Straits are narrow spaces of water that separate land areas and connect neighboring seas or oceans.
|
The largest straits in the world |
||
|
Name |
Length (km) |
What connects |
|
Mozambican |
Indian Ocean waters |
|
|
Baffin Sea and Atlantic Ocean |
||
|
Malaccan |
Andaman and South China Seas |
|
|
Hudson |
Hudson Bay and Atlantic Ocean |
|
|
Makassar |
Sulawesi and Java Seas |
|
|
Tatar |
Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan |
|
|
Florida |
Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean |
|
|
North Sea and Atlantic Ocean |
||
|
Magellanic |
Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
|
Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
||
|
Beringov |
Chukchi and Bering seas |
|
|
Gibraltar |
Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean |
|
Mozambique Channel located between the island of Madagascar and continental Africa. The Mozambique Strait is located in the western Indian Ocean and is considered one of the longest on the planet. The approximate length of the strait is 1670 kilometers, and the width is up to 925 kilometers.
The Mozambique Strait in the north and south has a depth of more than 3 kilometers, and in the middle part it is approximately 2.4 kilometers. The minimum depth of the strait along the fairway is 117 meters.
The Mozambique Channel is characterized by a stable current with a speed of about 1.5 knots, which is directed from north to south. The height of the tides is up to 5 meters. In the northern part of the strait are the Comoros Islands, which have many small islands and reefs along the coastline.
The coastline is very beautiful, with soft sea sand under your feet. The coast is indented in some places by the tides and is bordered by gentle hills from which magnificent panoramas of the Mozambique Channel open up.
The nature of the Mozambique Strait is unique; only here you can find unique specimens of the coelacanth fish, which, as a species, is twice as old as dinosaurs. Here you can meet the largest stingray, which is called the manta ray. It is these unique species of fish that attract a large number of divers here.
Davis Strait- located between Greenland and the Baffin Islands. The strait connects the Baffin Sea of the Arctic Ocean with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the Davis Strait is 632 miles (1170 km), the width is 194.5-577 miles (360-1070 km), the depth of the navigable part is 104 - 3730 m. Drifting ice and icebergs are found in the waters of the Davis Strait.
Strait of Malacca- separates the Malacca Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, which belongs to Indonesia.
The northern and northeastern shores of the Strait of Malacca and the islands located near them belong to the Kingdom of Thailand. All other shores belong to the state of Malaysia, and the already mentioned island of Sumatra and the islands adjacent to it belong to Indonesia.
The length of the strait is very large, it is 1000 km, the width exceeds 40 km, and the depth in the shipping channel is not less than 25 m.
Navigation in the Strait of Malacca is complicated by the fact that there are shoals near the shores. Everything is complicated by the fact that shoals sometimes occur far from the coast, and reefs can be hidden in the shoals.
The Strait of Malacca region is volcanically active. Most of the islands in the strait are of volcanic origin. The largest of them include Phuket, Lankawi, Penang and others.
Hudson Strait- located between Baffin Island and the Labrador Peninsula off the northeastern coast of Canada. Connects Hudson Bay to the Atlantic Ocean.
The length of the Hudson Strait is 432 miles (806 km), width 62 - 219 miles (115 - 407 km). The depth of the navigable part is 141 - 988 m. The surface current is in the South-East at a speed of 0.4 knots (0.7 km/h). The highest tide height reaches 7.7 m.
Makassar Strait- located between the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi. This strait connects the Sulawesi Sea with the Java Sea. The length of the Makassar Strait is 383 miles (710 km), the smallest width is 65 miles (120 km), the smallest depth of the navigable part is 930 m. Currents in the Makassar Strait are of a monsoon nature.
Strait of Tartary, separates Asia and the island of Sakhalin, and also connects the Sea of Japan with the Sea of Okhotsk. The narrowest and shallowest part of the strait, located at the confluence of the Amur River, is called the Mamio-Rinzo Strait or the Nevelskoy Strait.
The Tatar Strait has a length of 633 kilometers, the maximum width of the strait is 342 kilometers, and the minimum is 7.3 km. The depth of the fairway of the Tatar Strait in most cases is quite significant already near the shore; the minimum depth on the fairway of the strait is 7.2 meters, which is why the Tatar Strait is considered one of the shallowest straits.
