Which strait separates the European continent from Africa at their closest point?

The Strait of Gibraltar separates Europe from Africa at their closest point.

The strait connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. Spain lies to its north and Morocco lies to its south, with the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on the European side. At its narrowest, the waterway is about 14 kilometres wide.

Its position has made it strategically important since antiquity. The ancient Greeks associated the surrounding headlands with the Pillars of Heracles. The Romans later called the passage Fretum Gaditanum, or the Strait of Cádiz.

The strait is not the same as the Bosporus, which separates parts of Istanbul and links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Nor should it be confused with the Strait of Gibraltar’s nearby Alboran Sea, the westernmost part of the Mediterranean. Strong currents and difficult winds have long made navigation challenging, while the crossing remains an important route between the Atlantic and Mediterranean.