What is the Bosporus and why is it significant?

It is the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and, by extension via the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, and by the Kerch Strait, the sea of Azov. Together with the Dardanelles, the Bosporus forms the Turkish Straits.

Is it Bosphorus or Bosporus?

Bosporus, also spelled Bosphorus, Turkish İstanbul Boğazı or Karadenız Boğazı, strait (boğaz, “throat”) uniting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and separating parts of Asian Turkey (Anatolia) from European Turkey.

Why is the Bosporus Strait important?

The Bosphorus strait is one of the world’s important maritime routes for the transportation of oil from the Caspian Sea region and Russia to regions including Asia, Western and Southern Europe. The strait is also the primary oil export routes for Eurasian countries such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

What are the Dardanelles and the Bosporus?

The body of water at the top is the Black Sea, the one at the bottom is the Marmara Sea, and the Bosphorus is the winding vertical waterway that connects the two. The Dardanelles is the tapered waterway running diagonally between the two peninsulas, from the northeast to the southwest.

Why is it called the Bosphorus?

The name Bosphorus comes from a Thracian word meaning “passage of the cow.” The name is derived from the legend of Io who was one the many lovers of the Greek god Zeus. Hera, the wife of Zeus, became suspicious and came down from Mount Olympus to see what her husband was up to.

Can you swim in the Bosphorus?

The iconic Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim is back in 2021, bigger and better than ever. Join more than 2,400 competitors from across the globe as swimmers take over the Bosphorus waters and one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world is temporarily closed to traffic.

Why is it called the Black Sea?

Why is the Black Sea black? The sea was first named by the ancient Greeks who called it “Inhospitable Sea.” The sea got this reputation because it was difficult to navigate, and hostile tribes inhabited its shores.

How many ships go through the Bosphorus?

48.000 ships
Bosphorus is a very busy waterway with many ships and oil tankers going through it, as well as local fishing and ferries go to the Asian side back and forth. Around 48.000 ships pass through this strait annually, three times denser than the Suez Canal traffic and four times denser than the Panama Canal.

Is the Bosphorus dirty?

The Bosphorus is too dirty, its currents are too unpredictable, the giant tankers and freighters that traverse it are too dangerous. On top of all that, it is illegal to swim anywhere but along the shore. This is the only city that straddles two continents — and the Bosphorus is what divides and unites it.

Is the Bosphorus clean?

Nine boats designed by the Istanbul municipality regularly clean the Bosphorus – one of the world’s most strategic waterways, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and dividing Istanbul into two continents. The boats collect on average 110 cubic meters of garbage a day, in the sea and off the coast.

Which one is the largest sea in the world?

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of the world ocean basins. Covering approximately 63 million square miles and containing more than half of the free water on Earth, the Pacific is by far the largest of the world’s ocean basins.

How is the Bosphorus strait used for International Navigation?

It forms part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia, and divides Turkey by separating Anatolia from Thrace. It is the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and, by extension via the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

Where does the water from the Bosporus channel come from?

In its centre a rapid current flows from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, but a countercurrent below the surface carries water of greater salinity from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. The Bosporus is heavily fished, since the channel is a seasonal migration route for fish to and from the Black Sea.

Where is the Bosporus strait located in Turkey?

Bosporus, also spelled Bosphorus, Turkish İstanbul Boğazı or Karadenız Boğazı, strait ( boğaz, “throat”) uniting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and separating parts of Asian Turkey (Anatolia) from European Turkey. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Bridge Boğaziçi (Bosporus I) Bridge, Istanbul. Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com ( A Britannica Publishing Partner)

What kind of fishing does the Bosporus do?

The Bosporus is heavily fished, since the channel is a seasonal migration route for fish to and from the Black Sea. Both shores are well wooded and are dotted with villages, resorts, and fine residences and villas.