The shores of the Tatar Strait are mostly mountainous in the south, while in the north they are flat. The average water temperature in the strait in summer fluctuates around 11 degrees Celsius. During the winter months, the Tatar Strait is covered with ice in the north, while in the southern part the strait is covered with drifting ice. There are no large islands in the strait, except Moneron Island.
The shores of the Tatar Strait are decorated with emerald coniferous forests, in which spruce, fir and larch grow, with a small admixture of birch and alder.
The waters of the Tatar Strait are rich in fish; herring, flounder and halibut live here in large numbers.
Straits of Florida- located between the Florida Peninsula and the islands of Cuba and the Bahamas, connecting the waters of the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the Strait of Florida is 350 miles (648 km), the width is 43-97 miles (80-180 km), the depth of the navigable part is 150-2085 m, the surface current (the beginning of the Gulf Stream) is in the Northeast at a speed of 2.4-3 .8 knots (4.4-7 km/h). Hurricanes are possible in the Straits of Florida from April to October.
Strait of the English Channel- English Channel, a strait between the northern coast of Western Europe and the island. Great Britain. Together with the Pas de Calais Strait (Strait of Dover), it connects the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. The length is about 520 km, the width in the west is about 180 km, in the east - 32 km. The depth in the fairway is 35 m, the greatest depth is 172 m. There are many shallows, especially in the eastern part of the strait. Western winds cause a stable eastern current in the strait at a speed of up to 3 km/h (in narrow areas). The tides are semidiurnal, their magnitude in some places reaches 12.2 m (Gulf of Saint-Malo). Fogs are frequent. It has important transport significance. One of the largest routes in terms of cargo turnover from the countries of the North and Baltic Seas to the countries of North and South America, as well as to Africa, Asia and Australia passes through the strait. Main ports: Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth (UK). Le Havre, Cherbourg (France). Fisheries are developed (flounder, mackerel, cod, halibut). There is a project (1973) for an underwater tunnel through the Pas de Calais Strait.
Strait of Magellan- a strait between the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and the continent of South America. Both banks of the Strait of Magellan are located on the territory of the state of Chile. The length of the strait is 575 km, and the depth everywhere exceeds 20 m.
The shores in the northeastern part of the Strait of Magellan are very steep, winding, rocks hang over the waters, and glaciers are possible. The northeastern shores, on the contrary, are flatter. The waters in the northwest are deeper than in the northeast.
Sailing in the Strait of Magellan is not very common, this is due to the dangers hidden in its depths. There are shoals and underwater rocks in the middle of the strait. Powerful westerly winds also blow in the strait. The speed of currents created by tides reaches 25 km/h.
The strait was first passed in 1520. Magellan is considered the discoverer; it was he who became the historical pioneer. Although there are versions according to which the strait was opened much earlier. Then Tierra del Fuego belonged to the Unknown Southern Land, and the Strait of Magellan was called the “Strait of All Saints.”
Drake Passage The northern coast of which is the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, and the southern coast is the South Shetland Islands, which belong to Antarctica, unites the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
The width of the strait everywhere exceeds 820 km. This allowed the Drake Passage to receive the title of the widest strait in the world.
The Drake Passage is incredibly dangerous for sailors for several reasons. Firstly, icebergs are common in the strait, especially in the south. Secondly, there are storms of unprecedented strength, often wave heights exceed 15 m, and squally winds blow at a speed of 35 m/s. Thirdly, a very strong current flows in the Drake Passage - the “Western Wind Current”, which is circumpolar.
The southernmost point of South America with an incredibly cold climate is located in the Drake Passage. These are the Diego Ramirez Islands. But since they are not so easy to get to, tourists usually visit Cape Horn.
The pioneer of the strait was the Englishman Francis Drake, and the strait was named in honor of this navigator, who conquered the wild waters in 1578.
Bering Strait- located between the easternmost point of Asia, called Cape Dezhnev, and the westernmost point of the North American continent - Cape Prince of Wales, separating the Russian Federation and the United States of America.
It is probably difficult to find a landscape in the Far North with more severe weather conditions than the Bering Strait. In summer, the temperature here almost never rises above zero degrees. Strong winds blow here, bringing drizzle and snow from the ocean, and ice floes move along the strait.
At its narrowest point, the width of the Bering Strait is 86 kilometers, and the minimum depth of the fairway is 36 meters. The Bering Strait is where waters exchange between the Arctic Ocean (Chukchi Sea) and the Pacific Ocean (Bering Sea). In the center of the Bering Strait are the Diomede Islands. This is where the border of time zones and the date line pass.
