Strait of Sicily

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The Strait of Sicily ^[1] is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia. It is about 100 miles (160 km) wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Mediterranean. Deep currents in the strait flow from east to west, and the current nearer the surface travels in the opposite direction. The unusual water flow is of interest to oceanographers.

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

The strait has no universally accepted name in English; other common names include Sicilian Strait, Sicilian Channel, Channel of Sicily, Sicilian Narrows and Pantelleria Channel. In Italian it is known as the Canale di Sicilia or the Stretto di Sicilia. In French language, it is usually referred to as the Cap Bon Channel or Kélibia Channel. Kélibia (in Arabic, قليبية) is the region in Tunisia on the southern tip of the strait.

[edit] References

1. ^ Strait of Sicily, Britannica Atlas, Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago (U.S.A.), 1989. Page 36, Geografic coordinates 37.20N 11.20E.

< 2. The Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean. By Scott C. Truver. Springer; 1 edition (1980)>