The Ionian Sea.

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

The Ionian Sea (Greek Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, Albanian Deti Jon (meaning "Our sea"), Italian Mare Ionio) is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy, including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula, to the west, by southwestern Albania and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and Lefkas to the east. The islands are collectively referred to as the Ionian Islands, and other islands including the Strophades, Sphagia, Schiza, Sapientza and Kythira. The sea is one of the most seismic areas in the world. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x680, 197 KB) A map showing the location of the Ionian Sea. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x680, 197 KB) A map showing the location of the Ionian Sea. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1030 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ionian Sea User:Bastique/Wikimedia Mosiac Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1030 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ionian Sea User:Bastique/Wikimedia Mosiac Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea. ... Cliffside dwellings in Tropea. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... Salento Salento (Salentu in dialect) is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. ... This is a list of some of the 3000 islands of Greece: Chrysi Crete Dia Euboea Gavdos Koufonisi Ydra The Cyclades Amorgos Anafi Andros Antiparos Anydro Delos Donoussa Folegandros Gyaros Ios Irakleia Kea Keros Kimolos Kithnos Makronisos Milos Mykonos (Mikonos) Naxos Paros Pholegandros Santorini (also called Thira) Serifos Sifnos Sikinos... Pontikonisi island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ... Zakýnthos (Ζάκυνθος, also known as Zante), the third largest of the Ionian Islands, covers an area of 410 square kilometers and its coastline is roughly 123 kilometers in length. ... Kefallinia, also known as Kefalonia or Cefalonia (Ancient Greek: Κεφαλλήνια Modern Greek: Κεφαλλονιά), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece. ... Ithaca, see Ithaca (disambiguation). ... Lefkada, or Lefkas (Greek: Modern: Λευκάδα, Ancient/Katharevousa: -as) is an Greek island in the Ionian Sea, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. ... The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: Ionioi Nisoi, Ιόνιοι Νήσοι; Ancient Greek: Ionioi Nesoi, Ιόνιοι Νήσοι) are a group of islands in Greece. ... Strofades (in Greek Strofadhes; in Latin Strophades; also Stamphane Islands; Strivali) is a small group of Greek islands in the Ionian Islands. ... Sphagia is the modern name of the island known in ancient times as Sphacteria. ... Schiza is a Greek island off the southern coast of the Peloponnese. ... Sapientza is a Greek island off the southern coast of the Peloponnese. ... Kythira (Îœodern Hellenic: Κύθηρα), also known as Cerigo (Τσιρίγο), also spelt: Kithira, Kythera, Cythera, Cerigo or Tsirigo, is an hellenic island, historically part of the Ionian Islands. ...

There are ferry routes between Patras, Greece and Brindisi and Ancona, Italy, that cross over the east and north of the Ionian Sea, and shipping routes from Piraeus westward cross as well. The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, circa 1945. ... Patras (Demotic Greek: Πάτρα, Pátra, Classical Greek: Πάτραι, Pátrai, Latin: , Ottoman Turkish: Ballıbadra) is the third-largest city of Greece and the capital of the prefecture of Achaea, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers to the west of Athens. ... Brindisi is an ancient city in the Italian region of Puglia, the capital of the province of Brindisi. ... Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche, a region of central Italy, population 101,909 (2005). ... It has been suggested that Kaminia (Piraeus), Greece be merged into this article or section. ...

[edit] Origin and myth of the eponym of the Ionian Sea

The eponym of the Ionian Sea (whose name was more often, particularly by Aeschylus, attributed to Io's voyage; previously the Ionian Gulf was thought to have been called the sea of Cronus and Rhea). Ionius was the son of King Adrias of Illyria who gave his name to the Adriatic. This article is about the ancient Greek playwright. ... Jupiter and Io, Renaissance masterwork by Antonio da Correggio. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Rhea (or Ria meaning she who flows) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus and of Gaia. ...

Ionius was also said to have been a son of Dyrrhachus of the town of Dyrrhachium (ancient Epidamnos) (modern Durrës). When Dyrrhachus was attacked by his own brothers, Heracles, who was passing through the country, came to his aid, but in the fight the hero killed his ally's son by mistake. The corpse was cast into the sea, which thereafter was called the Ionian Sea. View of Durrës Durrës (Greek: Δυρράχιον dyrakhion, Επίδαμνος epidamnos, Latin: Dyrrhachium, Italian: Durazzo, Turkish: Dıraç, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian: Драч) is the most ancient and one of the most economically important cities of Albania. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) For other uses, see Heracles (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Places

In order from south to north in the west and then north to south in the east:

