The Bering Strait separates Russia from Alaska at the closest point between Asia and North America.
The strait is about 82 kilometres wide at its narrowest point and connects the Arctic Ocean’s Chukchi Sea with the Pacific Ocean’s Bering Sea. The Diomede Islands sit near its middle, with Big Diomede belonging to Russia and Little Diomede belonging to the United States.
During ice ages, lower sea levels exposed Beringia, a broad land region connecting Siberia and Alaska. Scientists associate this former land bridge with the movement of people and animals between Asia and North America, although the timing and routes of human migration remain subjects of research.
The International Date Line passes between the Diomede Islands. Because the islands are only a few kilometres apart but lie on opposite sides of the line, they are sometimes nicknamed the “Tomorrow Island” and “Yesterday Isle.”