{"id":51,"date":"2019-01-26T12:35:48","date_gmt":"2019-01-26T12:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/?page_id=51"},"modified":"2019-01-26T14:13:50","modified_gmt":"2019-01-26T14:13:50","slug":"the-adriatic-sea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/?page_id=51&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"The Adriatic Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Adriatic Sea<\/strong> is part of the Mediterranean Sea<\/a>\n separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the \nsystem of the Apennine Mountains from the Dinaric Alps and adjacent \nranges. It extends from the Gulf of Venice south to the Strait of \nOtranto, linking it to the Ionian Sea. It has an approximate length of \n500 miles (800 km), an average width of 100 miles (160 km), and an area \n of 50,590 sq mi (131,050 sq km).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sea’s western coast runs the length of Italy<\/a>, while the eastern coast forms the borders of Croatia<\/a>, Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a>, Montenegro<\/a>, and Albania<\/a>. A small slice of Slovenia<\/a> also reaches to the Adriatic Sea. Eleven major rivers<\/a>\n flow into the Adriatic Sea. They are the Reno, Po, Adige, Brenta, \nPiave, So\u010da\/Isonzo, Zrmanja, Krka, Cetina, Neretva, and the Drin \n(Drini).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Adriatic Sea has served as a source of transportation, \nrecreation, and sustenance throughout history. From the end of the \ntwentieth century the Adriatic, long renowned for its pristine \ncondition, began to show perilous signs of invasive species introduced \nby human influence. Six nations border the Adriatic Sea. For the sake of\n maintaining this important body of water, it is incumbent upon them to\n unite beyond their national boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name and etymology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The name has existed since antiquity; in the Latin of the Romans (Ancient Latin) it was Mare Superum;<\/em> in medieval Latin it was Mare Hadriaticum<\/em> or Mare Adriaticum<\/em>. The name, derived from the Etruscan colony of Adria (or Hadria<\/em>), originally designated only the upper portion of the sea, [1]<\/a><\/sup>\n but was gradually extended as the Syracusan colonies gained in \nimportance. The word Adria probably derives from the Illyrian word adur<\/em> meaning “water” or “sea.”[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even then the Adriatic in the narrower sense only extended as far\n as the Monte Gargano, the outer portion being called the Ionian Sea. \nThe name was sometimes, however, inaccurately used to include the Gulf \nof Tarentum (the modern-day Gulf of Taranto), the Sea of Sicily, the \nGulf of Corinth and even the sea between Crete and Malta<\/a>.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Adriatic Sea is situated largely between the eastern coast of Italy<\/a> and the western coast of Croatia<\/a>,\n both major tourist attractions. It was used by the ancient Romans to \ntransport goods, including animals and slaves, to Ostia, the Roman port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extent and Bathymetry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Adriatic extends northwest from 40\u00b0 to 45\u00b0 45′ N., with an \nextreme length of about 770 km (415 nautical miles, 480 mi). It has a \nmean breadth of about 160 km (85 nautical miles, 100 mi), although the \nStrait of Otranto, through which it connects at the south with the \nIonian Sea, is only 45-55 nautical miles wide (85-100 km).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chain of islands<\/a>\n which fringes the northern section of the eastern shore reduces the \nextreme breadth of open sea in this area to 145 km (78 nm, 90 mi). Its \ntotal surface area is about 60,000 square miles (160,000 km\u00b2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The northern part of the sea is very shallow, and between the \nsouthern promontories of Istria and Rimini the depth rarely exceeds 46 m\n (25 fathoms). Between \u0160ibenik and Ortona a well-marked depression \noccurs, a considerable area of which exceeds 180 m (100 fathoms) in \ndepth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a point between Kor\u010dula and the north shore of the spur of Monte\n Gargano there is a ridge giving shallower water, and a broken chain of\n a few islets extends across the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deepest part of the sea lies east of Monte Gargano, south of Dubrovnik<\/a>,\n and west of Durr\u00ebs where a large basin gives depths of 900 m (500 \nfathoms) and upwards, and a small area in the south of this basin falls \n below 1,460 m (800 fathoms). The mean depth of the sea is estimated at \n 240 m (133 fathoms).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coasts and islands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The east and west coasts of the Adriatic vary greatly. The west shore, along Italy<\/a>,\n is relatively straight, continuous, and generally low, merging in the \n northwest, into the marshes and lagoons on either hand of the \nprotruding delta of the River Po, the sediment<\/a> of which has pushed forward the coastline for several miles within historic times\u2014Adria is now some distance from the shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The east coast along the Balkan Peninsula is generally bold and rocky, with over one thousand islands<\/a> varying in size. Numerous straits form inlets between the islands similar to those of the Norwegian<\/a> fjords<\/a>,\n forming an intricate coastline. South of the Istrian Peninsula, which \n separates the Gulfs of Venice and Gulf of Trieste from the Bay of \nKvarner, the island-fringe of the east coast extends as far south as Dubrovnik<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The islands, which are long and narrow (the long axis lying parallel \n with the coast of the mainland), rise rather abruptly to elevations of a\n few hundred feet, with the exception of a few larger islands such as \nBra\u010d (Vidova gora, 778 m) or the peninsula Pelje\u0161ac (St. Ilija, 961 m). \n There are over a thousand islands in the Adriatic, 66 of which are \ninhabited. On the mainland, notably in the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska;\n named after the town of Kotor), lofty mountains often fall directly to\n the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prevalent color of the rocks is a light, dead grey, contrasting \nharshly with the dark vegetation, which on some of the islands is \nluxuriant. Attesting to this, Montenegro<\/a> (Black Mountain)<\/em> was named for the black pines that cover the coast there, and similarly the Greek name for the island of Kor\u010dula is Korkyra Melaina<\/em> meaning “Black Corfu.