Adriatic Sea

Adriatic Sea (ādrēă`tĭk), arm of the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula. It extends c.500 mi (800 km) from the Gulf of Venice, at its head, SE to the Strait of Otranto, which leads to the Ionian Sea. It is from 58 to 140 mi (93–225 km) wide, with a maximum depth of c.4,100 ft (1,250 m). The Po and Adige rivers of Italy are the chief affluents. The Italian coast (west and north) is low; Venice, Ancona, and Bari are the principal ports. Trieste, at the northern end of the sea, was once the chief Adriatic port. Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania border the irregular eastern shore; Rijeka and Split, Croatia, are the main ports. The Croatian coast (see Dalmatia), which is rugged and has many offshore islands and sheltered bays, is a popular tourist resort. Fishing is an important activity in the Adriatic Sea; lobsters, sardines, and tuna are the chief catch.

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Adriatic Sea

Arm of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula. It is about 500 mi (800 km) long, with an average width of 110 mi (175 km), a maximum depth of 4,035 ft (1,324 m), and an area of 50,590 sq mi (131,050 sq km). The Italian coast is relatively straight and continuous, having no islands, but the Balkan coast is full of islands, generally running parallel to the shore. The Strait of Otranto at its southeasterly limit links it with the Ionian Sea.

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Adriatic Sea

an arm of the Mediterranean between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula