English Channel

• 

  The English Channel from the Cliff top at Tennyson Down, the Isle of Wight

The English Channel is the name of the shallow extension of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Island of Great Britain from France where it is referred to as 'La Manche' (meaning the sleeve). It is narrowest at its easternmost end where it joins the North sea. At this point, the UK and France are just 24 miles apart and the one is visible from the other on clear days. It is regarded as the busiest shipping route in the world, and much of the sea cargo bound to and from Western and Northern Europe pass through the channel, as well as regular ferry links between the British Isles and the mainland. Principal Ports on the Channel are Plymouth, Poole, Southampton, Portsmouth, Folkestone, and Dover (UK), and Roscoff, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Caen, Boulogne and Calais (France).

The Channel Islands are a British dependancy, close to the coast of Normandy, France. The Isle of Wight also lies in the English Channel, seperated from the British Mainland by a narrow extension of the channel called The Solent.