<Tr> <Th> Settlements </Th> <Td> Bari, Venice, Trieste, Split, Pescara, Šibenik, Rimini, Rijeka, Durrës, Ancona, Zadar, Vlorë, Brindisi, Dubrovnik </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Shore length is not a well - defined measure . </Td> </Tr> <P> The Adriatic Sea / ˌeɪdriˈætɪk / is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula . The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the northwest and the Po Valley . The countries with coasts on the Adriatic are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia . The Adriatic contains over 1,300 islands, mostly located along its eastern, Croatian coast . It is divided into three basins, the northern being the shallowest and the southern being the deepest, with a maximum depth of 1,233 metres (4,045 ft). The Otranto Sill, an underwater ridge, is located at the border between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas . The prevailing currents flow counterclockwise from the Strait of Otranto, along the eastern coast and back to the strait along the western (Italian) coast . Tidal movements in the Adriatic are slight, although larger amplitudes are known to occur occasionally . The Adriatic's salinity is lower than the Mediterranean's because the Adriatic collects a third of the fresh water flowing into the Mediterranean, acting as a dilution basin . The surface water temperatures generally range from 30 ° C (86 ° F) in summer to 12 ° C (54 ° F) in winter, significantly moderating the Adriatic Basin's climate . </P> <P> The Adriatic Sea sits on the Apulian or Adriatic Microplate, which separated from the African Plate in the Mesozoic era . The plate's movement contributed to the formation of the surrounding mountain chains and Apennine tectonic uplift after its collision with the Eurasian plate . In the Late Oligocene, the Apennine Peninsula first formed, separating the Adriatic Basin from the rest of the Mediterranean . All types of sediment are found in the Adriatic, with the bulk of the material transported by the Po and other rivers on the western coast . The western coast is alluvial or terraced, while the eastern coast is highly indented with pronounced karstification . There are dozens of marine protected areas in the Adriatic, designed to protect the sea's karst habitats and biodiversity . The sea is abundant in flora and fauna--more than 7,000 species are identified as native to the Adriatic, many of them endemic, rare and threatened ones . </P>

Where is the adriatic sea located on a map