isthmus

(ĭs'məs)

1. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land.
2. Anatomy.
   1. A narrow strip of tissue joining two larger organs or parts of an organ.
   2. A narrow passage connecting two larger cavities.

[Latin, from Greek isthmos.]

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A narrow strip of land that connects two larger bodies of land and has water on both sides.

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A narrow connection between two larger bodies or parts.

• aortic i. — that part of the aorta between the origin of the brachiocephalic trunk, or the left subclavian artery, and that of the ductus arteriosus which is partly constricted in the fetus; it marks the partial separation of fetal blood flow derived from right and left ventricles, and is most conspicuous in the newborn calf.
• i. of auditory tube — the narrowest part of the pharyngotympanic tube at the junction of its bony and cartilaginous parts. Called also isthmus of pharyngotympanic tube.
• i. of fauces, i. faucium — the constricted aperture between the cavity of the mouth and the pharynx.
• oviduct i. — the short slightly narrower section of the oviduct of the bird between the magnum and the uterus, where the shell membranes are laid down.
• pharyngeal i. — the aperture between the dorsal and ventral parts of the pharynx and separated by the free edge of the soft palate and the palatopharyngeal arch.
• i. of pharyngotympanic tube — see isthmus of auditory tube (above).
• i. of rhombencephalon — the narrow segment of the fetal brain, forming the plane of separation between the rhombencephalon and cerebrum.
• i. of thyroid — the band of tissue joining the lobes of the thyroid. It is fibrous in sheep and horses and glandular in dogs and cattle.
• i. of uterine tube — the narrower, thicker-walled portion of the uterine tube closest to the uterus.

• Coastal Land, Islands, and the Sea - isthmus: narrow strip of land with water on both sides connecting two larger bodies of land

This article is about the geographical term. For other uses, see Isthmus (disambiguation).

The sandy isthmus connecting North and South Bruny Island in Tasmania, Australia

An isthmus ( /ˈɪsθməs/ or /ˈɪsməs/; plural: isthmuses, isthmi; from Ancient Greek: ἰσθμός isthmos "neck") is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.^[1]

Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation. The Panama Canal bisects the Isthmus of Panama, thereby connecting the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; the Suez Canal adjoins the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans, cutting across the Isthmus of Suez to connect the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez/Red Sea. Strait is the sea counterpart of isthmus.

Contents 1 List of isthmuses 1.1 In Asia 1.1.1 Southeast Asia 1.1.2 Red Sea 1.1.3 Caucasus 1.2 In Oceania 1.2.1 In Australia 1.2.2 New Zealand 1.3 In Europe 1.3.1 Mediterranean Sea 1.3.2 Black Sea 1.3.3 Russia 1.3.4 United Kingdom 1.3.5 Ireland 1.3.6 Iceland 1.4 Americas 1.4.1 Canada 1.4.2 USA 1.4.3 Mexico 1.4.4 Nicaragua 1.4.5 Panama 1.4.6 Venezuela 1.4.7 Chile 1.4.8 Argentina 1.4.9 British Overseas Territories 2 See also 3 Notes

