Strait

A strait is a narrow channel of water between two land areas. A strait connects two bodies of water. Straits often connect two seas. Many straits are economically and strategically important. Straits may be part of important shipping routes. So, someone who controls a strait can control the shipping. Wars have been fought to control them. Although rivers and canals often connect two large lakes or a lake and a sea, they are not straits. Straits are much larger and wider and do not have water running in a single direction.

Well-known straits

Well-known straits in the world are:

Bosporus and the Dardanelles, which connect the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Strait of Dover, between England and France, which connects the North Sea with the English Channel
Strait of Gibraltar, the only natural passage between the World Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia, which connects the Pacific and Arctic Oceans
Strait of Magellan, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans north of Tierra del Fuego
Palk strait, between India and Sri Lanka, the location of Ram Sethu and rich in natural resources
Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, through which Persian Gulf petroleum is shipped to the world
Strait of Malacca, which separates the Malay Peninsula from Sumatra, and connects the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea. (It is one of the highest-volume shipping lanes in the world.)
Bass Strait, which is between mainland Australia and Tasmania, and connects the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
Torres Strait which is between Australia and New Guinea.
Cook Strait, between New Zealand's North and South Islands, and connects the Tasman Sea and the South Pacific Ocean.

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