On the lifeless shores of the Bering Strait lies inhospitable tundra and permafrost. The shores of the Bering Strait are mostly high rocky, very indented, and there are a large number of coves.
The cold, clear waters of the Bering Strait are home to 60 species of fish, the most common being flounder, halibut, pink salmon, cod, chum salmon and chinook salmon. Mussels, balanuses, octopuses, crabs and shrimp live here in large numbers. The Bering Strait is home to fur seals, seals, gray whales and sperm whales. Birds live on the rocky shores of the strait, uniting in bird colonies.
strait of Gibraltar- located between the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula (Europe) and northwestern Africa; connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. The length of the Strait of Gibraltar is 32 miles (59 km), the width is 7.5 - 23.7 miles (14 - 44 km), the depth of the navigable part is 338 m. In the Strait of Gibraltar, at different depths, the current is directed in opposite directions. The surface current directed to the Mediterranean Sea receives an average of 55,198 km of Atlantic water per year (average temperature 17 °C, salinity above 36 ‰). In the deep current directed to the Atlantic Ocean, 51,886 km of Mediterranean water flows away (average temperature 13.5 °C, salinity 38 ‰). The difference of 3312 km is mainly due to evaporation from the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.
Along the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar there are steep rock formations, which in ancient times were called the Pillars of Hercules - the Rock of Gibraltar in the north and Musa in the south.
Due to its convenient geographical location, the Strait of Gibraltar is of great economic and strategic importance and is under the control of the English fortress and naval base of Gibraltar. In the area of the strait there are the Spanish ports of Ceuta, La Linea, Algeciras, as well as the Moroccan Tangier.
A strait is a body of water separating two land areas, which in turn connects adjacent bodies of water. As you know, the widest strait on Earth is the Drake Passage, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the south. However, each section of the strait can have completely different widths, so this rating is compiled taking into account the narrowest parts of the straits.
1. Drake Passage (800 km)
Located to the south of the tip of South America, the Drake Passage is bounded on the north by the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, numbering about 40 thousand large and small islands, and on the south by the South Shetland Islands, which belong to the continent of Antarctica. This strait is the only artery (other than the Panama Canal) that connects the two largest oceans on Earth - the Pacific and the Atlantic.
The Drake Passage has always been dangerous for sailors, who became convinced of this when they first passed through it on sailing ships. There are several reasons for this. The first is terrible weather and violent storms, driving up waves up to 20 meters high, while hurricane-force winds blow at a speed of 40 m/s. In addition, there are many icebergs in the Drake Passage that have broken off from neighboring Antarctica. There is also a very strong circumpolar current here. The southernmost point of South America - the Diego Ramirez Islands - is also located here. However, tourists, rare in these places, more often visit Cape Horn, which is much easier to get to. The strait is named after the Englishman Francis Drake, who was the first European to pass here in 1578.
2. Mozambique Channel (422 km)
This strait, located in the western Indian Ocean, separates the island of Madagascar from Africa. By the way, this is the longest strait on the planet (1760 km). It has the greatest depth in the south and north, but there is also a lot in the middle of the strait - 2.4 km. Much earlier than the Europeans, the strait was actively used by Arab merchants who traded with the inhabitants of Madagascar. It remains unclear who was the first European to sail here. Vasco da Gama is considered one of the candidates for this role, but other historians are inclined towards Marco Polo, who could have sailed here two centuries earlier.
3. Davis Strait (338 km)
The Davis Strait separates the largest island on the planet, Greenland, from Baffin Island, which belongs to Canada (province of Nunavut). Its width ranges from 338 kilometers at its narrowest to 950 at its widest, and its maximum depth is 3660 m. The British named this strait after their navigator John Davies, who sailed in these waters several times during the 1580s to explore both islands bordering the strait. It was he who discovered this strait in 1583, along with a piece of land adjacent to it. Davis Strait connects the Baffin Sea, which belongs to the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, from the Labrador Sea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. And the Hudson Strait connects it to the Fox Basin and Hudson Bay.
The best beaches combine not only soft silky sand, a caressing azure sea, fresh air and enchanting nature, but also a fairly developed and...
