Méditerranée

Méditerranée, in French usage, refers to the Mediterranean Sea and, more broadly, to the surrounding region and cultures. The sea is a semi-enclosed body of water with a connection to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar and to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, and to the Black Sea through the Turkish Straits. It covers about 2.5 million square kilometres, has a coastline of about 46,000 kilometres, and reaches a maximum depth of around 5,267 metres in the Calypso Deep.

The climate around the Méditerranée is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters along the coasts, with more aridity inland. The basin hosts diverse marine and coastal ecosystems, including seagrass meadows such as Posidonia oceanica, and a high level of endemism in several taxa. The region faces environmental pressures from overfishing, pollution, invasive species, and plastic debris, while climate change brings warming, altered circulation, and sea-level rise.

Historically, the Mediterranean has been a hub of exchange and civilization, home to ancient societies such as the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans, and later a major route for trade and cultural transmission. In contemporary times, it remains central to international shipping, tourism, fisheries, and energy infrastructure, with the Suez Canal linking traffic to the Indian Ocean.

Governing frameworks include regional agreements like the Barcelona Convention for protection of the marine environment and the coastal zone of the Mediterranean, alongside European Union and national policies on maritime safety, environment, and biodiversity.