Zanzibar Channel

Zanzibar Channel

The Zanzibar Channel in an 1872 map
Coordinates 06°00′S 39°00′E / 6.000°S 39.000°E / -6.000; 39.000Coordinates: 06°00′S 39°00′E / 6.000°S 39.000°E / -6.000; 39.000
Ocean/sea sources Indian Ocean
Basin countries Tanzania
Max. length 110 km (68 mi)
Max. width 37 km (23 mi)[1]
Islands Unguja (Zanzibar)

The Zanzibar Channel is a strait in south-eastern Africa, separating the island of Unguja (also known as Zanzibar) from mainland Tanzania. The channel is 120 km long and 30-40 km wide, with depth varying from a few dozen metres (in the centre) to a few hundred metres to the north and to the south.[2] In ancient times the overall depth of the channel has been considerably smaller (about 120 m less during the last ice age).[2]

The southern entrance to the Channel is indicated by a lighthouse located on the mainland coast on the Ras Kanzi promontory, 22 km south of Dar es Salaam.[3]

References


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