Which strait separates the European and African continents?

The Strait of Gibraltar separates the European and African continents.

It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, with Spain and Gibraltar on its northern side and Morocco on its southern side. At its narrowest point, the strait is about 14 kilometres wide. Its position has made it one of the world’s most important maritime gateways.

The strait’s modern name refers to Gibraltar, whose name comes through Arabic from Jabal Ṭāriq, “Mountain of Tariq.” This commemorates the eighth-century commander Tariq ibn Ziyad, who crossed from North Africa during the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

The Strait of Gibraltar is also important to ocean circulation. Relatively salty Mediterranean water flows outward at depth, while Atlantic surface water enters the Mediterranean. Geological evidence suggests that the Mediterranean nearly dried during the Messinian Salinity Crisis about 5.96 to 5.33 million years ago, before the Atlantic refilled it through the region of the present strait.