Gibraltar, << juh BRAWL tuhr >>, Strait of, is a narrow body of water that connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the world’s most important sea lanes. The strait is about 32 miles (51 kilometers) long and 8 to 23 miles (13 to 37 kilometers) wide. It separates southernmost Spain from the northern coast of Africa. Cape Trafalgar in Spain and Cape Spartel in Tangier mark its western limits; its eastern limits are the British overseas territory of Gibraltar and Point Almina in North Africa.
On each side of the Strait of Gibraltar at its eastern end is a huge rock. These rocks are called Pillars of Hercules. The Mediterranean receives waters that flow east from the Atlantic through the strait. The sea has little tide, and its surplus waters are carried west by an undercurrent that flows through the strait into the Atlantic.
See also Gibraltar.