4. Denmark Strait (290 km)
It is otherwise called the Greenland Strait because it separates the island of Greenland from the island of Iceland. At the same time, it connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Greenland Sea. The Greenland Strait is quite shallow, even in the fairway its shallowest depth is only 227 meters. From south to north, closer to the shores of Iceland, a branch of the warm Irminger Current passes here, and closer to the Greenland shores, the East Greenland Current, which carries ice all year round, rushes in the opposite direction. The Denmark Strait is unique with the largest underwater “waterfalls” known to science - a vertical convergent current running from a 600-meter depth to a 4-kilometer depth.
5. Bass Strait (240 km)
Bass Strait separates the island of Tasmania from Australia and at the same time connects the Pacific and Indian oceans. The strait is very shallow - the average depth is 50 meters. Such a shallow depth indicates the “young” age of Bass Strait, which is only about 10 thousand years old, and it appeared only due to rising sea levels. Before this, Tasmania was just a piece of the Australian mainland. This strait was discovered by the Englishman Matthew Flinders in 1798 and decided to name it in honor of his ship's doctor, George Bass. The opening of this strait was useful for merchant ships sailing from India or Europe to Sydney, since by passing through it they saved 1,300 km of distance. A reminder of a very recent era of land life in the strait, by geological standards, are the small islands scattered throughout it, which were once Australian hills and hillocks.
6. Korea Strait (180 km)
The Korea Strait separates the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese islands of Kyushu, Iki and the southwestern part of Honshu. It connects the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, which belong to the Pacific Ocean. In former times, the strategic importance of this strait existed only for these two countries. But when the era of isolationism ended in Japan in the middle of the 19th century, the United States, Russia and other countries began to be interested in the Korea Strait. Now ferries constantly travel along this strait between the Korean port of Busan and Jeju Island and the Japanese Tsushima, Fukuoka and others. The strait also provides communication between Busan and China. Recently, plans have been made to build an underwater tunnel or bridge connecting Korea with Japan.
A beach holiday in a luxurious place where azure waves crash on soft silk sand, the water is crystal clear, and the surrounding landscape is breathtaking -...
7. Long Strait (146 km)
Between Wrangel Island and Eurasia there is the Long Strait, which simultaneously connects the Chukchi and East Siberian seas. A conventional date line runs through its waters. The strait is named after Thomas Long, an American whaler who became the discoverer of Wrangel Island. The strait located in the Arctic is almost always covered with ice, but nevertheless, the northern sea route passes through it. But navigation here is extremely difficult due to powerful hummocks, so it is carried out only in the short summer months. To ensure year-round shipping, many icebreakers would be required, which turned out to be unprofitable. Mostly ships sail along the Long Strait, providing the regions of the Far North with essential goods.
8. Taiwan Strait (130 km)
In the past, this strait, separating the island of Taiwan from the Asian continent, was called the Formosan Strait. It starts at the South China Sea and ends at the East China Sea. The strait has a large difference in depth in the fairway - from 60 m to 1773 m. The mainland coastline of the strait is indented by bays, and there are many islands near it, but the coast of the island of Taiwan has a flat coastline. In the south of the strait is the Penghu Archipelago. The government of mainland China has proposed the construction of a transport tunnel under the strait with a length of 127-207 kilometers - in any case, if the plans are implemented, it will be the longest underwater railway tunnel on the planet.
9. Makassar Strait (120 km)
This fairly wide strait separates the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Kalimantan, and at the same time connects the Java Sea and the Sulawesi Sea. There is a southward current here, which in winter is intensified by the monsoon. The port of Balikpapan operates on Kalimantan, and Ujungpandang on Sulawesi. The conventional Wallace Line runs through this strait, separating the fauna of Asia from the Australian.
The earth's land has a wide variety of coastlines, including peninsulas: among them there are very long ones, stretched out in a narrow strip, there are...
10. Hudson Strait (115 km)
This strait, named after Henry Hudson, who was the first to sail through it in 1610, is located in the Arctic Ocean within Canadian territory. It is limited to the north by Baffin Island, and to the south by the Labrador Peninsula. The Hudson Strait connects the Labrador Sea with the inland Fox and Hudson Bays. In the southeast it connects with the Gulf of Ungava, famous for its powerful tides. Storms often occur here, and shipping is carried out only for 4 months.
