Major Straits of the World (Complete List)

Major Straits of the World

What is Strait?

· A Strait is a naturally formed, narrow, usually navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water. A strait is a thin channel of a waterway that lies between two land masses.

· The following are the main characteristics of a strait –

o Formed by natural processes

o Narrower than the seas it connects

o Navigability

· It is used for international navigation through the territorial sea as a transit passage.

Importance of Straits of the World

· Major straits of the world are used by commercial shipping to travel from one sea or exclusive economic zone to another.

· They are of immense strategic and commercial importance.

· They also serve as a channel through which ocean currents pass modifying the climate of that area.

· Straits are the important places which holds the important roles in the economic prosperity and development of the region. Historically, many Empires have risen and fallen due to the strategic control of these economically important passages near their domain. They play an important role in economic and military matters to this day.

 

This is an important topic in Geography for various Competitive Exams such as SSC, Railways, UPSC prelims etc. It is important to know the different straits of the world and their location on the map.

List of Major Straits of the World

· The following table lists the major straits in the world which are important for the various exams. Following is the list of Major Straits of the World on the basis of Location and Continents –

List of other major Straits of Asia

List of other major Straits of Europe

 

 

List of other major Straits of Africa

 

 

List of other major Straits of America

 

 

 

List of other major Straits of Oceania

 

Interesting Facts about Straits of World

· Longest strait of world – Strait of Malacca which separates Malay Peninsula from Sumatra island of Indonesia. It is 800 Km long.

· Widest strait of world – Denmark Strait (or Greenland strait) which separates Greenland from Iceland. It is 290 km wide at the narrowest point.

· Narrowest strait of world – Bosphorus strait, at the narrowest point the width is 800 m.

· Shallowest strait of world – Sunda strait, at the eastern part the depth decreases to about 20 mt making it very difficult for navigation.

· Strait that separates Asia from America – Bering Strait

· Strait that separates Australia from Tasmania – Bass strait

· Strait that separates Europe from Africa – Gibraltar strait

 

So, this was all about the Major Straits of the World. If you want to read more such notes on similar topics, than Click Here.

 

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