What is the name of the strait that connects the Pacific and Arctic Oceans?

The Bering Strait connects the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. This narrow waterway separates Russia's Chukchi Peninsula from Alaska's Seward Peninsula and forms a marine gateway between the two great ocean basins.

The strait is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish-born explorer serving Russia, whose expedition reached the region in the 18th century. The Diomede Islands sit near its center: Big Diomede belongs to Russia, while Little Diomede belongs to the United States. The international maritime boundary passes between them.

Although the strait is a water connection today, lower sea levels during ice ages exposed the shallow seafloor in this region. That broad landmass, called Beringia, is associated with the migration of humans and animals from Asia into North America.

The Bering Strait is sometimes confused with the Bering Sea. The sea is the larger body of water to the south; the strait is the passage linking it with the Chukchi Sea, which is part of the Arctic Ocean.