Why is the Strait of Dover important?
The strait is also particularly important for its biodiversity value, fisheries, landscape value, cultural significance and tourism. The Strait of Dover is rich in designated sites for biodiversity: on the Kent side, Special Areas of Conservation (SAC’s), Special Protection Areas (SPA’s) and Ramsar sites exist.
Is the Strait of Dover a river?
The Strait of Dover (Pas-de-Calais) is a narrow sea passage that links the North Sea and the English Channel between Britain and France. These valleys are interlinked to form a drowned drainage system and can also be linked to present rivers that enter the Channel on both the British and French sides.
Where is the Strait of Dover and why is it an important location?
The Dover Strait or the Strait of Dover is a vital maritime route in the Western European region located at the narrowest part of the English Channel. It is the strait that separates the English Channel and the North Sea, and a boundary between Great Britain and France, or continental Europe.
When did the English Channel form?
about 425,000 years ago
A 2007 study concluded that the English Channel was formed by erosion caused by two major floods. The first was about 425,000 years ago, when an ice-dammed lake in the southern North Sea overflowed and broke the Weald-Artois chalk range in a catastrophic erosion and flood event.
Can you swim the Strait of Dover?
THE FIRST PERSON to swim across the Strait of Dover without the aid of a flotation device was Captain Matthew Webb, who did it in 21 hours and 45 minutes in 1875. You will be swimming 21 miles in cold water, with a strong tidal current that can push you over twice that distance.
How far across is Strait of Dover?
The strait is 18 to 25 miles (30 to 40 km) wide, and its depth ranges from 120 to 180 feet (35 to 55 metres).
Where are the Dover Straits?
Strait of Dover, French Pas de Calais, Latin Gallicum Fretum, narrow water passage separating England (northwest) from France (southeast) and connecting the English Channel (southwest) with the North Sea (northeast).
How many straits are there in the world?
A strait is a thin channel of a waterway that connects two large water bodies. The following are the main characteristics of a strait: Formed by natural processes. Narrower than the seas it connects….Major Straits of the world.
| Strait | Contiguous Landmass | Joining Seas/Water Bodies |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Strait | New Zealand | The Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean |
How deep is the water between Dover and Calais?
about 45 m
It is relatively shallow, with an average depth of about 120 m (390 ft) at its widest part, reducing to a depth of about 45 m (148 ft) between Dover and Calais.
Why do the French call the English Channel La Manche?
The French name la Manche has been used since at least the 17th century. The name is usually said to refer to the Channel’s sleeve (French: la manche) shape. The name in Breton (Mor Breizh) means ‘Breton Sea’, and its Cornish name (Mor Bretannek) means ‘British Sea’.
How rough is the English Channel?
The Channel and North Sea can be rough, because they are shallow(on one cruise in the middle of the North Sea the Captain said depth of water under the keel was 85 feet…if the ship sank, deck 9 and above would still be out of the water!), so the wind can really whip the water up.
Where are the Straits of Dover in England?
The Straits of Dover or Dover Straits are the seaway at the narrowest part of the English Channel. The Straits mark the end of the English Chanel and the beginning of the North Sea . The shortest distance across the strait is from the South Foreland, 4 miles northeast of Dover in Kent, to Cap Gris Nez, a headland near Calais in France.
When did the Strait of Dover become the Rhine?
This overflow channel became the Strait of Dover about 425,000 years ago. A narrow deep channel along the middle of the strait was the bed of the Rhine in the last Ice Age. A geological deposit in East Anglia marks the old preglacial northward course of the Rhine.
Why are the waters in the Strait of Dover so calm?
In these calmer zones, the water is clearer than in the rest of the strait; thus algae can grow despite the 46 m (151 ft) average depth and help increase diversity in the local species – some of which are endemic to the strait. Moreover, this is a transition zone for the species of the Atlantic Ocean and those of the southern part of the North Sea.
Why did the Thames and Scheldt flow through the Strait of Dover?
The first was about 425,000 years ago, when an ice-dammed lake in the southern North Sea overflowed and broke the Weald – Artois chalk range in a catastrophic erosion and flood event. Afterwards, the Thames and Scheldt flowed through the gap into the English Channel, but the Meuse and Rhine still flowed northwards.
