A narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel separates the southern coast of England from the northern coast of France. The channel is the smallest of the shallow seas in the region of continental Europe. In French, the channel is called La Manche (the sleeve).

Physical characteristics

The English Channel is 350 miles (560 kilometers) long. At its widest point it is 150 miles (240 kilometers) wide. In the east it is only 21 miles (34 kilometers) wide.

The channel and the North Sea are connected at the Strait of Dover in the east. The main islands are the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands (a collection of islands including Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark). The channel's greatest depth is 565 feet (172 meters). This occurs at Hurd Deep, one of a group of deep areas in the western part of the channel.

Economy and resources

Fishes such as cod, herring, whiting, hake, pilchard, and mullet are found in the waters of the English Channel. Deep-sea commercial fishing has hurt the traditional fishing community. However, coastal fishing is still important in areas such as Brittany in France.

Sandy beaches and a good climate have led to the development of many tourist resorts on the shores of the channel. These include Deauville in France and Brighton in England. There are many important ports on both sides of the channel as well. Southampton in England and Le Havre in France are two.

The Channel Tunnel

The English Channel has been a key water route for passenger and cargo traffic for a long time. A large number of boats pass through the Strait of Dover every day, and it is easy to cross the channel by ferry. As long ago as the 19th century, however, people thought of building a tunnel under the channel to connect England and France. In 1978, the British and French national railways reached an agreement on the idea.

France and Britain signed a Channel Tunnel treaty in 1986. Construction began in 1987, and the tunnel opened in 1994. The Channel Tunnel, or “Chunnel,” as it is sometimes nicknamed, consists of three tubes: two railway tracks, one for each direction of travel between England and France, and one service tube. Express trains can cross the channel in as little as 20 minutes. The ends of the tunnels are located at Folkestone in England and Sangatte (near Calais) in France. The average depth is about 150 feet (45 meters) below the floor of the channel. The underwater portion of the Channel Tunnel is 23 miles (37 kilometers) long.

History

Historically, the English Channel has been more than just a body of water to sail on. It has sometimes made it difficult for invaders from the Continent to reach Britain, but at other times it has served them as a travel route. Even thousands of years ago, people crossed at the Dover Strait. When the Roman leader Julius Caesar invaded in 55 BC, he also used the Dover route. In AD 1066, William, the duke of Normandy, crossed the channel and conquered the British at the battle of Hastings. In the 20th century, the English Channel played a key role in the two world wars, especially in the invasion of France by the Allied forces during World War II.

Many men, women, and children have swum across the English Channel. In 1875, Matthew Webb became the first person to do it. In 1909, the Frenchman Louis Blériot flew over the English Channel in the world's first over-the-ocean flight.