Information on the Strait of Gibraltar along with some maps and much more…
The Strait of Gibraltar is the opening gateway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. The straits divide the Rock of Gibraltar, being the southern most tip of Europe, and Morocco, the Northern tip of the African Continent.
Europe and Africa are separated by 14.24 km (7.7 nautical miles) of ocean at the strait's narrowest point. The depth ranges between 300 and 900 metres (980 and 3,000 ft).
Around 6 million years ago, the connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean along the Bethic and Rifan Corridor was progressively restricted until its total closure, effectively causing the salinity of the Mediterranean to periodically fall within the gypsum and salt deposition range, during what is known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis.
After a period of restricted or absent water exchange, at the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, approximately 5.33 million years ago, the Atlantic-Mediterranean connection was completely re-established across the strait and has remained open ever since.
The straits are an important shipping route from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. There are ferries that operate between Spain and Morocco as well as between Spain and Ceuta.
Information provided by Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Gibraltar
Gibraltar map – Here are some more images:




An aerial view taken from outer space (Europe is on the left and Africa on the right):
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