Geography teaches that a strait is a body of water that divides land. Straits are characterized by the length, depth and speed of the current. They can connect as one pool (sea, ocean), and different. These are important objects that can not only reduce the time of sea travel, but also have strategic importance.
We collected in one top 10 of the longest straits in the world.
List
- 10. Danish, 530 km
- 9. Magellans, 575 km
- 8. English Channel, 578 km
- 7. Tatar, 663 km
- 6. Florida, 650 km
- 5. Makassarsky, 710 km
- 4. Hudson, 806 km
- 3. Malacca, 937 km
- 2. Davis, 1170 km
- 1. Mozambique, 1760 km
10. Danish, 530 km
Strait of Denmark located between Greenland and Iceland, therefore its other name is Greenlandic. Its depth is 226 m. The bottom of the strait is uneven; a ridge separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Greenland Sea runs along it. Due to the fact that the water here never mixes, the temperature on different sides of the ridge varies by 9 ° C.
The Vikings were the first to discover the strait, exploring the seas in search of new lands. During the Second World War, several battles of the British fleet with the ships of the Reich took place in the waters of the Strait of Strait.
At present, shipping is poorly developed, in particular due to the large number of drifting icebergs. But fishing boats scurry about on the water: the water area is rich in various species of fish and arthropods.
A real attraction is the underwater waterfall, the largest in the world. Water overthrows into a fault to a depth of more than 3 km. This is a spectacle that is truly breathtaking. It is possible due to the different amounts of salts and the density of water, because of which it can plunge into depths that have not yet been studied.
9. Magellans, 575 km
Separates Africa and the group of islands Tierra del Fuego. The strait was named after the great traveler Fernand Magellan. A world-wide expedition under his leadership fell into a storm and, trying to hide from it, entered the bay, and from it into the strait, which led them into the Pacific Ocean after half a kilometer. Magellan himself gave him the name of the festival of All Saints, but it did not take root.
For some time the archipelago south of the continental part was considered part of uncharted new land, but the aspirations of the discoverers did not come true. Before the construction of the Panama Canal Strait of Magellan was of great importance for trade, as it allowed to significantly shorten the path.
8. English Channel, 578 km
English Channel, his second name, shares the coast of Great Britain and France. It was formed relatively recently 200-400 thousand years ago as a result of large floods. The glacier bordering the lake melted, and water flooded the isthmus, thanks to which Britain was a peninsula. English Channel connect the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.
The weather here is changeable and dangerous. Fogs and storms are normal for the English Channel. Weather conditions have always been an advantage of the British Navy.
Since 1994, the longest underwater tunnel has been operating under the strait, which connected two countries: France and the UK.
7. Tatar, 663 km
Tatar Strait located in the Far East of Russia and separates Sakhalin from the mainland. This is a unique body of water. In it, over many years of observation, maximum ice formation is recorded throughout the Sea of Japan.
The strait is rather deep: in some places, the depth a few meters from the coast is estimated at 30-35 meters. Furthermore, the minimum depth is 10 m.
The climate here is not easy for humans: high humidity and low temperatures. But marine life feels good in local waters. Pink salmon, sockeye salmon, perch and other commercial fish are found here.
The strait is named after the Tatars, although they live at a distance of thousands of kilometers. The fact is that for a long time all the peoples of Eurasia, who lived east of the Urals, were not called Tatars, not particularly versed in ethnic differences. Fortunately, today the difference in cultures is obvious, but the name has taken root.
6. Florida, 650 km
As the name implies, the strait washes the shores of American Florida, and on the other hand, the islands of Cuba. It connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
The strait territory is divided between the USA and Cuba by a special agreement, the main ports are Miami and Havana. At the same time, the waters are actively used for shipping by the countries of North and South America.
The climate here is tropical, storms and strong winds are frequent. But they are not alone in danger. By Strait of florida the course passes by the same name, so strong that it is difficult to cope with it without special training. And in the warm waters expanse for sharks. These factors are the main danger for refugees crossing the strait in primitive boats.
5. Makassarsky, 710 km
Located in Indonesia and shares the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi. Its width varies in the range of 100-300 km, and the depth reaches 2.5 km. Scientists are still arguing about the age and origin of the strait, but they agree that the islands used to be much closer to each other and diverged as a result of seismic processes.
Strait of Makassar - navigable, large ships pass through it, which are difficult to overcome other waters. It also has historical and biological significance. The so-called Wallace line runs along it - a conditional border dividing biological species into Asian and Australian fauna.
There was a battle in 1942 between the Nazis and the US Army in alliance with the Netherlands. Japan managed to win and strengthen its position in the East Indies.
4. Hudson, 806 km
In the early 17th century, Henry Hudson discovered a long strait separating the Labrador Peninsula and Baffin Island. It was in honor of this navigator that the strait and the large bay were named.
It is quite wide: from 115 km to 240 km in the south, the depth can reach 700 m. The strait is used for navigation, but it is safe to go through it only a few months a year. Hudson Strait famous for high tides, which can reach 13 m, and severe storms.
3. Malacca, 937 km
It is located in Asia and separates the Malay Peninsula from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Strait of Malacca almost a kilometer long is of great economic and strategic importance. It carries tons of cargo from China to India and the surrounding countries, and the amount of goods is one fifth of the total world trade.
The main difficulties traveling along the strait are associated with the high economic value of these waters. In the early 2000s, pirates rampaged here, they captured more than 70 ships a year. If one of the attacked ships stood in shallow water, this would lead to a halt in movement and a colossal crisis. Therefore, measures were taken to protect safety in the strait. And although the pirates did not disappear anywhere, the attacks became much less.
The second problem is smoke from forest fires. It reduces visibility to 200 m and gives odds to pirates and terrorists.
2. Davis, 1170 km
Cold waters Davis Strait flow between the Canadian island of Baffin Island and Greenland. It was named after the explorer John Davis, who in the late 16th - early 17th centuries explored the northern seas. And the discovery of the strait belongs to him.
Chunks of ice are constantly breaking off from Greenland and sailing along the strait into the Atlantic Ocean. The sadly memorable catastrophe of the Titanic was caused by a collision with an iceberg that came from here. Sometimes the Davis Strait is called a glass of ice.
The shores are covered with moss, and the bottom stores deposits of oil and natural gas, which are still intact. Fishing is done here, but it is strictly monitored by Greenland and Canada, so as not to harm the ecosystem of the strait.
1. Mozambique, 1760 km
The title of the longest on Earth has a strait between continental Africa and Madagascar. It was known since ancient times and was used by Arabs for trade. But about the European discoverer, disputes are still ongoing. The main candidates are Vasco da Gama and Marco Polo.
Length Strait of mozambique more than 1.5 km, its depth reaches 3 km, and the width in the narrowest place is 420 km. Its sandy beaches stretch for hundreds of meters, and the rich underwater world attracts divers from all over the world. Numerous underwater volcanoes create islands that are replaced by coral reefs.