The Bosporus Strait

geography · Turkey · waterways · boundaries

Connects two seas. The Bosporus links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, creating a crucial water route that ships use to travel between these two bodies of water and beyond.

Divides two continents. This strait forms the boundary between Europe and Asia, making it one of the world's most important geographical dividing lines.

Istanbul straddles it. The famous city of Istanbul sits right on the Bosporus, with parts of the city on the European side and parts on the Asian side.

Narrowest shipping lane. The Bosporus is the world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, meaning large ships have to carefully navigate through this tight passage.

Part of Turkey. The entire strait belongs to Turkey and also divides the country itself, separating the region of Asia Minor from Thrace.