What is the name of the sea between the United Kingdom and France?

The sea between the United Kingdom and France is the English Channel. It separates southern England from northern France and forms an arm of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Channel connects with the North Sea through the Strait of Dover at its eastern end. Its narrowest point, between Dover and Calais, is about 34 kilometres wide, making it a major natural gateway between Britain and continental Europe.

For centuries, the Channel influenced British history by acting as a defensive barrier and a busy maritime route. It helped protect Britain during conflicts including the Napoleonic Wars and the Second World War. Today it carries exceptionally heavy commercial traffic and is crossed beneath the seabed by the Channel Tunnel, which opened in 1994.

The name is not universal. In French, the waterway is called La Manche, meaning “the sleeve.” The nearby Celtic Sea, Irish Sea and North Sea are distinct bodies of water, although the Channel links directly to the last of these.