English Channel

An arm of the Atlantic Ocean between France and England, opening to the North Sea through the Strait of Dover. The English Channel is crossed by various ferry routes as well as by an undersea rail tunnel (opened 1994).

English Channel

n (Placename) an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between S England and N France, linked with the North Sea by the Strait of Dover. Length: about 560 km (350 miles). Width: between 32 km (20 miles) and 161 km (100 miles). French name: La Manche

Eng′lish Chan′nel

n. an arm of the Atlantic between S England and N France, connected with the North Sea by the Strait of Dover. 350 mi. (565 km) long; 20–100 mi. (32–160 km) wide.

Thesaurus

Noun

English Channel - an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that forms a channel between France and BritainBattle of the Spanish Armada - in the English Channel a small fleet of British ships successfully defeated the large armada sent from Spain by Philip II to invade EnglandChannel Island - any of a group of British islands in the English Channel off the northern coast of FranceAtlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the eastSolent - a strait of the English Channel between the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of WightIsle of Wight, Wight - an isle and county of southern England in the English Channel

Translations

Ла-Манш

English Channel

English Channel,

Fr. La Manche [the sleeve], arm of the Atlantic Ocean, c.350 (560 km) long, between France and Great Britain. It is 112 mi (180 km) wide at its west entrance, between Land's End, England, and Ushant, France. Its greatest width, c.150 mi (240 km) is between Lyme Bay and the Gulf of St.-Malo; at the east, between Dover and Cape Gris-Nez, it is 21 mi (34 km) wide. The Strait of Dover connects the Channel with the North Sea. Principal islands are the Isle of WightWight, Isle of
, island and county (1991 pop. 126,600), 147 sq mi (381 sq km), S England, across the Solent and Spithead channels from Hampshire. The administrative center is Newport.
..... Click the link for more information. and the Channel IslandsChannel Islands,
archipelago (2015 est. pop. 164,000), 75 sq mi (194 sq km), 10 mi (16 km) off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. The main islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark, and there are several smaller islands, including Herm, Jethou, and
..... Click the link for more information. . The principal Channel ports are Plymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Dover (in England) and Cherbourg, Le Havre, Dieppe, and Calais (in France). Noted resorts include Deauville, France, and Brighton, England. A train-ferry service to carry passengers and freight between Paris and London was opened between Dover and Dunkirk in 1936. There are other ferry and hovercraft links, as well as the link under the Channel via the Channel TunnelChannel Tunnel,
popularly called the "Chunnel," a three-tunnel railroad connection running under the English Channel, connecting Folkestone, England, and Calais, France. The tunnels are 31 mi (50 km) long. There are two rail tunnels, each 25 ft (7.
..... Click the link for more information. , opened in 1994. In 1785, J. P. Blanchard and Dr. John Jeffries crossed the Channel by balloon; the first person to swim across was Matthew Webb (1875); and the first airplane crossing was made by BlériotBlériot, Louis
, 1872–1936, French aviator and inventor. He devoted the fortune acquired by his invention of an automobile searchlight to the invention and construction of monoplanes.
..... Click the link for more information. in 1909.

English Channel

a strait between the northern coast of Western Europe and Britain. Together with Pas de Calais (Strait of Dover), it links the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. It is about 520 km long, and its width gradually narrows from about 180 km in the west to 32 km in the east. Its depth in the fairway is 35 m, and its maximum depth is 172 m. There are many shoals, especially in the eastern part. Western winds result in a steady eastward current with a velocity of up to 3 km per hour (in narrow sections). Tides are semidiurnal, reaching 12.2 m in some places (Golfe de Saint-Malo). Fogs are frequent.

The channel is important for transportation. One of the major routes (in cargo turnover) from the countries of the North and Baltic seas to North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia passes through the channel. The main British ports are Portsmouth, Southampton, and Plymouth, and the chief French ports are Le Havre and Cherbourg. Fishing is well developed (plaice, mackerel, cod, halibut). Plans are under consideration for building a tunnel under the Pas de Calais.

English Channel

an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between S England and N France, linked with the North Sea by the Strait of Dover. Length: about 560 km (350 miles). Width: between 32 km (20 miles) and 161 km (100 miles)

English Channel

English Channel

English Channel

Eng′lish Chan′nel

English Channel

English Channel,

English Channel

English Channel

English Channel

Words related to English Channel

noun an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that forms a channel between France and Britain

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