Map of the Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara (Turkish: Marmara Denizi ;also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea) is an inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating the Asian part of Turkey from its European part. The Bosporus connects it to the Black Sea and the Dardanelles to the Aegean. The former also separates Istanbul into its Asian side and European side. It has area of 11,350 km².
There are two major island groups known as the Prince's and Marmara islands. The latter group is rich in sources of marble and gives the sea its name (Greek marmaros, marble). A notable island located in this sea is Imrali, where Abdullah Öcalan is imprisoned.
During a storm on December 29 1999, the Russian oil tanker Volgoneft broke in two in the Sea of Marmara, and more than 1500 tonnes oil were spilled into the water.
The North Anatolian fault, which has triggered many major earthquakes in recent years, such as the Izmit Earthquake of 1999, runs under the sea.
Propontis (Προποντίς, -ίδος < pro 'before' + pontos 'Black Sea') was the ancient Greek name for the sea.
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