Page "Aegean Sea" Paragraph 33

Many of the islands in the Aegean have safe harbours and bays.

In ancient times, navigation through the sea was easier than travelling across the rough terrain of the Greek mainland ( and to some extent the coastal areas of Anatolia ).

Many of the islands are volcanic, and marble and iron are mined on other islands.

The larger islands have some fertile valleys and plains.

Of the main islands in the Aegean Sea, two belong to Turkey – Bozcaada ( Tenedos ) and Gökçeada ( Imbros ); the rest belong to Greece.

Between the two countries, there are political disputes over several aspects of political control over the Aegean space, including the size of territorial waters, air control and the delimitation of economic rights to the continental shelf.