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notable cities<\/a> on the Italian<\/a> coast are Trieste, Ravenna, Rimini, Ancona, Pescara, Bari, and Brindisi. The city of Venice<\/a> stretches across numerous small islands<\/a>\n in the marshy Venetian Lagoon, which stretches along the shoreline of \nthe Adriatic in northeast Italy between the mouths of the Po (south) and\n the Piave (north) Rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major cities on the northeastern coast include Trieste in Italy<\/a>; Koper in Slovenia<\/a>; Umag, Pore\u010d, Rovinj, Pula, Opatija, Rijeka, Senj, Zadar, Biograd, \u0160ibenik, Trogir, Split, Makarska, Plo\u010de and Dubrovnik<\/a> in Croatia<\/a>; Neum in Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a>; Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat, Bar, Budva and Ulcinj in Montenegro<\/a>; and Durr\u00ebs in Albania<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weather patterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are eight basic wind types prevalent in the Mediterranean \nregion. Three of these are common to the Adriatic; the bora, the \nsirocco, and the maestro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bora is a northern to north-eastern katabatic wind in the Adriatic, Croatia<\/a>, Italy<\/a>, Greece, and Turkey<\/a>. Its name derives from the Greek mythological<\/a>\n figure of Boreas, the North Wind. The changeable Bora often blows \nthroughout Dalmatia and the Adriatic east coast. It is a gusty wind, \nmost common during the winter season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area where some of the strongest bora winds occur is the Velebit mountain range in Croatia<\/a>. The wind is also an integral feature of Slovenia’s Vipava Valley and Kras region, (the Carso in Italy<\/a>), an area of limestone<\/a>\n heights over the Trieste Bay stretching towards the Istrian peninsula. \n Because the region separates the lower Adriatic coast from the Julian \nAlps range, extreme bora winds often occur there. They have influenced \nthe region’s traditional lifestyle and architecture. Towns on the coast \n are built densely with narrow streets in part because of the wind. \nBuildings in several towns and villages in Slovenia<\/a>\n and the Province of Trieste (Italy) have stones on their roofs to \nprevent the roof tiles from being blown off. The bora, along with the \nprevalent sudden squalls are dangers to winter navigation in the \nAdriatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sirocco arises from a warm, dry, tropical airmass that is pulled northward by low-pressure cells moving eastward across the Mediterranean Sea<\/a>, with the wind originating in the Arabian<\/a> or Sahara Deserts<\/a>. It often reaches hurricane<\/a> speeds in North Africa<\/a> and Southern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sirocco causes dusty, dry conditions along the northern coast of Africa<\/a>, storms in the Mediterranean Sea<\/a>,\n and cold, wet weather in Europe. The Sirocco’s duration may be a half \n day or many days. Many people attribute health problems to the Sirocco \n either because of the heat and dust along the African coastal regions \nor the cool dampness in Europe. The dust within the Sirocco winds can \ndegrade mechanical devices and invade domiciles. They are most common \nduring the autumn and the spring, though when they do occur in winter \nthey often bring rain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Maestro is a northwesterly wind which blows in summer in the \nAdriatic when pressure is low over the Balkan Peninsula. It is a fresh \nbreeze accompanied by clear weather and light clouds. It is not to be \nconfused with mistral, a quite different (although also northwesterly) \nwind in southern France. The maestro is the most favored summer wind as \n far south as western Crete where it supposedly blows only during \ndaytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Environment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Croatia<\/a>‘s\n coastline on the Adriatic Sea spans over 6,200 kilometers (3852.5 \nmiles) including some 1,200 islands, islets, and reefs. This translates \n to that country’s ownership of approximately 75 percent of the Adriatic\n coastline. Croatia’s most important industry is tourism, and is based \n largely on the preserved and clean marine environment of the Sea. Its \nadjacent coastal area is also rich in historical and cultural<\/a> heritage.[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a geographically protected arm of the Mediterranean Sea<\/a>,\n the Adriatic has suffered less environmental harm than the \nMediterranean itself. Croatia especially, due to its economic dependence\n on the Sea, has taken measures aimed at keeping it clean. The islands<\/a> on the Sea’s eastern side were once considered a paradise for divers due to beds of dazzling coral<\/a> and mollusks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the once pristine sea bottom is being covered by a green carpeting of algae. Caulerpa Racemosa,<\/em> an invasive algae<\/a>\n prevalent in the Mediterranean, has begun to invade the Adriatic in the\n early years of the twenty-first century. This rapidly growing algae \nreduces the variety and abundance of underwater plant<\/a> and animal<\/a> life. As flora is destroyed, the survival of fish<\/a> and mollusks is at peril.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tropical species originating in the Red Sea<\/a>,\n this algae was carried into Mediterranean waters and eventually into \nthe Adriatic on the bottoms of ships, their anchors, and on fishing<\/a> nets and diving equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nations bordering the Mediterranean such as Spain<\/a>, France<\/a>, and Cyprus<\/a>, have banded together to control this problem.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\n The Adriatic, with six border nations, needs to see similar \ninternational cooperation in order to restore the cleanliness of the \nSea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Adriatic Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges. It extends from the Gulf of Venice south to the Strait of Otranto, linking it to the Ionian Sea. It has an approximate length … Nastavi \u010ditati “The Adriatic Sea”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-51","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=51"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/51\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161,"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/51\/revisions\/161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baricdraga.com.hr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}