The Bering Strait separates Asia from North America, with only about 85 kilometres between Russia and the United States at its narrowest point.
The strait connects the Arctic Ocean’s Chukchi Sea with the Pacific Ocean’s Bering Sea. Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula lies west, while Alaska’s Seward Peninsula lies east. The Diomede Islands sit near the middle: Big Diomede belongs to Russia and Little Diomede to the United States.
During Ice Age periods of lower sea level, the Bering land bridge, or Beringia, connected Siberia and Alaska. Archaeological and genetic evidence links this region to migrations of peoples into the Americas. The International Date Line passes between the Diomede Islands, which are only a few kilometres apart but lie on different calendar dates.