The Ionian Sea.

The Ionian Sea, as seen from Corfu Island, with mainland Greece and Albania seen in the background

The Ionian Sea, view from the island Kefalonia

The Ionian Sea (Greek Ιόνιο Πέλαγος (Ionio Pelagos), Italian; Mare Ionio, Albanian; Deti Jon) is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - It is bounded by southern Italy, including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula, to the west, by southwestern Albania and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and Lefkas to the east. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Salento (Salentu in local dialect is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. The Greek Islands are a collection of over 6000 Islands and Islets that belong to Greece. Corfu (Κέρκυρα Kérkyra, ˈkʲe̞ɾkʲiɾa Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα Corcyra Corfù is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern Ithaca or Ithaka (in Greek, Ιθάκη, Ithaki) is an island in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of 118 km² Lefkada, or Leucas (Λευκάδα le̞fˈkaða Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς Leukás; Santa Maura is a Greek The islands are collectively referred to as the Ionian Islands, and other islands including the Strophades, Sphagia, Schiza, Sapientza and Kythira. This article is about the group of islands west of Greece For the ancient region in western Anatolia see Ionia. Strofades (in Greek Στροφάδια; in Latin Strophades; also Stamphane Islands; Strivali) is a small group of Sphagia is the modern name of the island known in ancient times as Sphacteria. Schiza (Σχίζα is a Greek Island off the southwestern coast of the Peloponnese. Sapientza (Σαπιέντζα is a Greek Island off the southern coast of the Peloponnese. Kythira (Κύθηρα Cythera, Kythera, Cerigo is an Island of Greece, historically part of the Ionian Islands. The sea is one of the most seismic areas in the world.

There are ferry routes between Patras, Greece and Brindisi and Ancona, Italy, that cross over the east and north of the Ionian Sea, and shipping routes from Piraeus westward cross as well. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Patras ( Demotic Greek: Πάτρα, Pátra, ˈpatra Classical Greek: Πάτραι, Pátrai, Patrae is Greece Brindisi can also refer to a song in which a company is exhorted to drink such as the "Tea-Cup Brindisi" in Gilbert and Sullivan 's " The Ancona (Ankon is a city and a seaport in the Marche, a region of central Italy, population 101909 (2005 Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a

Origin and myth of the eponym of the Ionian Sea

The eponym of the Ionian Sea (whose name was more often, particularly by Aeschylus, attributed to Io's voyage; previously the Ionian Gulf was thought to have been called the sea of Cronus and Rhea). Aeschylus (ˈɛskɨləs or /ˈiːskɨləs/ Greek: Ασχύλος, Aischylos, 525 BC/524 BC 456 BC/455 BC was an ancient Greek Playwright In Greek mythology, Io (ˈaɪoʊ or /ˈiːoʊ/ World Book «EYE oh», in Ancient Greek Ἰώ) was a priestess of Hera in Argos Cronus or Kronos, ( Ancient Greek Κρόνος Krónos) was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants Rhea ( ancient Greek) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus, the sky and Gaia, the earth in classical Greek mythology Ionius was the son of King Adrias of Illyria who gave his name to the Adriatic.

Ionius was also said to have been a son of Dyrrhachus of the town of Dyrrhachium (ancient Epidamnos) (modern Durrës). When Dyrrhachus was attacked by his own brothers, Heracles, who was passing through the country, came to his aid, but in the fight the hero killed his ally's son by mistake. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or The corpse was cast into the sea, which thereafter was called the Ionian Sea.

Places

In order from south to north in the west and then north to south in the east:

• Taranto, port N
• Syracuse, port, W
• Catania, port, W
• Saranda, port and a beach, NE
• Parga, small port
• Preveza,port, E
• Astakos
• Fiskardo, small port
• Keri, no port
• Methoni, small port and a beach
• Ionian Islands

Gulfs and straits

• Strait of Messina, W
• Gulf of Catania, W
• Gulf of Taranto, NW
• Ambracian Gulf, E
• Gulf of Patras, connecting the Gulf of Corinth, ESE
• Cyparissian Gulf, SE
• Messenian Gulf, SE
• Laconian Gulf, ESE

Tributaries

In order from north to south

• Pineios River (Peloponnese)
• Ambracian Gulf
  • Acherontas River
• Gulf of Patras/Strait of Rio-Antirrio Watershed
  • Acheloos River
  • Glaucos/Glavkos River - Panachaicus mountains to south of Patras
  • Louros River, north
• Cyparissian Gulf
  • Alfeios River
    • Kladeos or Cladeus River
    • Erymanthus River
      • Ladon River
      • Ladon Lake
  • Loussios River
  • Larissos River - Nea Manolada
  • Neda River - Elia-Messenia boundary/border