Strait of Gibraltar

Strait of Gibraltar, narrow passage connecting the Mediterranean Sea on the east with the Atlantic Ocean on the west. It separates northern Africa from the Rock of Gibraltar on the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. The strait is about 65 km (40 mi) long and varies in width from about 14 to 39 km (9 to 24 mi). A channel 8 km (5 mi) wide, traversing the centre of the strait, has a depth of about 300 m (1,000 ft). A continuous current enters from the Atlantic Ocean, and tidal currents ebb and flow along the European and African shores. A westerly flowing undercurrent carries off the salty surplus waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar is flanked by the Pillars of Hercules. The strait has long been considered politically and economically crucial, from the Carthaginians who blockaded it in the 4th century bc to control trade out of the Mediterranean, to the Spanish and Moorish forces who fought for control of it in the 8th to 15th centuries, and the British who have used their base in Gibraltar to strengthen their naval position in several wars since the beginning of the 18th century.