They are the most numerous. There are six of them: Beloe, Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukotka. The farthest sea in the west is the Barents Sea. It is named after the Dutch navigator Barents, who in the 16th century led three expeditions across the Arctic Ocean in search of a northeast passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The Barents Sea differs sharply from other northern seas: most of […]
The Arctic Ocean is located in the polar zone, which determines its climatic conditions. The existence of huge masses of ice (in the central part of the Arctic basin the ice cover remains throughout the year) further increases the severity of the climate, caused by the characteristics of solar radiation within the polar zone. Throughout the year, an anticyclonic process occurs over the Arctic Ocean and a cyclonic […]
The fauna and flora of the Indian Ocean are similar to the organic world of the western Pacific Ocean, which is explained by the free exchange between these oceans through the seas and straits in the Indonesian archipelago region. The location of most of the Indian Ocean in the zone from tropical to temperate latitudes creates favorable climatic and hydrological conditions for the development of a diverse organic world. Ocean […]
Even after the discovery of the New World and circumnavigation, questions remained unclear about the possibility of the existence of hitherto unknown continents in the Southern Hemisphere. Their searches led to important geographical discoveries. Discovery and exploration of Australia and Oceania The unknown southern land - Terra Australis incognita - was sought by the Portuguese, Spaniards, Dutch, and English. In 1642, the Dutchman Abel Tasman proved the existence of a southern continent by walking along its entire […]
The Sea of Japan lies between the Eurasian mainland, Sakhalin Island and the Japanese Islands. The Sea of Japan is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 1062 km2, its volume is 1631 thousand km3, and its greatest depth is 3720 m. This is a marginal oceanic sea. There are no large islands in the Sea of Japan. Of the small ones, the most significant are the islands of Moneron, Rebun, Rishiri, […]
The Sea of Okhotsk is located in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Asia and is separated from the ocean by the chain of the Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula. From the south and west it is limited by the coast of the island of Hokkaido, the eastern coast of the island of Sakhalin and the coast of the Asian continent. The sea extends significantly from southwest to northeast within a spherical trapezoid with coordinates 43°43’–62°42’ N. w. […]
The Bering Sea is the largest of the Far Eastern seas washing the shores of Russia, located between two continents - Asia and North America - and is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian Arc. The Bering Sea is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 2315 thousand km2, its volume is 3796 thousand km3, its average depth is 1640 […]
The Karangat sea basin occupied the Black Sea basin during the maximum of the last (Mikulino) interglacial. Sea level was 6–8 m higher than today. The coastline moved deeper into the continent along the valleys of the Dnieper and Southern Bug. Along the Don and Manych, sea waters penetrated up to the mouth of the Kalaus. They flooded the Danube Delta and the Sivash Bay. The Karangata Basin had a broader connection […]
Maritime transport is of paramount importance for the implementation of foreign economic (interstate, intercontinental) relations. It provides more than 4/5 of all international transport. They include a particularly large share of bulk cargo (oil, petroleum products, ores, coal, grain, etc.). But recently the share of container transportation of so-called general cargo (finished products and semi-finished products) has been increasing. Backgammon with intercontinental, interstate transportation, sea […]
The territory of Russia is washed by the waters of 12 seas belonging to the basins of three oceans and the Caspian Sea, which belongs to the internal closed basin. Russia has a large commercial, fishing and naval fleet. The waters and natural resources of the seas washing the territory of the country are taken under state protection. Together with other countries, Russia is fighting pollution of the seas and oceans with oil and chemicals that […]
There are positive (rising above the surface) and negative (deepening from the surface) landforms. Irregularities in the surface of the earth's crust can be of different orders. The greatest (planetary) landforms are ocean basins (negative form) and continents (positive form). The area of the earth's surface is 510 million square kilometers. of which 361 million sq. km (71%) is occupied by the World Ocean and only 149 […]
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceans. This is the deepest and warmest ocean in the surface layer. The highest wind waves and the most destructive tropical hurricanes form here. It ranks first in the number of islands and is distinguished by a variety of natural conditions. The Pacific Ocean covers more than 30% of the Earth's surface with its waters and exceeds all continents in area. […]
The total length of Russia's borders is the largest in the world and reaches 62,269 km. Of these, the length of the sea borders is 37636.6 km and the land borders are 24625.3 km. Of the maritime boundaries on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, or the Russian Arctic sector, there are 19,724.1 km, and on the coast of the Pacific Ocean - 16,997.9 km. Maritime borders are located at a distance [...]
