The Florida Straits separate Florida from Cuba and link the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean.
The straits lie between the Florida Keys, the northwestern coast of Cuba, and the Bahamas. They provide the main ocean outlet for water circulating through the Gulf of Mexico and are a major component of the system that becomes the Florida Current and later contributes to the Gulf Stream.
The waterway is also historically important. Spanish treasure fleets used routes through the region, and modern shipping passes between the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic. The straits are deep in places and can experience strong currents and severe tropical weather.
The name is commonly written in the plural, “Straits of Florida,” although “Florida Straits” is also widely used. They differ from the Yucatán Channel, which lies between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.