Ramona L. Harding, age 12, of Richmond, Virginia, for her question

How did the Mediterranean Sea get its name?

The history of human civilization began in balmy lands around the Mediterranean Sea. Hence, this sheltered stretch of water has been known for ages and we are not surprised to learn that it was named in the distant past. What is surprising is the fact that we can still trace back the original meaning of its name. Mediterranean is coined from two older words meaning middle and land.

When you study it on a map, you see that the Mediterranean Sea is indeed in the middle, or almost in the middle of land. Its southern and northern and eastern sides are all entirely bordered by dry land. At its western end a finger of Spain dips down toward within a few miles of the north coast of Africa. Here the narrow Strait of Gibraltar provides a channel to the Atlantic Ocean. Apart from this outlet, the Mediterranean is a sea in the middle of land.