The Bering Strait separates Asia from North America and connects the Arctic and Pacific oceans. At its narrowest point, it lies between Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula and Alaska’s Seward Peninsula, making it the maritime boundary between the two continents.
The strait is about 82 kilometres wide at its narrowest point and is relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of roughly 90 metres. Its northern side opens into the Chukchi Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean, while its southern side opens into the Bering Sea, which is connected to the Pacific.
The waterway is named for Vitus Bering, a Danish-born explorer serving Russia who entered it in 1728. Earlier, Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnyov probably passed through in 1648, although his report was not widely known in Europe at the time.
During Ice Age periods of lower sea level, exposed land formed Beringia, a broad land bridge across the region. Scientists believe it helped human populations migrate from Asia into North America. The Diomede Islands sit near the strait’s centre.