Which strait separates Spain from Morocco and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea?

The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Morocco and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.

The strait is about 60 kilometres long and narrows to roughly 14 kilometres at its closest point between southern Spain and northern Morocco. It is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime passages because ships traveling between the Atlantic and Mediterranean use it to avoid the much longer route around Africa.

The Rock of Gibraltar stands on the northern side near the strait’s eastern entrance. Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, while the opposite African shore includes the Moroccan city of Tangier and the Spanish exclave of Ceuta lies nearby. Strong currents and winds make navigation significant, especially because Atlantic surface water flows eastward while deeper Mediterranean water moves westward.

The Strait of Gibraltar also has deep geological importance. Around 5.33 million years ago, the Zanclean flood refilled the Mediterranean after the basin had nearly dried during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The modern strait is therefore both a commercial gateway and a remnant of dramatic changes in the history of the Mediterranean basin.