A Strait ( జలసంధి ) a narrow waterway which joins two large water bodies. It also separates two land masses.
Perim Island (Yemen) - Sawabi/ Seven brothers islands (Djibouti)
• The following is a list of some important straits across our planet :
1. Bering Strait :
• This strait seperates Cape Denzev in chukchi peninsula of Russia from Cape of Prince of wales in Alaska of USA. (Asia - North America)
• It joins Arctic Ocean (Chukchi sea) and the Pacific (Bering sea).
• International date line (IDL) passes through the Diomede islands which are present in between this strait.
Little Diomede ( USA ) - Big Diomede ( Russia )
2. Ban - el - Mandeb Strait :
• It joins the Red sea with the Gulf of Aden.
• It seperates Yemen in Arabian peninsula and Eritrea / Djibouti Nations in the Horn of Africa.
3. Straits of Indonesia :
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. It has numerous straits and the most important among them include :
a) Sunda Strait :
• It seperates Sumatra and Java Island, joining the Java sea and Indian Ocean.
• This strait has the famous Krakatoa Volcano (1883 eruption is one the largest eruptions in the world).
b) Bali Strait :
• It seperates Java and Bali islands of Indonesia.
• Java has the city of Jakarta which is the capital of Indonesia.
c) Badung Strait :
• It seperates Bali and Nusa Penida islands of Indonesia.
d) Strait of Malacca :
• Economically, one of the busiest straits in the world.
• It seperates the Malaysian Peninsula and the Sumatra Island.
• Joins the Andaman sea and Strait of Karimata.
I.e, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
e) Strait of Karimata :
• It seperates the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
( Borneo is the 3rd largest island in the world and has three provinces - Kalimantan of Indonesia in South, Sarawak and Sabah provinces of Malaysia, Independent sultanate of Brunei in the north )
• It connects Java sea to South China sea.
• Borneo is the home of East Kalimantan - The future capital of Indonesia.
f) Strait of Makassar :
• It seperates Borneo and Sulawesi islands of Indonesia.
• It joins Celebes Sea and Java Sea.
4. Straits in India :
a) Palk Strait :
• It seperates India from Srilanka and joins Bay of Bengal to Gulf of mannar.
• The Adams bridge ( Rama Setu ) joins Danushkodi in Pamban Island of India and Thalaimannar island of Srilanka.
• Named after Robert Palk who worked as governor of Madras during British Raj.
b) 10° Channel :
• It seperates Little Andaman and Car Nicobar islands.
c) Duncan Pass : Separates South Andaman and little Andaman
d) Austen Strait : Seperates North and middle Andaman
e) Homfray's strait : Seperates Middle and South Andaman
d) Diligent Strait : Great Andaman and Ritches Archipelago
e) 8° Channel : Maliku Kandu is the traditional name of the broad Minicoy 8° Channel between Minicoy island and Ihavandippolhu of the Maldives.
5. Straits in Australia / Oceania:
a ) Torres Strait :
• It seperates the New Guinea island ( PNG ) and Main land Australia ( Cape York Peninsula )
• Endeavour Strait is part of this which separates Muralug ( Prince of Wales island ) from Cape York.
b) Bass Strait :
• It lies between mainland Australia and Tasmania
c) Cook Strait :
• It separates the North Island and South Island of Newzealand, joining Tasman sea and Pacific.
d) Bougainville Strait :
• It separates the Solomon Islands from Bougainville, an autonomous island of Papua New Guinea. ( In 2019 referendum : People voted for Independence of Bougainville from PNG.)
6. Straits in Mediterranean :
Different minor seas in the Mediterranean sea :
Alboran Sea, Balearic Sea, Gulf of Lion, Ligurian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Gulf of Gabe's, Sea of Sicily, Ionian sea, Adriatic sea, Libyan Sea, Sea of Crete, Myrtoan Sea, Aegean Sea, Thracian Sea, Sea of Marmara, Levantine Sea,
a) Strait of Gibraltar :
• It joins Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic.
• On the northern side of the Strait are Spain and Gibraltar (UK) in the Iberian peninsula and to the south are Morocco and ceuta (Spain) in northern Africa.
• Rock of Gibraltar was one of the two "Pillars of Hercules" and the other pillar being Mons Abyla on the African side of the Strait.
b) Strait of Bosphorus :
• It joins the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea
• Also called as Strait of Instanbul.
c) Strait of Dardenalles :
• It joins Aegean sea and Sea of Marmara.
• Bosphorus strait & Dardenalles are together known as Turkish Straits.
• Aegean sea is a part of the Mediterranean sea which lies between Peninsulas of Anatolia and Greece.
d) Strait of Bonafacio :
• It seperates the Italian Islands of Corsica and Sardinia.
e) Strait of Sicily :
• It seperates Italian Island of Sicily from Tunisia.
• Sicily has an active volcano named Mt Etna.
f) Malta Channel :
• It seperates Island of Sicily from Republic of Malta.
e) Strait of Messina :
• It seperates Sicily Island and Mainland Italy.
f) Strait of Otranto :
• It seperates Italy and Albania
• It Joins Adriatic sea and Ionian sea.
7) Guardafui Channel :
• It seperates Somalia Horn of Africa from Socotra Island of Yemen
8) Denmark Strait :
• Seperates Iceland from Greenland.
9) Strait of Dover :
• Seperates Britain from France.
10) Bohai Strait :
• It joins Bohai sea and Korea bay of Yellow Sea beside China.
11) Straits of Florida :
• It seperates US State of Florida and Cuba.
12) Strait of Taiwan / Formosa Strait :
• Seperates Taiwan from Mainland China.
• Joins East China sea and South China sea.
13) Korea Strait :
• It separates Korean peninsula from Japan.
• It's the place where Yellow sea, East China sea and Japan Sea meets.
• It has two channels Eastern (Tsushima St.) And western channel seperated by Tsushima Island.
14) Strait of Magellan :
• It separates mainland South America and Teirra Del Fuego Archipelago ( Shared by Chile and Argentina )
15) Luzon Strait :
• It seperates Taiwan and Luzon island ( Largest Island of Phillipines )
16) North Channel :
• It Seperates Northern Ireland and Scotland
17) St. Georges Channel :
• Seperates Republic of Ireland and Wales.
• It Joins Cletic sea and Irish Sea
18) Serpent's mouth / Columbus Channel :
• Seperates Veneuzula from Trinidad and Tobago.
• Joins Atlantic ocean with Paria bay.
19) Dragon's mouth :
• Seprates Paria Peninsula ( Venezuela ) from Trinidad.
20) Strait of Hormuz :
• Joins the Perisan gulf and Gulf of Oman.
• Separates Iran from Oman and UAE.
• Hormuz island belongs to Iran
21) Strait of Tiran :
• Seperates Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and Tiran Island of Saudi Arabia
• It joins gulf of aqaba with Red sea.
22) Strait of Johor / Tebrau :
• Seprates Malaysia from Singapore
23) Davis Strait :
• Seperates Baffin Island of Canda and Greenland of Denmark.
24) Tartar Strait :
• Joins Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan
• Seprates Russia from Japan.
25) St. Of Belle Isle :
• Seprates Labrador of Canada and Newfoundland Island.
26 ) Hudson strait :
• Joins Labrador sea and Hudson bay.
• Seperates Baffin Island and Labrador Peninsula.
27 ) Danish Straits :
• Joins North sea to Baltic sea.
• Skagen and Kattegat are part of these straits.
28) Kerch Strait :
• Joins Sea of Azov and Black sea.
• Seperates Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine (Controlled by Russia) and Taman peninsula of Russia.
Harish Sai Manikanta
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