Named after the Etruscans, the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italian: Mar Tirreno) is a sub-area of the northern Mediterranean Sea covering almost 250,000 square kilometers. It lies between central and southern mainland Italy to the east, Sicily to the south and Corsica and Sardinia to the west. In the north, the Tyrrhenian Sea borders the Ligurian Sea approximately on the line between the coastal cities of Bastia (Corsica) and La Spezia (Liguria region). Among the numerous islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea are Elba, the Lipari Islands, Ischia and Capri. Some of the most famous coastal towns of the Tyrrhenian Sea are Palermo (Sicily), Naples and Salerno (Campania), Livorno (Tuscany)and Cagliari (Sardinia).