The Strait of Bonifacio (french: Bouches de Bonifacio; it, Bocche di Bonifacio; co, Bucchi di Bunifaziu; sdn, Bocchi di Bunifaciu; sc, Buccas de Bonifatziu; lij, Bocche de Bunifazziu; lat, Fretum Gallicum, Fretum Taphros) is the

strait A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...

between

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

and Sardinia, named after the Corsican town

Bonifacio Bonifacio may refer to: Places * Bonifacio, Corse-du-Sud, a town in Corsica, France * Strait of Bonifacio, separating Corsica from Sardinia * Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, a municipality in the Philippines * Bonifacio Global City, a central bu ...

. It is wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea from the western Mediterranean Sea. The strait is notorious among sailors for its weather, currents,

shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...

s, and other obstacles. The most famous disaster in the Strait of Bonifacio was that of the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

'' Sémillante'' on February 15, 1855. ''Sémillante'' had left the port of Toulon the day before on her way into the Black Sea to supply the Crimean War with troops. A storm caused her to hit a reef; the ship sank and none of the 750 soldiers on board survived. After a

tanker Tanker may refer to: Transportation * Tanker, a tank crewman (US) * Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids ** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk ** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum ta ...

disaster in 1993, the passage through the Strait of Bonifacio has been prohibited for French and Italian flag ships with

dangerous goods Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

. Passage for ships with dangerous goods sailing under other flags is strongly discouraged and subject to mandatory piloting. Its maximum depth is .

Gallery

File:Strait of bonifacio2.jpg, Location of the Strait. File:Bouches de Bonifacio.JPG, The Strait as seen from

Santa Teresa di Gallura Santa Teresa Gallura (Gallurese: ''Lungoni'', sc, Lungone) is a town on the northern tip of Sardinia, on the Strait of Bonifacio, in the province of Sassari, Italy. The southern coast of Corsica can be seen from the beach. The city is one of seve ...

in Sardinia; Corsica is in the background. File:Strait of Bonifacio.jpg, The Strait as seen from the northernmost tip of Sardinia; the southern coast of Corsica is barely visible. File:Scogliere bocche di bonifacio.JPG, The Strait as seen from the Corsican coast. File:Strasse von Bonifacio.jpg, The Strait as seen from the air.

References

External links

International straits

Landforms of Corsica Landforms of Sardinia Landforms of the Tyrrhenian Sea France–Italy border {{Sardinia-geo-stub

Gallery

See also

References

External links