Taiwan Strait

About Taiwan Strait: 

• It is also called Formosa Strait which separates the island of Taiwan and continental Asia.
• Ports: The chief ports are Amoy in mainland China and Kao-hsiung in Taiwan. 
• Rivers: Several rivers including the Jiulong and Min rivers from China’s Fujian Province drain into the Taiwan Strait. 
• The biggest islands along the Taiwan side include Penghu (or Pescadores), Xiamen, and Pingtan.
• The Taiwan Strait constitutes a critical corridor connecting the South China Sea to the East China Sea and also serves as a busy navigational waterway, on which millions of tons of cargo are ferried annually. 
• The strait is also one of the most important fishing grounds in China and more than a hundred economically important fish species are found here. 

What is a strait?

• A strait is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.
• A strait is similar to a canal cutting through an isthmus (a narrow strip of land), but a strait is formed naturally and canals are built by people.
• Significance: Straits are often important transportation routes since they allow ships to pass from one body of water to another.

Q1: What is an isthmus?

It is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses which is bounded by water on two sides. The word has its origins from the Greek word isthmós which means “neck.”

Source: Japan warship asserts right to sail through Taiwan Strait