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- Russian:
- Proliv Laperuza
- Japanese:
- Sōya-kaikyō
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La Perouse Strait
La Perouse Strait, as viewed from Hokkaido, Japan.
La Perouse Strait
waterway, Russia-Japan
Also known as: Proliv Laperuza, Sōya Strait, Sōya-Kaikyō
La Perouse Strait, international waterway between the islands of Sakhalin (Russia) and Hokkaido (Japan). The strait, named after the French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, Count de La Pérouse, separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Sea of Japan. It is 27 miles (43 km) wide at its narrowest part, between Cape Krilon (Sakhalin) and Cape Sōya (Hokkaido) and varies in depth from 167 to 387 feet (51 to 118 m). The strait is characterized by extremely strong marine currents. It is closed by ice in the winter.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
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