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Famous Straits Around the World

Tap a strait to learn more about it.

Strait of Gibraltar

A narrow waterway separating Spain from Morocco, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, at its narrowest point only about 13 kilometers (8 miles) wide.

Strait of Malacca

One of the busiest and most economically important shipping lanes in the world, located between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, through which a very large share of global maritime trade passes.

Bosphorus

A narrow strait running directly through the city of Istanbul, Turkey, forming part of the boundary between the continents of Europe and Asia while connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

Strait of Hormuz

A critical waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, through which a substantial portion of the world's traded oil passes, making it one of the most strategically significant chokepoints in global energy markets.

Bering Strait

A relatively narrow strait separating Russia and the United States (Alaska), notable for being the closest point where the two countries nearly touch, with only about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) separating their respective islands at the strait's narrowest point.

Strait of Dover

The narrowest point of the English Channel, separating England from France by roughly 33 kilometers (21 miles), beneath which the Channel Tunnel connects the two countries by rail.

Why narrow straits carry outsized global importance

Despite often being quite geographically narrow, straits like these carry an outsized strategic and economic importance because they frequently serve as unavoidable chokepoints for global shipping and trade, meaning that disruptions or blockades at these locations can have significant, wide-reaching effects on international commerce.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a strait strategically significant?

A strait becomes strategically significant primarily when it serves as an essential, hard-to-bypass route for major shipping traffic, meaning that whoever controls passage through it can exert considerable political and economic leverage over global trade patterns.

Can ships always freely pass through these straits regardless of ownership?

Most major international straits are governed by international maritime law that generally guarantees a right of "innocent passage" for ships of all nations, though the specific legal arrangements and any restrictions can vary depending on the particular strait and the countries bordering it.