What strait separates the island of Great Britain from continental Europe?

The body of water separating Great Britain from continental Europe is the English Channel.

It lies between southern England and northern France, linking the Atlantic Ocean with the North Sea through the Strait of Dover. Although the question calls it a strait in casual usage, the English Channel is technically a broad arm of the Atlantic; the Strait of Dover is its narrow eastern entrance.

The Channel is about 560 kilometres long and reaches a maximum width of roughly 240 kilometres. At Dover and Calais, the gap narrows to approximately 34 kilometres. Its shallow waters have shaped European history, serving both as a maritime highway and as a natural defensive barrier for Britain.

The English Channel is also known in French as La Manche, meaning “the sleeve,” a reference to its shape. The Channel Tunnel, opened in 1994, runs beneath its seabed and provides a rail connection between Folkestone and Calais. Great Britain should not be confused with the United Kingdom, which also includes Northern Ireland.