{{redirect|Adriatic}}
[[Image:Adriatic Sea.jpg|thumb|right|A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea.]]
The '''Adriatic Sea''' is a body of water separating the [[Italian Peninsula]] from the [[Balkan peninsula]], and the system of the [[Apennine Mountains]] from that of the [[Dinaric Alps]] and adjacent ranges. The Adriatic Sea is a part of the [[Mediterranean Sea]].

The western coast is [[Italy|Italian]], while the eastern coast runs mostly along [[Croatia]], but lesser parts belong to [[Slovenia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Montenegro]], and [[Albania]]. Major rivers joining the Adriatic are the [[Reno River|Reno]], [[Po River|Po]], [[Adige]], [[Brenta River|Brenta]], [[Piave River|Piave]], [[Soča]] (Isonzo), [[Neretva]].

==Name and etymology==
{{wiktionary}}
[[Image:Adriatic Sea map.png|thumb|right|Map of the Adriatic Sea]]

The name has existed since antiquity; in the [[Latin]] of the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] (Ancient Latin) it was '''Mare Superum'''; in [[medieval Latin]] it was ''Mare Hadriaticum'' or '''Mare Adriaticum'''. The name, derived from the [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] colony of [[Adria]] (or ''Hadria''), originally designated only to the upper portion of the sea (Herodotus vi. 127, vii. 20, ix. 92; Euripides, ''Hippolytus,'' 736), but was gradually extended as the [[Syracuse, Italy|Syracusan]] colonies gained in importance. The word Adria probably derives from the [[Illyrian]] word ''adur'' meaning "water" or "sea".

But even then the Adriatic in the narrower sense only extended as far as the [[Monte Gargano]], the outer portion being called the [[Ionian Sea]]:
the name was sometimes, however, inaccurately used to include the Gulf of Tarentum (the modern-day [[Gulf of Taranto]]), the [[Sea of Sicily]], the [[Gulf of Corinth]] and even the sea between [[Crete]] and [[Malta]] (Acts xxvii. 27).

The Adriatic Sea is situated largely between the eastern coast of Italy and Croatia, both major tourist attractions. It was used by the ancient Romans to transport goods (including animals and [[slaves]]) to [[Ostia Antica (archaeological site)|Ostia]] (the Roman port).

* [[Italian language|Italian]]: ''Mare Adriatico''
* [[Croatian language|Croatian]]: ''Jadransko more'' (in colloquial use also ''Jadran'')
* [[Albanian language|Albanian]]: ''Deti Adriatik''
* [[Montenegrin language|Montenegrin]]: ''Jadransko more'' or in [[Cyrillic|Cyrillic Alphabet]] ''Јадранско море'' (in colloquial use also ''Jadran'')
* [[Slovene language|Slovenian]]: ''Jadransko morje'' (in colloquial use also ''Jadran'')

==Extent and Bathymetry==
The Adriatic extends northwest from 40° to 45° 45' N., with an extreme length of about 770 km (415 [[nautical mile|nm]], 480 [[mile|mi]]). It has a [[arithmetic mean|mean]] breadth of about 160 km (85 [[nautical mile|nm]], 100 [[mile|mi]]), although the [[Strait of Otranto]], through which it connects at the south with the Ionian Sea, is only 45-55 [[nautical mile]]s wide (85-100 km).

Moreover, the chain of islands which fringes the northern part of the eastern shore reduces the extreme breadth of open sea in this part to 145 km (78 nm, 90 mi). Its total surface area is about 60,000 square miles (160,000 [[square kilometre|km²]]).

The northern part of the sea is very shallow, and between the southern promontories of [[Istria]] and [[Rimini]] the depth rarely exceeds 46 m (25 [[fathom]]s). Between [[Sibenik|Šibenik]] and [[Ortona]] a well-marked depression occurs, a considerable area of which exceeds 180 m (100 fathoms) in depth.

From a point between [[Korcula|Korčula]] and the north shore of the spur of [[Monte Gargano]] there is a ridge giving shallower water, and a broken chain of a few islets extends across the sea.

The deepest part of the sea lies east of Monte Gargano, south of Dubrovnik, and west of [[Durrës]] where a large basin gives depths of 900 m (500 fathoms) and upwards, and a small area in the south of this basin falls below 1,460 m (800 fathoms).
The mean depth of the sea is estimated at 240 m (133 fathoms).

==Coasts and islands==
[[Image:Island.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Island Pokonji Dol in the Adriatic sea, seen from the ferry between [[Hvar]] and [[Korčula]] in [[Croatia]]]]
The west shore is generally low, merging, in the northwest, into the marshes and lagoons on either hand of the protruding delta of the river [[Po river|Po]], the [[sediment]] of which has pushed forward the coastline for several miles within historic times -- Adria is now some distance from the shore.

On islands within one of the lagoons opening from the [[Gulf of Venice]], [[Venice]] has its unique situation. Other notable cities on the Italian coast are [[Trieste]], [[Ravenna]], [[Rimini]], [[Ancona]], [[Pescara]], [[Bari]] and [[Brindisi]].

The east coast is generally bold and rocky, with many islands. South of the [[Istria|Istrian Peninsula]], which separates the Gulfs of Venice and [[Gulf of Trieste]] from the [[Bay of Kvarner]], the island-fringe of the east coast extends as far south as [[Dubrovnik]].

The islands, which are long and narrow (the long axis lying parallel with the coast of the mainland), rise rather abruptly to elevations of a few hundred feet, with the exception of a few larger islands like [[Brač]] (Vidova gora, 778 m) or the peninsula [[Pelješac]] (St. Ilija, 961 m). There are over a thousand islands in the Adriatic, 66 of which are inhabited.

