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GeographySurprise 5/5Difficulty 4/5Reviewed on September 14, 2026

The Mediterranean Sea has always had its current extent.

Why it is true

About 5.6 million years ago, the Mediterranean almost completely dried up in an event known as the Messinian salinity crisis. The sea refilled when the Strait of Gibraltar opened, about 5.3 million years ago.

Source: Nature

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