The word Mediterranean carries a rich array of meanings and, at times, its opposite. Historically, Cicero described what lies between land and sea as the Mediterranean. Today, while respecting the Latin roots medius and terra, the term is commonly used to signify things related to the Mediterranean basin or the lands it touches. Over centuries, this notion shifted from a broad geographic concept to a more precise reference to coastline, shores, and islands of the region. In antiquity, the Mediterranean was envisioned as the great crossroads among Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Romans called this vast sea Mare Nostrum, a center of naval power that shaped civilizations from antiquity through the Middle Ages, and beyond. They also linked Crete to a navigational concept that traveled along with architectural and cultural innovations, a symbol that reached distant shores through exchanges that resembled a vaccine of ideas and routes across the sea.
With such long-standing depth, the word Mediterranean exhibits remarkable polysemy, yet it remains a reliable descriptor in many contexts. Still, care is required to avoid overreach. For instance, it is common to claim that Iberia is the largest of the European Mediterranean peninsulas, a statement that is not fully accurate, since the Atlantic coastline length exceeds that of the Mediterranean coast in several parts of the peninsula. Misinterpretations and deeply rooted assumptions still circulate in both climatology and geobotany, often without thorough examination of the underlying facts.
In climatology, the discussion was transformed by the distinctive classifications developed by the French regional geography school. Emmanuel de Martonne proposed a method that classifies a climate by identifying a prototype region and then extending the name to other areas sharing similar characteristics. This approach offered a synthetic, global view of climatic reality when the prototype is well defined. It has also attracted criticisms, especially regarding the appropriateness of the selected geographical names and the risk of equating different climates through superficial similarities. When applying this framework to the Mediterranean, questions arise about which climates should be considered part of the Mediterranean group. The Mediterranean climate concept is best understood as a broad category, but not all areas labeled Mediterranean share the same climatic features. In practice, the core Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry summers, yet subtropical patterns and regional variations can blur this simple picture across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. Proposals to include climates from Portugal, Greece, Syria, or even distant regions must be evaluated carefully against clear climatic criteria.
Many misclassifications stem from assuming that the Mediterranean climate equals a dry-summer temperate climate. In truth, most Mediterranean climates are indeed temperate with dry summers, but that subset does not exhaust the larger concept. There are temperate regions with dry summers that sit outside the core Mediterranean zone, including areas with Atlantic influence or different geographic features. The Mediterranean coast and its immediate pre-coastal areas rarely extend far inland, a reality that affects regional studies and local climate assessments. For example, in the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, winter temperatures can be harsh, and seasonal patterns reflect a strong continental influence that competes with maritime moderation. In some places, continentalization has outweighed maritime effects, shaping local climate and vegetation.
Widespread misinterpretations have also touched geobotany. The Iberian Peninsula shows a mix of climatic influences, and some forests labeled as Mediterranean sclerophyll forests actually have temperate or Atlantic affinities. It is a common error to view areas such as Cabañeros or Monfragüe as prototypical Mediterranean landscapes, when their conditions align more closely with temperate climates and dry subtropical characteristics influenced by Atlantic moisture. The Central Mountain Range illustrates this confusion most clearly. Precipitation patterns decrease eastward, and the belief that the entire range represents a Mediterranean belt is misleading. The attempt to classify vegetation along the lines of thermo-Mediterranean, middle East, or oro-Mediterranean can obscure the true drivers of plant communities, which often blend temperate, xeric, and Atlantic elements.
Despite these challenges, the tendency to impose Mediterranean labels persists. It would be more accurate to speak of dry-summer temperate forests, noting that the pronounced leaf cuticles in xerophytic oaks and related species reflect a broader subtropical influence. This subtropical subsidence, not the Mediterranean alone, contributes to the region’s drought patterns and the distribution of vegetation. A clear takeaway is that dry summers signal subtropical conditions rather than a definitive Mediterranean signature, especially in areas where Atlantic moisture wanes and inland influences rise. Reframing terminology in this way can help reduce confusion and better reflect ecological realities across the wider region.