Straits

A strait is a narrow passage of water between two pieces of land. Straits connect two bigger bodies of water, like two oceans or seas. Ships often travel through straits because they are shorter routes. Some straits are very important for trade and travel.

How Straits Form

Some straits were created when rising sea levels flooded low areas of land. Others formed when tectonic plates moved and cracked the land. Some were carved by flowing water over a long time. The Bering Strait was once dry land that people could walk across.

Famous Straits

The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. The Strait of Magellan is at the southern tip of South America. The Bering Strait separates Alaska from Russia. The Strait of Malacca in Asia is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Fun Facts

• The Bering Strait is only about 55 miles wide.
• The Strait of Hormuz is very important because much of the world's oil is shipped through it.
• The Strait of Messina separates the island of Sicily from mainland Italy.

Did You Know?

Thousands of years ago, people walked from Asia to North America across the Bering Strait when it was dry land during the last ice age!