The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean, almost completely surrounded by land. It covers an area of approximately 2.5 million sq. km. On the North of the sea lies Europe, on the South lies Africa and Asia lies to the east. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by wet winters and hot, dry summers. Large islands in the Mediterranean include Cyprus, Crete, Sicily, Malta and Ibiza. The Mediterranean Sea is sub-divided into a number of smaller seas, each with their own designation. Examples of these smaller seas are The Aegean Sea, between Greece and Turkey, The Strait of Sicily, between Sicily and Tunisia and The Ionian Sea between Italy and Greece.