What strait separates Europe from Africa at the western entrance to the Mediterranean?

The strait separating Europe from Africa at the western entrance to the Mediterranean is the Strait of Gibraltar.

This narrow waterway connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. Spain and Gibraltar lie on its northern side, while Morocco and the Spanish city of Ceuta lie on its southern side. At its narrowest point, Europe and Africa are only about 14.2 kilometres apart.

The strait has been a strategic gateway for thousands of years because ships entering or leaving the Mediterranean must pass through it. Its modern name comes from Jabal Tariq, or “Mountain of Tariq,” named after the Umayyad commander Tariq ibn Ziyad, whose forces crossed into Iberia in 711.

It is commonly confused with the Bosphorus, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The Strait of Gibraltar is also an important migration route for seabirds and a passage between Atlantic and Mediterranean marine ecosystems. Strong currents and winds can make navigation challenging.