List of isthmuses

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

In Asia Southeast Asia The Isthmus of Kra connecting Malay Peninsula with the mainland of Asia. Red Sea The Isthmus of Suez between North Africa and Sinai Peninsula. Caucasus The Caucasus region connecting Europe to Asia between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea is sometimes considered an isthmus. In Oceania In Australia Eaglehawk Neck near Port Arthur, Tasmania. The Neck in Bruny Island, Tasmania connecting North and South Bruny. New Zealand Auckland isthmus between Northland Peninsula and the rest of New Zealand's North Island.[2] The Rongotai isthmus, where Wellington International Airport is located. In Europe Mediterranean Sea Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Peloponnese peninsula to the rest of Greece. Isthmus of Potidea, connecting the Kassandra peninsula with the mainland of Greece. Isthmus of Catanzaro, the narrowest part of Italy Isthmus of Gibraltar Black Sea Isthmus of Perekop between Crimea and Ukraine proper. Russia Karelian Isthmus between Lake Ladoga and the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland). Olonets Isthmus between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega. United Kingdom La Coupée isthmus in Sark. Forth-Clyde isthmus in Scotland. Mavis Grind isthmus in Shetland. Rhins of Galloway isthmus in Wigtownshire (where Stranraer is situated), Scotland. Bardsey Island. Ireland Cape Clear Island Iceland Isthmus of Westfjords peninsula, which connects to the mainland of Iceland. Americas Canada Isthmus of Avalon. Isthmus of Chignecto. USA In Puget Sound, south of the Guemes Channel sits Fidalgo Island. This island is about 15 minutes west of Burlington, Washington separated from the mainland by only a wide marshy isthmus and the Swinomish Channel that cuts through the isthmus. The city of Seattle, Washington has spread itself across a large isthmus of ridges and valleys extending north to south along the eastern side of Puget Sound. A little south of Puget Sound about 45 miles north of the mouth the Columbia River on the west coast of Washington sits Grays Harbor. In the early twentieth century long jetties were built to stabilize the entrance to Grays Harbor and to clear out the sand banks that interfered with navigation. Because of these jetties in the last few years there has been a large amount of erosion on the shorelines. This prompted the Corps of Engineers to deposit about 600,000 cubic meters of sand and pebbles in order to create an artificial isthmus. This wide isthmus now prevents the sea from breaking into the bay and threatening the town of Westport. [3] Madison Isthmus. Seattle, Washington. Mexico Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Nicaragua Isthmus of Rivas. Panama Isthmus of Panama. Venezuela Isthmus of Médanos - links Venezuela to Paraguaná. Chile Ofqui Isthmus, Aisén Region Isthmus of Muñoz Gamero Peninsula Isthmus of Brunswick Peninsula Argentina Istmo Carlos Ameghino, Province of Chubut Quetrihué Isthmus of Quetrihué Peninsula in Nahuel Huapi Lake British Overseas Territories Isthmus of East Falkland.

The Suez Canal crosses the Suez isthmus The Isthmus of Panama

See also

• Geography
• Mainland
• Tombolo
• Peninsula
• Land bridge

Notes

1. ^ In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 07, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online
2. ^ The isthmus (from the Auckland City Council website. Accessed 2009-02-08.)
3. ^ Bird, Eric (2010). Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms, Volume 1. Springer. pp. 22–28. ISBN 1402086385, 9781402086380. 

v d e Coastal geography Landforms Anchialine pool Avulsion Archipelago Atoll Ayre Barrier bar Barrier island Bay Baymouth bar Bight Brackish marsh Cape Channel Cliff Cliffed coast Cliff-top dune Coast Coastal plain Coastal waterfall Continental margin Continental shelf Coral reef Cove Dune Estuary Firth Fjard Fjord Flat coast Freshwater marsh Fundus Geo Graded shoreline Gulf Headland Inlet Intertidal wetland Island Islet Isthmus Lagoon Marine terrace Mouth bar Raised shorelines Machair Mega delta Mudflat Natural arch Peninsula Reef Ria River delta Rocky shore Salt marsh Shore Sound Stack Steep coast Strait Strand plain Submarine canyon Tied island Tidal island Tidal marsh Tide pool Tombolo More... Beaches Beach cusps Beach evolution Beach ridge Beachrock Modern recession of beaches Pocket beach Raised beach Storm beach Shingle beach Processes Blowhole Coastal erosion Concordant coastline Current Cuspate foreland Discordant coastline Emergent coastline Feeder bluff Fetch Headlands and bays Large scale coastal behaviour Longshore drift Marine regression Marine transgression Rip current Sea cave Sea foam Shoal Spit Submergent coastline Surf break Surf zone Surge channel Swash Volcanic arc Wave-cut platform Wave shoaling Wind wave Wrack zone Management Coastal management Accretion Integrated coastal zone management Submersion Related Bulkhead line Coastline length Intertidal zone Littoral zone Particle size boulder shingle pebble sand silt clay Physical oceanography Region of freshwater influence Scree More...

3. Mellander, Gustavo A.; Nelly Maldonado Mellander (1999). Charles Edward Magoon: The Panama Years. Río Piedras, Puerto Rico: Editorial Shafin Islam. ISBN 1-56328-155-4. OCLC 42970390.

4. Mellander, Gustavo A. (1971). The United States in Panamanian Politics: The Intriguing Formative Years. Danville, Ill.: Interstate Publishers. OCLC 138568.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - landtange

Nederlands (Dutch)
landengte

Français (French)
n. - isthme

Deutsch (German)
n. - Isthmus, Landenge

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (γεωγρ.) ισθμός

Italiano (Italian)
istmo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - istmo (m)

Русский (Russian)
перешеек, перемычка

Español (Spanish)
n. - istmo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - näs

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
地峡, 峡部

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 地峽, 峽部

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 지협, 협부

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 地峡, 峡部

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) برزخ ( مثال برزخ بنما)‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חלק צר המחבר שני חלקים רחבים יותר, מיצר יבשה‬

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