Which passage separates southern South America from the Antarctic Peninsula?

The Drake Passage is the passage that separates southern South America from the Antarctic Peninsula.

It lies between Cape Horn at the southern tip of Chile and the South Shetland Islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. The passage connects the southwestern Atlantic Ocean with the southeastern Pacific Ocean.

Strong westerly winds and the uninterrupted ocean around Antarctica make the Drake Passage famous for rough seas. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows through the region, carrying water eastward around the continent and helping isolate Antarctica’s climate.

The passage is named after the English navigator Sir Francis Drake, although his expedition did not necessarily sail through the passage as later maps defined it. Willem Schouten’s 1616 voyage is generally associated with the first confirmed navigation of the route.