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Strait of Otranto

 
Dictionary: O·tran·to   (ō-trän') pronunciation
, Strait of

A passage between southeast Italy and western Albania connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea.

 

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Wikipedia: Strait of Otranto
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Map showing the location of the Strait of Otranto.
Bay of Vlora
Otranto harbour

The Strait of Otranto (Canale d'Otranto in Italian) connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea. Its width is 45-55 nautical mile (85–100 km). The strait is named after the Italian city of Otranto.

History

During World War I, the strait was of strategic significance. The Allied navies of Italy, France, and Great Britain, by blockading the strait, mostly with light naval forces and lightly armed fishermen, hindered the cautious Austro-Hungarian Navy from freely entering the Mediterranean Sea, and effectively kept them out of the naval theatre of war.

However, the barrage was notoriously ineffective against the German u-boats operating out of the Adriatic, which were to plague the Allied powers for most of the war throughout the Mediterranean.[1]

References

  1. ^ First World War - Willmott, H.P., Dorling Kindersley, 2003, Page 186

Coordinates: 40°13′10″N 18°55′32″E / 40.21944°N 18.92556°E / 40.21944; 18.92556



 
 

 

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Strait of Otranto" Read more