What is "inland sea"

n. A large, but relatively shallow expanse of water, within a landmass, sometimes connected to the ocean.

An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a shallow sea that covers central areas of continents during periods of high sea level that result in marine transgressions. In modern times, continents stand high, eustatic sea levels are low, and there are few inland seas, none larger than the Caspian Sea. Modern examples might also include the recently (less than 10,000 years ago) reflooded Persian Gulf, and the South China Sea that presently covers the Sunda Shelf.

Inland Sea may refer to:

• Inland sea (geology), a sea that covers a central area of a landmass
• specific inland seas named "Inland Sea":
  • Seto Inland Sea, the body of water separating three of the main islands of Japan
  • Inland Sea, Gozo, a lagoon of seawater on the island of Gozo in Malta
  • Western Inland Sea, also known as the Western Interior Seaway, a sea that split the continent of North America during the Cretaceous Period
  • Khawr al Udayd, an inlet of the Persian Gulf
• Inland Sea, an album by Rin'
• Inland Sea, a book by Donald Richie
• The Pathfinder, or The Inland Sea, an 1840 novel by James Fenimore Cooper