• Syracuse, port, W
• Catania, port, W
• Saranda, port and a beach, NE
• Parga, small port
• Preveza,port, E
• Astakos
• Fiskardo, small port
• Keri, no port
• Methoni, small port and a beach

Map of central Mediterranean Sea, showing location of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. ... The Roman Odeon. ... Categories: Albania geography stubs | Cities in Albania ... Parga (Greek: Πάργα), is a town and a municipality located in the northwestern part of Preveza in northwestern Greece being surrounded entirely by the prefecture of Thesprotia and is the only municipality in Greece that is surrounded by another prefecture. ... Preveza is a town in north-western Greece. ... Astakos was an ancient city near modern-day Izmit, Turkey, see Astakos (ancient city) and another Astakos had a son named Melanippus Astakos (Greek: Αστακός), Latin: Astacos or Astacus is a community and a municipality located in the eastern part of the Ionian Sea... A view of Fiskardo Fiskardo (Greek, Modern: Φισκάρδο, Ancient/Katharevousa: -on), rarely Fiscardo, is a village located about 54 km N of Argostoli in Erissos in the northernmost part of the island of Kefalonia. ... Keri (Greek: Κερί) is a settlement in the Zakynthos prefecture of Greece. ... Methoni (Greek Μεθώνη) is a town on the southwestern coast of the prefecture of Messinia, Greece. ...

[edit] Gulfs and straits

• Strait of Messina, W
• Gulf of Taranto, NW
• Ambracian Gulf, E
• Gulf of Patras, connecting the Gulf of Corinth, ESE
• Cyparissian Gulf, SE
• Messenian Gulf, SE
• Laconian Gulf, ESE

Satellite photo of the Strait of Messina with names. ... The Gulf of Taranto (Italian: Golfo di Taranto, Latin: Sinus Tarentinus) is a gulf of the Ionian sea, in southern Italy. ... The Ambracian Gulf, as seen from the Space Shuttle in November 1994. ... Gulf of Patras from space, March 1994 The Gulf of Patras (Greek: Πατραϊκός Κόλπος Patraikós Kólpos) is a branch of the Ionian Sea. ... The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. ... The Messenian Gulf (Greek: Μεσσηνιακος Κόλπος Messiniakos Kolpos) is a sea that is part of the Ionian Sea. ...

[edit] Tributaries

In order from north to south

• • Pineios River (Peloponnese)
  • Ambracian Gulf
    • Acherontas River
  • Gulf of Patras/Strait of Rio-Antirrio Watershed
    • Acheloos River
    • Glaucos/Glavkos River - Panachaicus mountains to south of Patras
    • Louros River, north
  • Cyparissian Gulf
    • Alfeios River
      • Kladeos or Cladeus River
      • Erymanthus River
        • Ladon River
        • Ladon Lake
    • Loussios River
    • Larissos River - Nea Manolada
    • Neda River - Elia-Messenia boundary/border

Coordinates: 38°06′04″N, 18°17′41″E The Pineiós (Greek: Πηνειός, also Pineus) is a river in Peloponnese, Greece. ... The Ambracian Gulf, as seen from the Space Shuttle in November 1994. ... In Greek mythology, Achelous (Greek: Αχελώος), was the patron deity of the river by the same name, which is the largest river of Greece, and thus the chief of all river deities, every river having its own river spirit. ... The Panachaicus (Greek, Modern: Παναχαϊκό, Ancient/Katharevousa: -on, commonly Panachaïkos or Panachaiko and Panahaiko, Voidia or Vodia in medieval, post-medieval and until the beginning of the 20th century. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Alfeiós (Greek: Αλφειός, also Alfiós) is a river in Peloponnese, Greece. ... Kladeos (Greek: Κλάδεος) or Kladeus, Latin: Cladeus or Cladeos was a river god in Greek mythology. ... Kladeos (Greek: Κλάδεος) or Kladeus, Latin: Cladeus or Cladeos was a river god in Greek mythology. ... The river Ladon (modern Greek: Λάδωνας, Ládonas) features in Greek mythology. ... The Ladon Lake (Greek: Technitis Limnis Ladonas) or the Ladon Reservoir is an artificial lake in the upper part of Ladon River in the northwestern part of the Arcadia prefecture in Greece, it supplies water to the prefecture and not electricity and prevents flooding from the low lying areas especially... The Loussios or the Lousios (Greek: Λούσιος) is a river and a gorge in western Arcadia that strecthes from Karytaina north to Dimitsana in Greece. ... Nea Manolada (Greek:, Modern Νέα Μανολάδα, Ancient/Katharevoussa: Νέα Μανολάς, Nea Manolas) is a community located about 500 m north of GR-9/E55 from the community hall and a square (plateia) on... This article may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...