Pas de Calais (strait) is the narrowest part of the English Channel. Where is the Strait of Pas-de-Calais

What is the Strait? Simply put, this is a relatively narrow part of the sea or ocean, which divides two sections of land and connects two adjacent reservoirs.

In this article, you can learn about where the Strait of Pas-de-Calais lies. But, before going to the main topic of the article, for a brief look at what other straits exist in the world.

Straits are very important for shipping because they allow ships to move the shortest and, perhaps, the only way from one basin to another. In addition, on the one hand, they connect the seas and oceans, and on the other, they divide the land sections. From the channels they differ in that they have a natural origin.

This article is devoted to one of such natural canals called the Pas de Calais (strait).

Short description of the straits of the world

The Straits of Malacca, which separates Fr. Sumatra and Peninsula Malacca, is the longest in the world (1000 km). It connects the waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The Tatar Strait (Northern Hemisphere) is the longest (850 km) and the shallowest of all major straits. It is located between Fr. Sakhalin and the Asian coast and mixes the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan.

The Strait of Gibraltar is the deepest and separates Africa and Europe. The Bass Strait, located near the Australian continent - is the widest. On the width (more than 180 km) of the 2nd after it passes the Korean Strait separating Korean Peninsula from Japan.

The Bosporus is the narrowest. It separates Europe from Asia and, in addition, divides Constantinople (Istanbul) into two parts. Its width does not exceed 1000 meters. It is also the shortest (30 km) of all the straits of the world, separating the major islands from the continents, peninsulas and archipelagoes.

And, finally, the Pas de Calais is a strait located in the north of France in a surprisingly beautiful area called Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

General information about the area

The harsh beauty of these places (French Flanders) is unique. Here people live, resigned to a rather cold, damp climate (the average summer temperature here is no higher than 20 degrees).

This part of the country is not very spoiled by the attention of tourists. The sights of these places were destroyed to a greater extent during the Second World War, and the waters of the banks washed by the English Channel are mainly adapted only for windsurfing lovers. Soak up on the beaches under the summer hot sun here is not quite possible.

This is one of the 3 regions with access to the strait. And yet, a fairly long coastline with golden beaches and rocks represents the pride of this part of France, although it does not spoil the brightness of the colors of nature.

Pas-de-Calais

The Dover strait (English name) is located between the coast of the island of Great Britain and France. In ancient times it was called Gallic in connection with the location on the shore of Gaul.

The strait is the narrowest part of the English Channel. On the English coast, it extends from Cape Forland to Cape Dungene, and along the French coast from the harbor of Calais to Cape Grine. The narrowest point is the width of 33 kilometers. Between French Calais and English Dover - 44 kilometers.

Strait of the English Channel, the Strait of the Pas-de-Calais - together they connect the waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Length of the Pas-de-Calais is 37 kilometers, width - from 32 to 51 kilometers. The shipping part has a depth of 21 to 64 meters.

The main naval bases and ports located on the shores of the strait are the French Boulogne, Calais, Dunostrovakerk; English Folkestone and Dover. Calais and Dover are connected by ferry.

Value, mode

Pas de Calais is a strait, which is very important for navigation. Every day a large number of ships pass through it to the Atlantic Ocean and to the shores of many European states. Annually through the strait there are up to 300 thousand vessels, and simultaneously at any time in the strait there are about 40 vessels.

The periodic accumulation in this narrow place of a huge number of ships moving in different directions is the cause of accidents in this area. According to one of the statistics of Norwegian insurance companies, almost half of the clashes all over the world occur in the territory from the English Channel to the Elbe River.

In connection with this situation, on the initiative of coastal states, as early as 1961 a group of specialists was created, which was engaged in preparing proposals for improving the situation in this region.

The current in the Northeast (surface) has a speed of about 4 km / h. The semidiurnal tides have the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. Their height reaches 6.5 meters. In the autumn period, fogs are frequent. The regime and conditions of navigation in this strait are similar to those in the English Channel.

In conclusion about the Eurotunnel

Under the Pas-de-Calais and the English Channel in May 1994, a railway tunnel was opened that connects continental Britain with Europe. This is a kind of symbol of a unifying Europe. At some point, he had the title of the world's longest tunnel. However, the Seikan tunnel, connecting the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, replaced it. Eurotunnel has a length of about 51 kilometers, and 39 of them pass on the seabed.

The famous Society of Civil Engineers in America declared this grandiose construction one of the seven modern wonders of the world.