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Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Major Straits of the World – The Ultimate List for UPSC

Strait

  • A strait is a thin channel of waterways i.e. narrow passage of water that connects two seas or two other large areas of water.

Sketch of a Strait containing two Water Bodies.Sketch of a Strait containing two Water Bodies.

The following are the main characteristics of a strait:

  • Formed by natural processes
  • Narrower than the seas it connects
  • Navigable

Major Straits Of The World

  • Straits of the world are used by commercial shipping to travel from one sea or exclusive economic zone to another and they are of immense strategic and commercial importance. Straits serve as a channel through which ocean currents pass, modifying the climate of that area.

Malacca Strait

  • Joins: Andaman Sea & South China Sea
  • Location: Indonesia –Malaysia

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Palk Strait

  • Join: Palk Bay & Bay of Bengal
  • Location: India-Sri Lanka

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Sunda Strait

  • Join: Java Sea & Indian Ocean
  • Location: Indonesia

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Yucatan Strait

  • Join: Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea
  • Location: Mexico-Cuba

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Mesina Strait

  • Join: Mediterranean Sea
  • Location: Italy-Sicily

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Otranto Strait

  • Join: Adriatic Sea & Ionian Sea
  • Location: Italy-Albania

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Bab-el-Mandeb Strait

  • Join: Red Sea & Gulf of Aden
  • Location: Yemen-Djibouti

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Cook Strait

  • Join: South Pacific Ocean
  • Location: New Zealand (North & South Islands)

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Mozambique Strait

  • Join: Indian Ocean
  • Location: Mozambique -Madagascar

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

North Channel

  • Join: Irish Sea & Atlantic Ocean
  • Location: Ireland-England

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Taurus Strait (Torres Strait)

  • Join: Arafura Sea & Gulf of Papua
  • Location: Papua New Guinea — Australia

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Bass Strait

  • Join: Tasman Sea & South Sea
  • Location: Australia

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Bering Strait

  • Join: Bering Sea & Chuksi Sea
  • Location: Alaska-Russia

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Bonne-Fasio Strait

  • Join: Mediterranean Sea
  • Location: Corsika — Sardinia

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Bosporous Strait

  • Join: Black Sea and Marmara Sea
  • Location: Turkey

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Dardanelles Strait

  • Join: Marmara Sea and Agean Sea
  • Location: Turkey

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Davis Strait

  • Join: Baffin Bay & Atlantic Ocean
  • Location: Greenland-Canada

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Denmark Strait

  • Join: North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean
  • Location: Greenland-Iceland

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Dover strait

  • Join: English Channel & North Sea
  • Location: England-France
  • Strait of Dover or Dover Strait is the narrowest part of the English Channel

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Florida Strait

  • Join: Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean
  • Location: USA-Cuba

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Hormuz Strait

  • Join: Gulf of Persia & Gulf of Oman
  • Location: Oman-Iran

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Hudson strait

  • Join: Gulf of Hudson & Atlantic Ocean
  • Location: Canada

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Gibraltar Strait

  • Join: Mediterranean Sea & Atlantic Ocean
  • Location: Spain-Morocco
  • The Strait of Gibraltar is located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.
  • The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa.
  • The two continents are separated by 14.3 kilometers of the ocean at the Strait’s narrowest point.
  • The Spanish side of the Strait is protected under El Estrecho Natural Park.
  • On the northern side of the Strait are Spain and Gibraltar(a British overseas territory in the Iberian Peninsula); while on the southern side are Morocco and Ceuta (a Spanish autonomous city in northern Africa).
  • Due to its location, the Strait is commonly used for illegal immigration from Africa to Europe.

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

  • The Iberian Peninsula: The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme south-west of Europe and includes modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar. At the nearest point, it is only 5 miles (8km) from the continent of Africa.

Magellan strait

  • Join: Pacific and South Atlantic Ocean
  • Location: Chile

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Makkassar Strait

  • Join: Java Sea & Celebeze Sea
  • Location: Indonesia

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Tsugaru Strait

  • Join: Japan Sea and Pacific Ocean
  • Location: Japan (Hokkaido-Honshu Island)

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Tatar Strait

  • Join: Japan Sea & Okhotsk Sea
  • Location: Russia (East Russia-Sakhalin Islands)

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Foveaux Strait

  • Join: South Pacific Ocean
  • Location: New Zealand (South Island- Stewart Island)

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Taiwan Strait (Formosa Strait)

  • Join: South China Sea & East China Sea
  • Location: China-Taiwan

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Bohai Strait

  • The Bohai Sea is connected to the Yellow Sea via the Bohai Strait.
  • The Bohai Sea is a marginal sea which is the north-western extension of the Yellow Sea.

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Korea Strait

  • Join: East China Sea and Sea of Japan
  • Location: Japan and South Korea

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Jamaica Channel

  • Join: The Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
  • Location: Jamaica and Hispaniola

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Ten Degree Channel

  • Join: The Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal
  • Location: Car Nicobar Islands and Little Andaman

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

English Channel

  • The English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France and links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end.
  • It is the busiest shipping area in the world.

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Kerch Strait

  • The Kerch Strait is a strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
  • It separates the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea from the Taman Peninsula of Russia’s Krasnodar Krai.

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Straits of Lombok

  • Join: Java Sea & Indian Ocean
  • Location: Indonesia (Bali and Lombok)

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

Bali strait

  • Join: Bali Sea & Indian Ocean
  • Location: Indonesia (Bali and Java)

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

  • Isthmus: A narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land.
  • The Isthmus of Panama is a narrow strip of land at the southernmost end of Central America. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea while linking North and South America.

Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE

10 Important strategic Straits and Channels

  • Strait of Gibraltar
  • Bab-El Mendeb Strait
  • Strait of Hormuz
  • Strait of Malacca
  • Bosporus Strait
  • Bering Strait
  • Strait of Magellan
  • Strait of Messina
  • Suez Canal
  • Panama Canal
The document Major Straits of the world | Geography for UPSC CSE is a part of the UPSC Course Geography for UPSC CSE.
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FAQs on Major Straits of the world - Geography for UPSC CSE

1. What are the major straits of the world?
Ans. The major straits of the world are narrow waterways that connect two larger bodies of water and have strategic and economic significance. Some of the major straits include the Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, Bosporus Strait, Dover Strait, and the Strait of Gibraltar.
2. Why are the major straits important?
Ans. Major straits play a crucial role in international trade and transportation as they provide shorter and more convenient routes for ships to travel between different regions. They also have significant geopolitical importance, as control over these straits can impact global trade, military movements, and access to resources.
3. What is the significance of the Strait of Hormuz?
Ans. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is highly significant due to its role in global oil transportation. Approximately 20% of the world's oil supply passes through this strait, making it a critical chokepoint for energy security.
4. Where is the Strait of Malacca located?
Ans. The Strait of Malacca is a narrow waterway located between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. It is strategically important for trade between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
5. What makes the Bosporus Strait unique?
Ans. The Bosporus Strait is a narrow waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It separates the continents of Europe and Asia, making it one of the few natural straits that link two different land masses. The Bosporus is also known for its historical and cultural significance, with iconic landmarks such as the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace located along its shores.
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