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Strait of Gibraltar -

The channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The strait separates Spain from North Africa and is named for the Rock of Gibraltar, whose name originates from "Jabal" or "Jabel," meaning mountain in Arabic.

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Strait of Hormuz -

Providing the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most sensitive geopolitical zones in the world. Around 30% of the world's seaborne-traded crude oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz every day, making it a vitally important strategic location for international trade. Numerous tense encounters have taken place in the narrow waterway, including tanker "wars" and the downing of aircraft. Pictured is an aerial view of Qeshm, an Iranian island located in the strait.

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Strait of Malacca -

The Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Running between the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the west and peninsular (West) Malaysia and extreme southern Thailand to the east, the strait serves as the shortest shipping route between the Far East and the Indian Ocean, and has been used by ships as a trading route for centuries.

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Bering Strait -

The Bering Strait links the Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea and separates the continents of Asia and North America at their closest point. The idea of building a rail tunnel under the 85-km (52 mi) strait to link Alaska and Russia has recently been raised.

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Strait of Magellan -

Named for Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521), who in 1520 became the first European to navigate it, the Strait of Magellan in southern Chile separates mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The channel, known for capricious and unpredictable weather patterns, is the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

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Golden Gate Strait -

Since 1937 one the most photographed straits in the world after the inauguration of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the channel separates the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula. Golden Gate Strait is one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the region, however, its strong currents, rocky reefs, and persistent fog claiming many an ocean-going vessel.

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Straits of Corfu -

The crystalline Straits of Corfu face Greece and Albania and provide a scenic passage from the Adriatic Sea on the north to the Ionian Sea. The strait is crisscrossed daily by ferries carrying locals and tourists between Corfu and the mainland.

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Strait of Dover -

The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of the English Channel. Recognized geographically by the landmark White Cliffs of Dover that smudge the Kent coastline, the strait marks the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea. On a clear, sunny day, it is possible to see the opposite coastline of England from France and vice versa with the naked eye.

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Cook Strait -

Named after James Cook, the first European navigator to sail through it, in 1770, Cook Strait separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

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Bass Strait -

The Bass Strait separates Tasmania from the Australian mainland. The two land masses were once linked by a land bridge and traversed by indigenous Australians 40,000 years ago. Rising sea levels 8,000 years ago eventually formed the Bass Strait to leave Aboriginal Tasmanians isolated from the rest of Australia. The strait remains notorious for its often treacherous sea conditions.

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Frozen Strait -

The British navigator and Royal Navy officer Christopher Middleton (1690–1770) christened this channel Frozen Strait after finding it ice up in mid-August while searching for the Northwest Passage (the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean). Pictured is Frozen Strait in northern Hudson Bay, near the Arctic Circle.

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Dardanelles Strait -

The Dardanelles Strait is forever associated with the disastrous Gallipoli campaign of 1915-16, when Allied powers sought to control the sea route from Europe to Russia through what was known as the Turkish Straits, a waterway consisting of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus channels. Numerous monuments and memorials can be found set along the coast commemorating those who fell during the conflict.

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Straits of Florida -

Separating the Florida Peninsula from Cuba and the Great Bahama Bank, the turquoise-blue Straits of Florida sink to an impressive 1,800 m (6,000 ft). Just 150 km (93 mi) at its narrowest point between Key West and the Cuban shore, the strait carries the warm Florida Current, the beginning of the Gulf Stream, from the Gulf of Mexico. Pictured is the coral reefs between Key West and Dry Tortugas.

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Menai Strait -

The Menai Strait narrows to as little as 400 m (1,300 ft) to separate mainland Wales from the island of Anglesey. The strait is hazardous in places, where water flow over scattered rocks create whirlpools of considerable strength.

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Straits of Mackinac - The Straits of Mackinac flow under the impressive Mackinac Bridge, which connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas of the US state of Michigan. The straits, meanwhile, link two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

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Strait of Tartary -

Just 7 km (4 mi) wide at its narrowest point, the Strait of Tartary divides the Russian island of Sakhalin from mainland Asia. In 1983, a Korean airliner strayed into Soviet airspace west of Sakhalin Island and was shot down by a Russian fighter jet. All 269 people on board perished, including US congressman Larry McDonald.

