Ionian Sea

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The Ionian Sea.

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

The Ionian Sea (Albanian Deti Jon (meaning "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.

[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.

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.

[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
• Astakos
• Fiskardo, small port
• Keri, no port
• Methoni, small port and a beach

[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

[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