Which channel lies between Madagascar and the African mainland?

The Mozambique Channel lies between Madagascar and the African mainland.

It is a section of the western Indian Ocean bounded by Mozambique to the west and Madagascar to the east. The channel is approximately 1,600 kilometres long and reaches a maximum depth of about 7,000 metres in its northern part.

The International Hydrographic Organization recognises it as a named oceanic channel, rather than a strait. Its broad waters include islands and banks, and the Agulhas Current system influences circulation near its southern end. Tropical cyclones can also cross the channel and affect Madagascar, Mozambique and nearby islands.

The channel is sometimes described loosely as the waterway between Africa and Madagascar, but “Mozambique Channel” is the established geographic name. It should not be confused with a separate “Mozambique Strait,” which is not the standard name for this feature.