Which channel separates Madagascar from mainland Africa?

The channel separating Madagascar from mainland Africa is the Mozambique Channel.

This arm of the Indian Ocean lies between Madagascar and Mozambique on Africa’s southeastern coast. It is roughly 1,700 kilometers long and about 419 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, making it a major geographic feature rather than a narrow passage in the everyday sense.

The channel is also an important part of the western Indian Ocean’s circulation. The warm Mozambique Current generally flows southward through it before contributing to the Agulhas Current near southern Africa. The channel reaches a maximum recorded depth of about 3,292 meters and contains numerous islands, including islands of the Comoros and French-administered Mayotte.

The key distinction in this question is that Madagascar is an island country, while Mozambique occupies the mainland coast opposite it. The Mozambique Channel is therefore not a channel separating Madagascar from another island. It also should not be confused with the Mozambique Current, which is the flowing body of water within the channel.