Record #00503Nature archive
The Mozambique Channel stretches roughly 1,600 km between mainland southeastern Africa and Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean. Some geographical sources call it the world's longest strait, although that depends on how broad channels and their limits are classified.
Current Record
about1,600km
Current record value
The waterway extends southward from near the Comoros between the Mozambican mainland and Madagascar. Powerful eddies and complex currents characterise its ocean circulation.
Oceanographic literature commonly reports around 1,600 km, while strategic-geography materials give approximately 1,670 km when naming it the longest strait. Endpoint conventions differ and prevent treating either as an exact universal length.
Credible sources support core facts; the comparison scope or corroboration remains incomplete.
Basis: corroborating reliable secondary materials
An AGU oceanographic study estimates roughly 1,600 km while a US Air University translated maritime-strategy work calls the passage the longest strait at about 1,670 km. Boundary and waterway classification differences warrant developing status.
Classification of a strait versus a broad channel and its northern/southern boundaries varies among references; the longest ranking depends on the comparison set.
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
The record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
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