THE MEDITERRANEN

The SEA and The REGION

As a word
The term Mediterranean comes from the Latin
word mediterraneus,
It means "in the middle of earth" (medius,
"middle" + terra, "land, earth").
Geography

The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the

Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar and
to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea by
the Dardanelles and the Bosporus .
The Sea of Marmara is often considered a part
of the Mediterranean Sea, whereas the Black
Sea is generally not.
The long man-made Suez Canal in the
southeast connects the Mediterranean Sea to
the Red Sea.

Mediterranean Basin

The Mediterranean Basin comprises the

lands around and surrounded by the
Mediterranean Sea.
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin
refers to the lands around the Mediterranean
Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with
mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
The Mediterranean basin covers portions of
three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

How can we define
Mediterranean?
There may be different definitions based on:


Geology
Ecology
Archeology
History
Anthropology
Economics
Politics
Etc.
Mediterranean
Experience
The proper definition should include many of

the factors because the Mediterranean is a

climate, landscape, culture and a way of life.

So, it can be based on “experience”, namely

“Mediterranean experience.

****
 Not only regions around the Mediterranean Sea, but also

regions feel Mediterranean atmosphere and live the

Mediterranean experince should be recognized as

Mediterranean.

 By saying atmosphere, I mean climate, culture, trade

connections etc.

 For example, a piece of region with no border to

Mediterranean Sea, can feel Mediteranean atmosphere by

the way of port connections.

Mediterranean Identity
Mediterranean is more homogenous regional unit

than many other regions like Europe, Africa or

Middle East.

In the Mediterranean basin, there is a close

relationship between geography, physical

environment and culture and history.

Mediterraneanism
Houston (1964, pp. 2-7) explains six major
interlocking themes to characterize the
traditional Mediterranean scene.
1.Climate: Mild, rainy winters and hot, dry
summers
2.The Sea itself
3.The land itself
4.Vegetation: All the plants or plant life of a place
5.Long tradition of urban life
6.Society’s perception and evaluation of
resources.
Religion as a way of
perception
The last point is especially important in the
developments of civilizations.
For example, religion became an important
factor in the use of sources and environment.
Cities populated by Muslims differentiated from
cities of Christians or Jews although they were
almost at the same geographical region.
Islamic cities developed on the basis of privacy
while Cities of Christians developed on the
basis of local autonomy and pride.

Between two worlds
First and important civilizations emerged around
the Mediterranean Sea.
As a Sea, it had a major influence on the history
and lifestyle.
It provided a way of trade, colonization and war,
and the basis of life (via fishing and the gathering
of other seafood) for numerous communities
throughout the ages.
The shared climate, geology and access to a
common sea led to numerous historical and
cultural connections between the ancient and
modern societies around the Mediterranean.

Unity and Diversity
The Mediterranean basin has many shared
points like climate, ecology, and cultural
traditions.
Even it is possible to talk about a
“Mediterranean economy”.
As a region, it is a strategic location between
major producers and consumers.
Today, almost all Mediterranean countries are
oriented towards Europe.
European countries are admired as role models
for democracy, development, mass media
and entertainment. Like Turkey.
But diversity
There are different political regimes in the
region.
There are different religions and cultures.
The Mediterranean countries have different
economic growth.
In the same region, there are both the First and
the Third Worlds.
So it is not easy task to define the
Mediterranean region with so many shares
and diversities.
Still, it has a peculiar character as different
from other regions.

Mediterranean
Connects different cultures, religions,
economies and geographies.
There are many trade and cooperation
agreements between different countries even
between conflicting countries.
At the same time, it is a confrontation zone for
different regimes or countries like Israel-
Palestine or European Union and Syria.
Still, there is a Mediterranean Identity.
