Ligurian Sea

arm of the Mediterranean Sea
The Ligurian Sea.

The Ligurian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It is between the Italian Riviera (Liguria and Tuscany) and the island of Corsica. The sea is probably named after the ancient Ligures people.


The sea borders the countries Italy, France, and Monaco. In the east the sea borders the Tyrrhenian Sea, while in the west it borders the Mediterranean Sea proper. Genoa is the most prominent city in the area.



In order to provide protection for the many cetacean (whales and dolphins; porpoises are not found in this part of the Mediterranean Sea) species in the Ligurian Sea the bordering countries made the sea a SPAMI in 1999. The International Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary now covers 84,000 km². This covers territorial waters as well as high sea.

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Coordinates: 43°30′N 9°00′E﻿ / ﻿43.500°N 9.000°E﻿ / 43.500; 9.000