- The Mozambique channel separates Madagascar and Mozambique.
- It is about 1,600 kms (1,000 miles) long and about 400 kms (250 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
- The channel is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world with tankers carrying oil from the Middle East to Europe and the United States.
- It is also home to a variety of marine life including whales, dolphins, and sharks.
- The Mozambique Channel is also home to several oil and gas fields, which are being exploited by companies from France, Norway, Brazil and South Africa.
- The channel has an estimated 276 species of corals.
- The Mozambique Channel has a diverse marine life including marine mammals, fish, crustaceans, mollusks and echinoderms.
- One of the most striking features of the Mozambique Channel is the presence of numerous sand banks and coral reefs, which form beautiful and intricate patterns underwater.
- It has been proposed as a potential location for a future submarine telecommunications cable, connecting Africa and South America.
Underwater features
The Mozambique Channel is characterised by a complex underwater topography. The most notable feature is the Davie Ridge which is a 2,000 km (1,300 mile) submerged mountain range that crosses the channel from north to south, parallel to the coasts of Madagascar and Mozambique. The ridge rises to within 200 m (660 ft) below the surface of the ocean and creates two separate basins which are separated by a water depth of between 3,200–4,000 m (10,500–13,100 ft). The western basin is referred to as the Mozambique Basin, while the eastern basin is referred to as the Madagascar Basin.