The strait separating Denmark’s Zealand from Sweden’s Scania is the Øresund, also known in English as the Sound.
Øresund runs between the Danish island of Zealand and Sweden’s southern province of Scania. Its length is about 118 kilometres, while its width ranges from roughly 4 to 28 kilometres. The narrowest section lies between Helsingør in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden, making it a natural maritime gateway between the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea.
The strait has played an important role in Scandinavian history. Denmark controlled the passage for centuries, collecting the Sound Dues from ships beginning in 1429. Danish fortresses at Kronborg near Helsingør and Kärnan in Helsingborg helped control the narrow entrance. Sweden gained Scania through the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658.
The main modern crossing is the Øresund Bridge, opened on 1 July 2000. It links Copenhagen with Malmö through a combination of bridge, artificial island and tunnel. The Great Belt is a different Danish waterway, while Kattegat lies north of Øresund and connects onward toward the North Sea.