Sea · Italy, France
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is the part of the Mediterranean enclosed by mainland Italy and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. Volcanoes rise from its islands and even from its sea floor.
Picture credit: Roma1314 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Laika ac (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Tyrrhenian Sea?
Part of: Mediterranean Sea.
Countries on its coasts: Italy, France.
The story behind it
The Tyrrhenian Sea takes its name from the ancient Greek word for the Etruscans, a people who lived on the coast of today's Tuscany, Lazio and Campania. Italy lies to the east, while Corsica, which belongs to France, and the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily close it off to the west and south. Its islands include Elba, Capri, Ischia and the volcanic Aeolian Islands. One of them, Stromboli, has been erupting almost without a break for at least 200 years, so sailors call it the lighthouse of the Mediterranean. Deep below the waves hides Marsili, a huge underwater volcano. Busy ports such as Naples and Palermo lie on its shores. Between Sicily and the Italian mainland, the Strait of Messina is only about 3 km wide. Bottlenose dolphins swim here, and even fin whales and sperm whales can be seen.
Find it on the globe
Tyrrhenian Sea is there as a name written across its water — tap the water and its card opens. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
Questions children ask
How big is the Tyrrhenian Sea?
The Tyrrhenian Sea covers about 275 000 km². Some sources give a smaller figure, because not everyone draws its borders in the same place.
Where does the name Tyrrhenian come from?
The ancient Greeks called the Etruscans Tyrrhenians. The Etruscans lived on the Italian coast next to this sea.
Are there volcanoes in the Tyrrhenian Sea?
Yes. Stromboli on the Aeolian Islands is almost always active. Under the water lies Marsili, a giant volcano hidden on the sea floor.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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