Which strait links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans around the southern tip of South America?

The Strait of Magellan links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans around the southern tip of South America.

The strait runs through Chilean Patagonia between mainland South America and the islands of Tierra del Fuego. It provides a sheltered sea route between the two oceans, unlike the more exposed Drake Passage farther south. Its channels, currents, narrow passages, and unpredictable weather historically made navigation difficult.

The expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan entered the strait in October 1520 during its westward voyage. After crossing it, the expedition reached the ocean Magellan called the “Peaceful Sea,” now known as the Pacific. Magellan himself was killed in the Philippines in 1521, before the expedition completed its circumnavigation.

The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 greatly reduced the strait’s importance for international shipping. It remains strategically and geographically significant, and modern vessels still use it when conditions and route requirements make it useful.