Which strait separates India’s Tamil Nadu coast from Sri Lanka?

Palk Strait separates India’s Tamil Nadu coast from Sri Lanka.

The strait lies between the Palk Bay area to the south and the Palk Strait region to the north, linking the Bay of Bengal with the Gulf of Mannar. Its shallow waters include a chain of limestone shoals known as Adam’s Bridge, or Rama’s Bridge, between southeastern India and northwestern Sri Lanka.

Palk Strait is named after Robert Palk, who served as the governor of Madras in the 18th century. Its shallow depth makes it unsuitable for most large oceangoing ships, and proposals for a navigation canal have long been debated.

It is sometimes confused with the Gulf of Mannar, which lies farther south. The strait is also distinct from the narrow maritime area near Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar, where the shoal chain nearly connects the two countries.