Strait of Gibraltar

Strait of Gibraltar Latest News

Bengal swimmer Sayoni Das successfully managed to cross the Strait of Gibraltar as reportedly the first Asian woman recently.

About Strait of Gibraltar

• It is the body of water separating Europe from Africa and connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
• Bordering Countries: The Strait is bordered by Spain and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar in the north and by the African country of Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in the south.
• It is about 58 km long and has a width of about 13 km at its narrowest pointbetween Morocco’s Point Cires and Spain’s Point Marroquí. 
• The western end of the strait located between Spain’s Cape Trafalgar and Morocco’s Cape Spartel has a width of about 43 km. 
• The strait’s eastern end, locatedbetween the Rock of Gibraltar in the north and Mount Hacho or Jebel Moussa in the south, has a width of about 23 km. 
  • These two land features in the strait’s eastern extremity are known as the Pillars of Heracles. 
• The Strait of Gibraltar’s depth ranges from 300 to 900 m and it forms a significant gap between the high plateau of Spain and the Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa. 
• Formation: Geological studies have revealed that the Strait was formed due to the northward movement of the African Plate towards the European Plate.
• Waterflow: The Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea have different salinity levels, and therefore the highly saline waters from the Mediterranean Sea flow outward and underneath the currents from the Atlantic Ocean, whereas the less saline Atlantic waters flow inward and on top of the Mediterranean Sea current.
• It is the only natural link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. 
• An important port located on the Strait of Gibraltar is the Moroccan port of Tanger-Med, near Tangier.

Source: TSM

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