Key Facts about English Channel

About English Channel:

• It is a narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean. 
• It separates the southern coast of England (part of Great Britain) from the northern coast of France. 
• The channel and the North Sea are connected by the Strait of Dover in the east. 
• The current name, “English Channel,” dates back to the 18th century. Before then, the English mostly referred to the waterway as a “Narrow Sea.”
• The French refer to the Channel as “la Manche” because of its sleevelike shape.
• With an area of some 29,000 square miles (75,000 square km), it is the smallest of the shallow seas covering the continental shelf of Europe.
• It is 350 miles (560 kilometers) long. At its widest point, it is 150 miles (240 kilometers) across. At its narrowest, it is only 21 miles (34 kilometers) across.
• It is a shallow waterway with an average depth of 63 m.
• Climate: Temperate maritime climate, with warm summers and cold winters. 
• The main islands are the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands (a collection of islands including Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark).
• It is one of the world’s busiest shipping areas, linking southern England, the United Kingdom to northern France.
• It accounts for up to 20% of the global maritime trade and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea.