This paper describes the seasonal characteristics of the Mediterranean Sea general circulation as simulated by a primitive equation general circulation model. The forcing is composed of climatological monthly mean atmospheric parameters, which are used to compute the heat and momentum budgets at the air-sea interface of the model. This allows heat fluxes to be determined by a realistic air-sea interaction physics. The Strait of Gibraltar is open, and the model resolution is 1/4¿¿1/4¿ in the horizontal and 19 levels in the vertical. The results show the large seasonal cycle of the circulation and its transient characteristics. The heat budget at the surface is characterized by lateral boundary intensifications occurring in downwelling and upwelling areas of the basin. The general circulation is composed of subbasin gyres, and cyclonic motion dominates the northern and anticyclonic motion the southern part of the basin. The Atlantic stream which enters from Gibraltar and assumes the form of different boundary current subsystems is a coherent structure at the surface. At depth it appears as current segments and jets around a vigorous gyre system. The seasonal variability is manifested not only by a change in amplitude and location of the gyres but also by the appearance of seasonally recurrent gyres in different parts of the basin. Distinct westward propagation of these gyres occurs, together with amplitude changes. For the first time a Mersa-Matruh Gyre is successfully simulated due to the introduction of our heat fluxes at the air-sea interface. The seasonal thermocline is formed each summer, and a deep winter mixed layer is produced in the region of Levantine intermediate water formation. Deep water renewal does not occur, probably due to the climatological forcing used. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995