The English Channel: Key Facts and Global Significance

Description

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Context:

Recently Four people, including a two-year-old boy, have died while attempting to cross the English Channel.

About the channel

The English Channel is also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France.
It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busiest shipping area in the world.

History:

The name first appears in Roman sources as Oceanus Britannicu. Variations of this term were used by influential writers such as Ptolemy, and remained popular with British and continental authors well into the modern era.

Other Latin names for the sea include Oceanus Gallicus (the Gaulish Ocean) which was used by Isidore of Seville in the sixth century.

The term British Sea is still used by speakers of Cornish and Breton, with the sea known to them as Mor Bretannek and Mor Breizh respectively.

Key Facts:

*Location*	Separates the southern coast of England from the northern coast of France.
*Connection*	Connects to the North Sea at the Strait of Dover (east)
*Historical Name*	Referred to as "Narrow Sea" by the English; known as "la Manche" in French due to its sleevelike shape
*Length*	560 km long and varies in width from 240 km
*Width*	Widest: 150 miles (240 kilometers); Narrowest: 21 miles (34 kilometers)
*Key Factor*	The Channel's strategic importance helped Britain maintain its naval superiority and secure its borders during the Napoleonic Wars and World War II.
*Climate*	Temperate maritime climate with warm summers and cold winters
*Main Islands*	Isle of Wight, Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark)
*Shipping Significance*	One of the world’s busiest shipping areas; links southern England, UK to northern France
*Global Trade Contribution*	Accounts for up to 20% of global maritime trade; connects the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea

What is a channel?

In physical geography and hydrology, a channel is a landform on which a relatively narrow body of water is situated, such as a river, river delta or strait. While channel typically refers to a natural formation, the cognate term canal denotes a similar artificial structure

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English Channel

Source:

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/world/story/several-migrants-die-cross-english-channel-uk-french-interior-minister-bruno-retailleau-2611998-2024-10-06

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following information:

Strait	Landmass	Joining Seas
Cook Strait	Indonesia	Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean
Mozambique Channel	Madagascar	Pacific Ocean
English Channel	England	North Sea and Atlantic Ocean

In which of the above given rows, the information is correctly matched?

(a) 2 and 3 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

Row 1 is incorrect: Cook Strait separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast.

Pair 2 is incorrect: Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa.

It is bound by Eswatini to the south, South Africa to the southwest, Zimbabwe to the west, Zambia and Malawi to the northwest, Tanzania to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east.

Pair 3 is correct: The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France.

It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busiest shipping area in the world.