Key Facts about Kerch Strait

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About Kerch Strait:

The Kerch Strait is in Eastern Europe and is the only water body that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.
The Romans called it the Strait of Cimmerian Bosphorus. In Greek, it was known as the Cimmerian strait.
It separates the Kerch Peninsula (part of the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula) towards the west from the Taman Peninsula (Russia), lying in the east.
It is about 3 km long, 15 km broad, and 18 metres deep.
At its narrowest point, which lies at the northern end of the Chushka Landspit, it is only three to five kilometres wide.
The city of Kerch lies near the middle of the strait, on the Crimean side.
It is an important global shipping route, providing passage from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.
It has also been a key point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Mosco wannexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.
Kerch Strait Bridge:
- Also known as the Crimean Bridge, this infrastructure links mainland Russia with Crimea.
- Completed in 2018, it includes a road and rail connection and is the longest bridge in Europe at 19 km.
- It is a symbol of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Q1: What is a Strait?

A strait is a narrow waterway between two pieces of land that connects two large bodies of water. Well-known straits include the Bering Strait, which links the Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea and separates the continents of Asia and North America at their closest point.

News: Oil Spills Into Kerch Strait As Russian Tanker Splits Apart In Storm, 1 dead