The Bering Strait separates Asia from North America at their closest point. It lies between Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula and Alaska’s Seward Peninsula and connects the Arctic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
At its narrowest, the strait is about 85 kilometers wide. The Diomede Islands lie near its center: Big Diomede belongs to Russia, while Little Diomede belongs to the United States. The international boundary passes between them.
The strait is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish-born explorer who led Russian expeditions in the eighteenth century. During periods of lower sea level in the Ice Age, a land region known as Beringia connected Siberia and Alaska.
Many researchers consider Beringia important in explanations of the prehistoric peopling of the Americas. The region was not simply a narrow crossing; at times it included a broad, cold grassland supporting animals and human communities.