Tyrrhenian Sea
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The Tyrrhenian Sea (Mar Tirreno in Italian) is part of the Mediterranean Sea off of the western coast of Italy.
It is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia (west) Liguria (north), Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, and Calabria (east), and Sicily (south).
The maximum depth of the sea is 3785 m.
The Tyrrhenian Sea is situated near the African-European Fault; therefore mountain chains and active volcanoes (mount Marsilii) are in its depths. Winds are Mistral from the Rhône valley, Libeccio from the south-west, Scirocco and Ostro from the south.
There are five exits from the Tyrrhenian Sea:
- The Strait of Messina between Sicily and Calabria on the toe of Italy, 3 km wide.
- The Corsica Channel between Tuscany and Corsica, about 80 km wide.
- The Strait of Bonifacio between Corsica and Sardinia, 11 km wide.
- The Sardinian Channel between Sardinia and Tunisia, about 200 km wide.
- The Strait of Sicily between Tunisia and Sicily, about 160 km wide.
In Greek mythology, it is believed that the cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea housed the four winds kept by Aeolus.
The name for this part of the Mediterranean Sea derives from the Greek name for the Etruscans, who were said to be emigrants from Lydia and led by the prince Tyrrhenus. The Etruscans settled along the coast of modern Tuscany and referred to the water as the "Sea of the Etruscans".
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