Marmara Sea

Hey kids! Have you heard of the Marmara Sea? The Marmara sea is also known as the Sea of Marmara. Believe it or not, It is a very important water-body to people in Turkey. Why is it so important, you ask? Well the answer is pretty simple. Did you know that Turkey has its land in both Europe and Asia. The Marmara Sea separates the two parts of Turkey, which are the European and Asian parts. So when you stand on one side sea you are in Asia, and when you do so on another side of the sea you are in Europe. Amazing right!

marmara-sea

Interesting Marmara Sea Facts

It’s Fact Time, so why don’t we take a look at important information on the Marmara Sea?

Location:
The Marmara Sea is located in Turkey and is connected to two other seas. One of them, the Black Sea is joined with the Bosphorus strait and the other, the Aegean Sea is connected to the Dardanelles strait.
Size:
With a only 280km and a width of about 80km, the Marmara Sea covers an area of 11,472 square kilometers. It is considered the smallest sea in the world.
Depth and Volume:
Even during the wet seasons, the Marmara Sea does not exceed an average depth of 250 feet. Many have done their research on the maximum sea depth and it has been decided that it is 1,360 feet. That is over 5 times the average depth.
Composition:
The Marmara Sea does not freeze. It is home to a variety of water animals, most especially fish. The salinity is roughly 22 parts per thousand at the surface and 38 at the bottom section.
Name History:
The unique name “Marmara” was given by a British sea captain called John Marshall who led an expedition to survey the sea in the year 1788. In Turkish, it is called the Marmara Denizi.
Formation History:
Three continents are very close to each other and they are Europe, Asia and Africa. A big earthquake must have separated these three continents of over the years and this caused many seas and oceans to be formed. Faults in the earth’s crust separating these three continents caused the Marmara Sea to form.
Appearance:
Many people consider the Marmara Sea to be the most beautiful sea in the whole wide world. This is because of its high banks which are evenly separated. For many years, it has been a major tourist attraction and contains many bays and islands.
Islands:
The Marmara sea has many islands including Turkel, Ekinlok, Pashalimany, Princes’ Island and many more. These island are fun to live in, even for a short while.
Tourism:
The Marmara Sea is a major tourist attraction and thousands of people visit the surrounding area every month. The most attractive tourist site in the area is Istanbul. On the coast of the sea is Erdek, one of the oldest and most popular resort.
Port Information:
The Marmara Sea has port areas in and around it but the largest has to be the Istanbul. Bordirma is known to be the second largest port in the area. The Marmara sea is also used to transport goods to the islands.

Now you have learnt many new facts about the beautiful Marmara Sea. It is time to test what you know.

Question: Who gave the Marmara Sea it’s name?

Answer: John Marshall

Question (And this is a tough one): In what Country is the smallest sea in the world located?

Answer: Turkey

Question: What is the highest depth of the Marmara Sea?

Answer: : 1,360 feet deep.