Which strait separates Greenland from the Svalbard archipelago?

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Fram Strait separates Greenland from the Svalbard archipelago.

The strait lies between northeastern Greenland and western Spitsbergen, Svalbard’s largest island. It is the main deep-water connection between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic, allowing both warm Atlantic water and cold Arctic water to move through.

The East Greenland Current carries cold water and sea ice southward along Greenland’s coast, while the West Spitsbergen Current transports relatively warm Atlantic water northward. These opposing flows strongly influence Arctic climate and sea-ice conditions.

Fram Strait is named after Fram, the Norwegian research vessel used by Fridtjof Nansen and later Roald Amundsen. It should not be confused with Denmark Strait, which lies farther south between Greenland and Iceland.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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