Strait of Gibraltar

About Strait of Gibraltar: 

• It is a narrow waterway separating Europe from Africa and connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
• Location: Its narrowest point between Morocco’s Point Cires and Spain’s Point Marroquí.
• Its 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.
• Water flow: 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 acts as a chokepoint for the ships that move into or out of the Mediterranean Sea. However, it also functions as a vital shipping route for the countries of northern Africa, southern Europe, and western Asia.
• An important port located on the Strait of Gibraltar is the Moroccan port of Tanger-Med, near Tangier.

Q1:What is a Strait?

It can be defined as a naturally formed narrow strip of water between two continents, islands or two larger bodies of water. It is usually used for navigational and other purposes.

Source: Orcas sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar