Google
Web www.paradisepath.com
 
 
Home | USA | Europe | Bahamas | Caribbean | South America | India | South Africa | Contact

 Mediterranean brief history
The oldest civilizations along the Mediterranean were in
Egypt, Crete and Greece, and
Anatolia

  The oldest civilizations along the Mediterranean were in Egypt (from 3000 BC), Crete and Greece (the Aegean civilization in the 2d millennium BC), and Anatolia (the Hittites during 1900-1200BC).

 Subsequently, a number of maritime commercial states arose, including Phoenicia, Carthage, and the Greek city-states. Between the 3d century BC and the 1st century AD, Rome unified the entire basin under its rule.

The Romans called the Mediterranean mare nostrum (Latin for "our sea"). After the Roman Empire dissolved in AD 476, Arabs swept across North Africa into Iberia, and Germans and Slavs invaded from the north. Between the 11th and the 14th century, several commercial city-states developed, particularly in Italy, including those of Genoa and Venice.

The Ottoman Turks had established their empire throughout the eastern Mediterranean and in North Africa by the 16th century. Increasing piracy and the discovery of new sea routes to India around Africa led to a decline in the maritime importance of the Mediterranean.

During the 19th century the British dominated the sea. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 led to the sea's recovery as a major trade route, and new ports developed. Britain's dominance ended after World War II and was replaced by U.S.-NATO hegemony.

 

 

Mediterranean
history, economy, environment, more...

Mediterranean
Mediterranean Brief History  Mediterranean Sea Environment
Economy
Geology and Climate
Strait of Gibraltar
Crete
Sicily
Sardinia
Corsica
Balearic Islands

 
 


Stop Pop-ups, Surf related links, get site info, traffic rank and more...Download Alexa toolbar