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Tsugaru Strait -

The world's longest railway tunnel with an undersea segment, the Seikan Tunnel runs under the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan. The strait also connects the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean.

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Torres Straits -

The luminous Torres Strait is an open passage connecting the Coral Sea with the Gulf of Carpentaria, between northwestern Australia and Papua New Guinea. It is named after the Spanish navigator Luís Vaz de Torres, who sailed through the strait in 1606. The strait is pictured from Thursday Island.

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Danish Straits -

The Danish Straits is a collective term for the straits connecting the Baltic Sea to the North Sea through the Kattegat and Skagerrak seaways shared by Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. The Øresund Bridge (pictured) between the Danish capital Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmö gave its name to the Nordic noir television series 'The Bridge' (2011).

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Strait of Messina -

Just 3.1 km (1.9 mi) wide at its narrowest point between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western tip of Italy, the Strait of Messina has been promised a bridge since antiquity. Detailed plans for a suspension bridge were drawn up in the 1990s, but the project has been cancelled on several occasions. If built, it would become one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.

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Straits of Tiran -

Of considerable strategic value to the region, the Straits of Tiran constitute the narrow sea passages located between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas, and connect the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aqaba. The straits are named after Tiran Island, the sovereignty of which belongs to Saudi Arabia.

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Strait of Juan de Fuca -

The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the center of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, that is the Salish Sea's outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The channel is named for Ioannis Phokas (1536-1602), a Greek mariner better known by the Spanish translation of his name, Juan de Fuca. Pictured is Mount Baker from the strait.

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Kerch Strait -

The Kerch Strait became the center of world attention in 2018 after two Ukrainian navy vessels tried to pass under the Crimean Bridge to reach Mariupol but were blocked by Russian vessels. In April 2021, Russia effectively closed off the Kerch Strait to marine traffic in an escalation of tensions between the two nations.

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Nares Strait -

The oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic is found to the north of Nares Strait, a waterway between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.

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Strait of Bonifacio -

Located off the south coast of Corsica, the Strait of Bonifacio connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Sea of Sardinia. The town of Bonifacio is noted for its unusual and striking location, perched as it is on an indented, fjord-like inlet surrounded by dazzling-white limestone cliffs.

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The Solent -

The strait separating the Isle of Wight and Great Britain is known as The Solent. A major shipping lane for passenger, freight, and military vessels, the waterway serves the large southern English cities of Portsmouth and Southampton, while much of its coastline is designated as a Special Area of Conservation. Pictured is the Isle of Wight and the distant mainland.

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The Narrows -

The tidal strait known as The Narrows separates the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. Effectively the maritime "gateway" to the Big Apple, the strait is spanned by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

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The Minch -

According to Scottish Gaelic legend, mythological creatures known as the blue men of the Minch inhabit the strait between the northern Outer Hebrides and mainland Scotland, which is called The Minch. The beasts resemble humans and prowl the waters looking for sailors to drown and stricken vessels to sink.

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Taiwan Strait -

The strategically important Taiwan Strait made headline news again in April 2021 after China threatened a military strike against the country it claims is part of the Republic of China. The 180-km (110 mi)-wide strait (seen here in a satellite image) separates Taiwan and continental Asia.

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Foveaux Strait -

In the Māori language, Foveaux Strait is known as Te Ara a Kewa ("the path of the whale"). It's named Foveaux after Joseph Foveaux, lieutenant-governor of New South Wales in 1808–1809. The strait, which separates Stewart Island, New Zealand's third largest island, from the South Island, is home to a thriving oyster harvesting industry. Pictured is the strait's Dog Island, which holds New Zealand's tallest lighthouse.

Sources: (The Guardian) (The Diplomat)

See also: The best and brightest: The most beautiful and iconic lighthouses in America

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