Mediterranean Sea

Credit: MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 08:06 CST Download full size image

Sitting on the eastern edge of the Great Bulge of North Africa, Tunisia has a plethora of bays on the Mediterranean Sea. It is this abundance of bays that made the coast an attractive location for pirates in the late 16th century; and with Tripolitania (western Libya), Algeria, and Morocco, formed what was known as the Barbary States. Piracy in this area lasted through the end of the 18th century, despite repeated efforts by European naval powers to destroy it. Today, Tunisia is an independent republic with a distinct Arab and French blend of culture. The Italian island of Sicily lies less than 200 kilometers off the coast; the large round dot on the island marks Mt. Etna, Europe's most active volcano. This true-color Aqua MODIS image was acquired on January 10, 2004.

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