Over-Simplified diagram

A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water, and thus lies between two land masses. The terms strait, channel, passage, sound, and firth can be synonymous and interchangeable, although each is sometimes differentiated with varying senses. Many straits are economically important. Straits can lie on important shipping routes, and wars have been fought for control of these straits. Numerous artificial channels, called canals, have been constructed to connect two bodies of water over land. Image File history File links Strait. ... For the cellular membrane structure that selectively passes water, see Aquaporin. ... A landmass is a large extent of land. ... In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks. ... // For other uses of sound, see sound (disambiguation). ... Firth is the Scots word used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. ... Shipping route is any trade route used by merchant ships. ... For other uses, see War (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Canal (disambiguation). ...

Although rivers and canals often form a bridge between two large lakes or a lake and a sea, and these seem to suit the formal definition of straits, they are not usually referred to as straits. Straits are typically much larger, wider structures that do not have water running in a single direction, and normally connect two seas.

Straits are the duals of isthmi. That is, while straits lie between two land masses and connect two larger bodies of water, isthmi lie between two bodies of water and connect two larger land masses. For other uses, see Isthmus (disambiguation). ...

Well-known straits

For more details on this topic, see list of straits.

Well-known straits in the world include: This List of straits is an appendix to the article strait. ...

• the palk strait, between India and Sri Lanka, the location of Ram Sethu and rich in natural resources
• the Strait of Dover, between England and France, which connects the North Sea with the English Channel
• the Strait of Gibraltar, the only natural passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
• the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, which connect the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
• the Strait of Magellan, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans north of Tierra del Fuego
• the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia, which connects the Pacific and Arctic Oceans
• the Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, through which Persian Gulf petroleum is shipped to the world
• the Strait of Malacca, which lies between Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, and connects the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea. (It is one of the highest-volume shipping lanes in the world.)
• and the Bass Strait, which lies between mainland Australia and Tasmania, and connects the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.

The Palk Strait is a 40-85 mi (64-137 km) wide strait that lies between Indias Tamil Nadu state and the island nation of Sri Lanka. ... Map of Adams Bridge and environs Landsat 5 image of Adams Bridge Adams Bridge also known as Ram Setu (from Sanskrit:)[1] meaning Ramas Bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram, off the southeastern coast... Satellite image of the Strait of Dover The Strait of Dover (French: Pas de Calais, i. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... For the Thoroughbred racehorse of the same name, see English Channel (horse). ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space (on the left: Spain) A view across the Strait of Gibraltar taken from the hills over Tarifa, Spain The Strait of Gibraltar (Arabic: مضيق جبل طارق, Spanish: Estrecho de Gibraltar) is the strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain... Mediterranean redirects here. ... I LOVE BORAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Two bridges cross the Bosporus. ... Map of the Dardanelles The Dardanelles (Turkish: Çanakkale BoÄŸazı, Greek: Δαρδανέλλια, Dardanellia), formerly known as the Hellespont (Greek: Eλλήσποντος, Hellespontos), is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. ... Mediterranean redirects here. ... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... A map of the Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan is a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland Chile, South America and north of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. ... Tierra del Fuego Cerro Sombrero Village, Chile. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Strait Photo across the Bering Strait Nautical chart of the Bering Strait The Bering Strait (Russian: ) is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43 W) of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point (168°05... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... Pacific redirects here. ... Historical map of the area (1892) Map Of Strait of Hormuz Satellite image The Strait of Hormuz (Arabic: ‎, Persian: ‎) is a narrow, strategically important stretch of ocean between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf in the southwest. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... The Gulf of Oman (Arabic: خليج عمان; transliterated: khalÄ«j Ê¿umān, Persian: دریای عمان; transliterated: daryā-ye Ê¿omān) is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Persian Gulf; it is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... A close-up map showing the Strait of Malacca separating peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (or Semenanjung Malaysia in the Malay language) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... Filipino name Tagalog: Luzon Sea Portuguese name Portuguese: Mar da China Meridional Vietnamese name Vietnamese: The South China Sea is a marginal sea south of China. ... Map of Australia with Bass Strait marked in light blue Bass Strait (IPA: ) is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland (Victoria in particular). ... Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product...

See also

• Freta
• Sound (geography)
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

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Straits