List of Important Straits

References & Edit History

Images

World map highlighting locations of eight important straits: Bab el-Mandeb, Bering, Malacca, Hormuz, Magellan, Messina, Bosporus, and Gibraltar.

Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Locator map highlighting the Bering Strait between eastern Russia and Alaska, United States, showing its position connecting the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea in the northern Pacific Ocean. The map also includes surrounding regions such as Canada and the Gulf of Alaska, with an inset globe indicating the area's global location.

Strait of Gibraltar

Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Magellan

Strait of Malacca

Strait of Messina

List of Important Straits: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Scott Spires
Scott Spires is Associate Editor for Geography at Encyclopædia Britannica.

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Updates: structural	Scott Spires	Apr 23, 2026
	New article added.	Scott Spires	Apr 22, 2026