Dardanelles
Channel: 宇宙のすべての知識 プリンシピア
Date: 2018-12-21

Dardanelles, by Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=8073 / CC BY SA 3.0

Dardanelles

The Dardanelles (; , ), also known from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont
(; , "Hellespontos", literally "Sea of Helle"), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey that forms part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia, and separates Asian Turkey from European Turkey. One of the world's narrowest straits used for international navigation, the Dardanelles connects the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, while also allowing passage to the Black Sea by extension via the Bosphorus. The Dardanelles is long, and wide, averaging deep with a maximum depth of at its narrowest point abreast the city of Çanakkale.

Most of the northern shores of the strait along the Gallipoli Peninsula () are sparsely settled, while the southern shores along the Troad Peninsula () are inhabited by the city of Çanakkale's urban population of 110,000.

Together with the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles forms the Turkish Straits.

The contemporary Turkish name "Çanakkale Boğazı", meaning "Çanakkale Strait", is derived from the eponymous midsize city that adjoins the strait, itself meaning "Pottery Fort"—from "Çanak" (pottery) + "Kale" (Fortress)—in reference to the area's famous pottery and ceramic wares, and the landmark Ottoman fortress of Sultaniye.

The English name "Dardanelles" is an abbreviation of "Strait of the Dardanelles". During Ottoman times there was a castle on each side of the strait. These castles together were called the "Dardanelles", probably named after Dardanus, an ancient city on the Asian shore of the strait which in turn was said to take its name from Dardanus, the mythical son of Zeus and Electra.

The ancient Greek name ("Hellespontos") means "Sea of Helle", and was the ancient name of the narrow strait. It was variously named in classical literature "Hellespontium Pelagus", "Rectum Hellesponticum", and "Fretum Hellesponticum". It was so called from Helle, the daughter of Athamas, who was drowned here in the mythology of the Golden Fleece.

As a maritime waterway, the Dardanelles connects various seas along the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Near East, and Western Eurasia, and specifically connects the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The Marmara further connects to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus, while the Aegean further links to the Mediterranean. Thus, the Dardanelles allows maritime connections from the Black Sea all the way to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean via Gibraltar, and the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, making it a crucial international waterway, in particular for the passage of goods coming in from Russia.

The strait is located at approximately .

The strait is long, and wide, averaging deep with a maximum depth of at its narrowest point at Nara Burnu, abreast Çanakkale. There are two major currents through the strait: a surface current flows from the Black Sea towards the Aegean Sea, and a more saline undercurrent flows in the opposite direction.

The Dardanelles is unique in many respects. The very narrow and winding shape of the strait is more akin to that of a river. It is considered one of the most hazardous, crowded, difficult and potentially dangerous waterways in the world. The currents produced by the tidal action in the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara are such that ships under sail must await at anchorage for the...