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Which strait separates North America from Asia?

seo-qna
Last updated date: 17th Apr 2024
Total views: 326.4k
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Answer
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Hint: It is also the connecting link between the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea. The strait is named after a Danish captain, Vitus Bering, who sailed into the strait in 1728.

Complete answer:
The strait that separates North America from Asia is referred to as Bering Strait. The strait is named after a Danish captain, Vitus Bering, who sailed into the strait in 1728. It separates the two continents at their closest point, as well as it is also the connecting link between the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea. Through the straight some of the Bering Sea water passes into the Arctic Ocean, but most of it returns to the Pacific.

In depth, it averages 98 to 164 feet and at its narrowest is about 53 miles wide. The strait consists of numerous islands, including the two Diomede Islands (about 6 square miles), and St. Lawrence Island (about 1,000 square miles) lies to the south of the strait. The U.S.–Russian frontier continues through the strait. During winter, severe storms occur in the region and the sea is covered by ice fields averaging 4 to 5 feet thick, while in midsummer floating ice remains in the Bering Strait.

Note: Tens of thousands of years ago, the sea level fell by several hundred feet, thus making the strait into a land bridge between the two continents, over which migration of several people occurred from Asia in search of food. These people were the ancestors of all the Native American peoples.