South America is the fourth largest continent on Earth. Its area is 17,850 thousand km2 without islands. Together with the islands - 18,280 thousand km2. Most of the continent is located in the southern hemisphere - the equator crosses it in the northern part. The continent expands its territory from south to north, reaching its maximum parallel length near the equator in […]
The geology and topography of North America is complex. The distribution of large orographic elements of the continent shows similarities with South America. But in terms of internal structure and development, North America is close to Europe. On the territory of North America, a continuation of a number of tectonic zones of Europe can be traced, and in the process of geological development, both of these parts of the land were repeatedly connected with each other. For […]
Which straits of the world (canals, passages) are the most significant for international maritime navigation?
Global sea routes and Strategic sea passages have bottlenecks - straits.
The space of the strait has limited possibilities, but these passages allow you to avoid detours. These sea routes, several kilometers wide, sometimes become obligatory passage points - almost all of them occupy strategic places, but have physical restrictions (coasts, winds, sea currents, depths, reefs, ice and political boundaries).
Most maritime transport movements take place along the coasts of continents. International shipping routes are forced to pass through certain places, channels and straits. These routes are typically located between major markets in Western Europe, North America and East Asia. The most active commercial container traffic takes place here.
The importance of these large markets is in the exchange of semi-finished and finished goods. In addition, the main routes involve the flow of raw materials, namely minerals, grains, food products, and most importantly oil.
The most important strategic sea passages (chokepoints) are often located near politically unstable countries, increasing the risk associated with piracy. Or cases when delivery takes place during war.
The performance of overseas canals and passages has a significant impact on global trade trends.
The Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Hormuz account for four of the most important strategic shipping passages in global cargo traffic.
Their continued availability in global maritime circulation is due to the fact that the global trading system is highly dependent on their use, especially in the northern hemisphere.
1. Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway about 190 km long, passing through the Isthmus of Suez in northeastern Egypt. It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the arm of the Red Sea.
2. Panama Canal
The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama, from Cristobal on Limon Bay, to the Caribbean Sea, to Balboa, on the Gulf of Panama. Its operational characteristics are 82 kilometers long, 12.5 meters (39.5 feet) deep, and 32 meters (106 feet) wide.
3. Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is one of the most important strategic straits in the world. It supports the majority of maritime trade between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, accounting for 50,000 ships per year. About 30% of world trade and 80% of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. It measures 800 km in length, 50 to 320 km in width (2.5 km at its narrowest point) and a minimum depth of 23 meters (about 70 feet). It is the longest strait in the world used for international navigation, with transit lasting approximately 20 hours.
4. Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz forms a strategic link between oil fields in the Persian Gulf, which is the maritime cul-de-sac of the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. It ranges from 48 to 80 km wide, but navigation is limited to two 3 km wide channels, each used exclusively for incoming or outgoing traffic. Circulation to/from the Persian Gulf is therefore quite limited, with a significant number of tankers and container ships having difficulty passing through the narrow channels. In addition, the islands that control the strait are disputed between Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
5. Bab el-Mandeb Strait
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait controls access to the Suez Canal. It is a strategic link between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It is 48 to 80 km wide, but navigation is limited to two 3 km wide channels for incoming and outgoing traffic. The significant volume of tanker traffic makes navigation difficult in narrow channels. Closing this strait will have serious consequences - it will force a detour around the Cape of Good Hope. The strait requires additional space for tankers. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a key link in the trade route from Europe to Asia.
6. Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is on a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Gibraltar represents an obligatory passage point between the Iberian Peninsula and the African coast. The strait has a length of about 64 km and a width of 13 to 39 km. Under British control since its conquest from Spain in 1704, the Strait of Gibraltar became a formal cession in the Treaty of Utrecht (1713). During World War II, Gibraltar blocked access to the Atlantic for the Italian and German fleets in the Mediterranean. It represents the main strategic fortress of this region.
7. Bosphorus Strait
The Bosphorus passage is 30 km long and only 1 km wide at its narrowest point. The Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. Its access was the subject of two conflicts, the War of the Crimea (1854) and the Battle of the Dardanelles (Gallipoli, 1915). The passage was reserved for Turkey after the Montreux Convention in 1936, which recognized Turkish control of the Bosphorus but allowed free passage in peacetime for any commercial vessel without inspection.
8. Strait of Magellan
This passage was discovered in 1520 by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The Strait of Magellan separates South America from the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Its length is 530 km and its width is from 4 to 24 km. Secret for more than a century, the strait ensured the supremacy of Portugal and Spain in the Asian trade in spices and silks. With the construction of the Panama Canal in 1916, and then with the creation of the North American Transcontinental Bridge in the 1980s, this passage lost much of its strategic importance.