| Libyan Sea | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Libyan Sea | |
| Location | Mediterranean Sea |
| Coordinates | 34°00′N24°24′E / 34.000°N 24.400°E /34.000; 24.400 |
| Type | Sea |
| Basin countries | Libya |
| Surface area | 350,000 square kilometres (140,000 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) |
| Max. depth | 5,109 metres (16,762 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi) |
| Islands | Gavdos,Gavdopoula,Koufonisi, andChrysi |
| Sections/sub-basins | Gulf of Sidra,South Cretan Sea |
| Settlements | Tobruk, Libya andAlexandria, Egypt |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Libyan Sea | |
| 1 Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
TheLibyan Sea (Latin:Libycum Mare;Arabic:البحر الليبي;Greek:Λιβυκό πέλαγος) is the portion of theMediterranean Sea north of theAfrican coast ofancientLibya, i.e.Cyrenaica, andMarmarica (thecoast of what is noweastern Libya andwestern Egypt, betweenTobruk andAlexandria).[1]The region of the Libyan Sea located south of Crete is also known as theSouth Cretan Sea (Νότιο Κρητικό Πέλαγος).[2][3]
The term Libyan Sea (Mare Libycum) was used by ancient geographers to describe the part of the Mediterranean Sea south of Crete, between Cyrene and Alexandria. It referred to the region of "Libya" in antiquity, which encompassed much of North Africa west of the Nile River. The name "Libya" (Greek: Λιβύη, Libyē) originally referred to a broader area than the modern country of Libya.[4]
In ancient times, "Libya" described the lands and peoples of North Africa, such as the Libu and Meshwesh tribes, as recorded by Greek and Roman sources.[5] The modern usage of "Libyan Sea" continues this tradition and is commonly found in maps and travel literature.[6]
The surface area of the Mediterranean is about 350,000 square kilometres (140,000 sq mi).[7]
The southerncoastline ofCrete, which borders the Libyan Sea, includes theAsterousia Mountains andMesara Plain; this area is the locus of considerable ancientBronze Age settlement including the sites ofKommos,Hagia Triada andPhaistos.[8]
Not counting Crete, other islands in the Libyan Sea areGavdos,Gavdopoula,Koufonisi, andChrysi.
To the east is theLevantine Sea, to the north theIonian Sea, and to the west theStrait of Sicily.
