Ionian Sea
 |
The Ionian Sea. |
The
Ionian Sea (
Albanian Deti Jon (trans. Our sea),
Greek Ιόνιο Πέλαγος,
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.
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 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.
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.
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
*
Astakos*
Fiskardo, small port
*
Keri, no port
*
Methoni, small port and a beach
*
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
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