On the mainland, notably in the [[Gulf of Kotor]] (Boka Kotorska, Bocche di Cattaro; named after the town of [[Kotor]]), lofty mountains often fall directly to the sea.

The prevalent colour of the rocks is a light, dead grey, contrasting harshly with the dark vegetation, which on some of the islands is luxuriant. In fact, [[Montenegro]] (Black Mountain) was named after the [[European black pine|black pines]] that cover the coast there, and similarly the Greek name for the island of [[Korčula]] is ''Korkyra Melaina'' meaning "Black Corfu".

Major cities on the northeastern coast include [[Trieste]] in Italy; [[Umag]], [[Poreč]], [[Rovinj]], [[Pula]], [[Opatija]], [[Rijeka]], [[Senj]], [[Zadar]], [[Biograd]], [[Šibenik]], [[Trogir]], [[Split]], [[Makarska]], [[Ploče]] and [[Dubrovnik]] in Croatia; [[Neum]] in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]; [[Herceg Novi]], [[Kotor]], [[Tivat]], [[Bar, Montenegro|Bar]], [[Budva]] and [[Ulcinj]] in Montenegro; and [[Durrës]] in Albania.

==Miscellaneous==
The [[bora (wind)|bora/ bura]] (northeast wind), and the prevalence of sudden squalls from this quarter or the southeast, are dangers to navigation in winter. Also notable are [[sirocco/ jugo]] (southern wind) which brings rain in the winter and [[Maestro (wind)|maestral]] (western wind) which brings clear weather in the summer.

Tidal movement is slight. The [[amphidromic point]] is just off the northwestern shore, near Ancona.

Both coasts are popular [[tourism|tourist]] destinations and many consider this sea the most beautiful in the world.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

[[Image:Adriatic_Sea_islands.jpg|thumb|center|600px|Adriatic Sea (Croatia)]]

==See also==
* [[List of rivers of Europe#Mediterranean Sea|List of rivers of Europe]]
* [[List of islands in the Adriatic]]

==External links==
{{commons|Adriatic Sea|Adriatic Sea}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Adriatic Sea}}
* [http://www.geabios.com/html/services/maps/PublicMap.htm?lat=42.465&lon=15.876875&fov=8.66&title=Adriatic%20Sea Satellite images and maps of Adriatic Sea] from [[GeaBios]] GIS Public Service
* [http://www.geabios.com/services/meteo/wv2.11/wv.htm?picurl=http://www.oc.phys.uoa.gr/waves/med/wavem&picext=.jpg&picset=06;12;18;24;30;36;42;48;54 Weather forecast for eastern coast] from [[GeaBios]] GIS Public Service

[[Category:Marginal seas of the Mediterranean]]
[[Category:Seas]]
[[Category:Landforms of Italy]]
[[Category:Landforms of Croatia]]
[[Category:Landforms of Albania]]
[[Category:Landforms of Montenegro]]
[[Category:Landforms of Slovenia]]
[[Category:Landforms of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Geography of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Adriatic Sea|*]]

[[ar:بحر أدرياتيكي]]
[[frp:Mar Adriatica]]
[[az:Adriatik dənizi]]
[[bs:Jadransko more]]
[[br:Mor Adria]]
[[bg:Адриатическо море]]
[[ca:Mar Adriàtica]]
[[cs:Jaderské moře]]
[[cy:Môr Adria]]
[[da:Adriaterhavet]]
[[de:Adriatisches Meer]]
[[et:Aadria meri]]
[[el:Αδριατική θάλασσα]]
[[eml:Mèr Adriâtic]]
[[es:Mar Adriático]]
[[eo:Adriatiko]]
[[eu:Itsaso Adriatikoa]]
[[fa:دریای آدریاتیک]]
[[fr:Mer Adriatique]]
[[fur:Mâr Adriatic]]
[[gl:Mar Adriático]]
[[ko:아드리아 해]]
[[hsb:Adrija]]
[[hr:Jadransko more]]
[[io:Adriatiko]]
[[id:Laut Adriatik]]
[[is:Adríahaf]]
[[it:Mare Adriatico]]
[[he:הים האדריאטי]]
[[ka:ადრიატიკის ზღვა]]
[[sw:Adria]]
[[ku:Derya Adriyatîk]]
[[la:Hadriaticum]]
[[lv:Adrijas jūra]]
[[lij:Mâ Adriatego]]
[[lt:Adrijos jūra]]
[[hu:Adriai-tenger]]
[[mk:Јадранско Море]]
[[nl:Adriatische Zee]]
[[ja:アドリア海]]
[[nap:Mar Adriateco]]
[[no:Adriaterhavet]]
[[nn:Adriahavet]]
[[pl:Morze Adriatyckie]]
[[pt:Mar Adriático]]
[[ro:Marea Adriatică]]
[[ru:Адриатическое море]]
[[sq:Deti Adriatik]]
[[scn:Mari Adriàticu]]
[[simple:Adriatic Sea]]
[[sk:Jadranské more]]
[[sl:Jadransko morje]]
[[sr:Јадранско море]]
[[sh:Jadransko more]]
[[fi:Adrianmeri]]
[[sv:Adriatiska havet]]
[[tl:Dagat Adriatic]]
[[tr:Adriyatik Denizi]]
[[uk:Адріатичне море]]
[[ur:بحیرہ ایڈریاٹک]]
[[vec:Mar Adriàtico]]
[[wo:Adiratig]]
[[zh:亚得里亚海]]