Which strait separates Asia from North America?

The Bering Strait separates Asia from North America. It lies between Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula and Alaska’s Seward Peninsula, linking the Arctic Ocean to the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

At its narrowest, the strait is about 82 kilometres wide. The international maritime boundary between Russia and the United States runs through the region, passing between the two Diomede Islands: Big Diomede belongs to Russia, while Little Diomede belongs to the United States. The islands are only a few kilometres apart, but the International Date Line runs between them.

The strait is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish-born explorer serving the Russian Empire. During ice ages, lower sea levels exposed a broad land region called Beringia. Many archaeologists and geneticists connect this ancient landscape with the migration of people from Asia into North America, although the timing and routes remain subjects of research.

The Bering Strait is easily confused with the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Europe from Africa, or the Drake Passage, which separates South America from Antarctica. The Bering Strait is the Asia–North America boundary.