The Strait of Sicily lies between Sicily and Tunisia and divides the Mediterranean into western and eastern basins.
Also called the Sicilian Channel or Sicilian Strait, it is a broad marine passage rather than a narrow gap. Its width is about 145 kilometres at the narrowest point between Sicily and the Cap Bon Peninsula of Tunisia. Several islands, including Pantelleria, lie within the region.
The channel is an important boundary in Mediterranean geography and oceanography. Water from the western Mediterranean flows through it toward the eastern basin, while deeper circulation patterns help distribute heat and salt across the sea. The passage is also an established route for commercial shipping and fishing.
The Strait of Sicily should not be confused with the Strait of Messina, a much narrower passage between Sicily and mainland Italy. Nor is it the Strait of Bonifacio, which separates Corsica from Sardinia farther north. The name “Sicilian Channel” is especially common in English geographic writing.