and massiness of eastern countries.
The natural scenery and cultural landscape of the Mediterranean, an internationally famous tourist resort, are spectacular, and the conditions for tourism development are superior.