An 'isthmus' (, ,
Katharevousa and , plural '''isthmuses''' or '''isthmi''') is a narrow strip of land that is bordered on two sides by water and connects two larger land masses.
It is the inverse of a
strait (which lies between two land masses and connects two larger bodies of water).
Isthmi are naturally good places to build
canals. The
Panama Canal, which connects the
Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans, drastically reduces the naval travel time between the east and west coasts of the Americas. The
Suez Canal is another example – it allows
ship transportation between Europe and Asia without the circumnavigation of Africa.
List of isthmi
★
Auckland Isthmus, in
Auckland,
New Zealand
★
Isthmus of Avalon in
Canada - separates the main island of
Newfoundland from the
Avalon Peninsula (where the capital,
St. John's, is located)
★
Isthmus of Chignecto - connects the mainland portion of
Nova Scotia with
New Brunswick and the rest of
Canada
★
Isthmus of Corinth in
Greece - the first isthmus to bear that name
★
Isthmus of Dubrovnik - today's
Stradun, (main center street), which connected Laus and Dub into a single city unit
★
Eaglehawk Neck,
Tasmania - which connects the
Forestier Peninsula and
Tasman Peninsula
★ Isthmus of
East Falklands (
Goose Green)
★ Isthmus of
Gibraltar, which joins
Gibraltar to mainland
Spain.
Its sovereignty is disputed by Spain.
★
Karelian Isthmus between
Gulf of Finland and
Lake Ladoga
★
Isthmus of Kra, which joins the
Malay Peninsula with mainland Asia
★
Isthmus of Kushimoto in
Japan - connects
Honshū with Cape Shiono-Misaki
★
La Coupée isthmus in
Sark
★
Madison Isthmus, between
Lake Mendota and
Lake Monona in
Madison, Wisconsin
★
Mavis Grind isthmus in
Shetland,
UK
★
Isthmus of Médanos - connects Venezuela to
Médanos
★ Neck in
Bruny Island,
Tasmania - connects North and South Bruny
★
Ofqui Isthmus,
Aysen Region,
Chile
★
Isthmus of Panama - arguably the most famous isthmus, connects
North America and
South America.
★
Isthmus of Perekop between
Crimea and
Ukraine proper
★
Quezon Province, in
Luzon, Philippines - connecting Bicol peninsula with mainland Luzon
★
Adam's Bridge, between
India and
Sri Lanka (a former Isthmus)
★ Isthmus of
Suez - the isthmus between
North Africa and
Southwest Asia, in
Egypt where the
Suez Canal is located
★
Isthmus of Tehuantepec - connects
Yucatan and
Central America with the rest of
Mexico
★
Isthmus of Summerside, connecting the Western section of
Prince Edward Island, Canada with the remainder of the island.
Additional Information
Although widely called a peninsula, the Niagara Region in Southern Ontario and Western New York is sometimes referred to as an isthmus.
See also
★
Geography
★
Mainland
★
Tombolo
★
Peninsula
★
Land bridge