Strait of Sicily

The Strait of Sicily (also known as Sicilian Strait, Sicilian Channel, Channel of Sicily, Sicilian Narrows and Pantelleria Channel; Italian: Canale di Sicilia or the Stretto di Sicilia; Sicilian: Canali di Sicilia or Strittu di Sicilia, Arabic: مضيق صقلية‎ Mażīq siqilliyya or مضيق الوطن القبلي Mażīq al-Waṭan al-Qiblī) is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia.[1][2] The strait is about 145 kilometres (90 mi) wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea, from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The maximum depth is 316 meters (1,037 ft).

For waters separating Sicily from the rest of Italy, see Strait of Messina.
Strait of Sicily
Strait of Sicily
Map showing the location of the Strait of Sicily
Coordinates37.20°N 11.20°E / 37.20; 11.20
Basin countriesItaly, Tunisia
Max. width145 kilometres (90 mi)
Max. depth316 meters (1,037 ft)

Deep currents in the strait flow from east to west, and the current nearer the surface travels from west to east. This unusual water flow is of interest to oceanographers.[3]

There are regular ferries between Sicily and Tunis across the Strait of Sicily.

The island of Pantelleria lies in the middle of the strait.

See also

References
  1. Strait of Sicily, Britannica Atlas, Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago (U.S.A.), 1989. Page 36, Geographic coordinates 37.20N 11.20E.
  2. Scott C. Truver (1980), The Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean, Springer, 1st edition.
  3. Allan R. Robinson, Wayne G. Leslie, Alexander Theocharis, Alex Lascaratos. "Mediterranean Sea Circulation" (PDF). robinson.seas.harvard.edu.
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