Which strait separates Russia’s Sakhalin Island from mainland Siberia?

The Tartary Strait separates Russia’s Sakhalin Island from mainland Siberia.

The strait lies between Sakhalin and the Russian mainland, connecting the Sea of Japan in the south with the Sea of Okhotsk in the north. It is about 900 kilometres long, making it one of the longest straits in the world, although its northern section is shallow and partly enclosed by sandbanks.

The name is also written Tatar Strait or Strait of Tartary. “Tartary” is an old European geographic term, while modern Russian usage commonly refers to the Tatar Strait. The name is unrelated to the Tatar people in a simple geographical sense, despite the similar wording.

The strait’s shallow northern end freezes seasonally. The Nevelskoy Strait, at the narrowest northern section, is sometimes discussed separately in geographic descriptions.