Which strait connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa?

The strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa is the Strait of Gibraltar.

This narrow passage lies between southern Spain and Gibraltar to the north and Morocco and the Spanish city of Ceuta to the south. At its narrowest point, Europe and Africa are separated by roughly 14.2 kilometres, making the strait one of the world's most strategically important maritime gateways.

The name ultimately comes from Gibraltar's Arabic name, Jabal Tariq, meaning “Mountain of Tariq,” after the Umayyad commander Tariq ibn Ziyad. In antiquity, the surrounding headlands were known as the Pillars of Hercules. The passage has connected and divided civilizations for thousands of years, serving as a route for Phoenician, Roman, Islamic, and modern commercial traffic.

The strait also has unusual ocean currents. Less-salty Atlantic water generally flows eastward near the surface, while denser, saltier Mediterranean water flows westward at depth. It is often confused with the Bosporus, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara in Turkey.