Today's GeoCRAZY Question: The So-Called Seas.

[Bicoastal]

There are several bodies of water, commonly referred to as Seas, that are actually technically lakes--they're completely surrounded by land. Name at least 5.

Bonus Question: To be called a Sea, a salty body of water must be connected to an ocean, either by a strait or the presence of islands. Keeping that in mind--what's considered to be the smallest true Sea in the world?

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Bogus seas:

Caspian, Dead, Salton, Aral, Sea of Galilee.

Smallest: Sea of Marmara?

[Bicoastal]

2. we have a WINNER!

This one wasn't as popular as yesterday's--thanks for putting it out of its misery.

[rug]

3. Not fair! She left out the Salton Sea.

[Bicoastal]

4. No she didn't.

If she did, she corrected it before I saw her post.

[rug]

6. Ooops

BTW, I like the geography threads. I would have kicked it but I was lost in New Jersey for four hours.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. I'll confess to what the edit was

At first, I didn't have the Sea of Galilee, and used 'North Aral' and 'South Aral' instead - it has dried up, from its feeding rivers being diverted for irrigation, so much that it has split into 2 or more parts. But I had felt that was a bit sneaky, and I eventually remembered what is at the other end of the River Jordan.

[Bicoastal]

5. I should also point out that the Gulf of California...

...is sometimes referred to as the Sea of Cortes. I doubt it brings up any happy memories for Mexico, though.

Also, some consider the Persian Gulf to be a Sea. A gulf is supposed to be a large bay, ie, the "arm" of a sea. It's all very confusing, especially compared to land geography, which is usually fairly cut and dry in comparison.

[petronius]

7. It has also been called the Vermilion Sea,

which I think is a very evocative name...

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Oh yes, I think those could be counted as seas

especially with an appropriate name like "Sea of Cortes". But I think both are considerably larger than the Sea of Marmara - it's only about 100 miles by 50.