Western Mediterranean Sea

South of Mallorca, the western Mediterranean opens towards the coast of North Africa. The Balearic Islands divide its waters into two great basins: the Balearic basin to the north and the Algerian basin to the south. Mallorca and Menorca form the eastern group of the archipelago, while Ibiza and Formentera lie farther west. Channels between the islands allow water to pass between the basins, making the archipelago a broken boundary across the sea.