The Torres Strait is one of the shallowest, second in the list of its kind. It shares the island of Papua New Guinea and Australia. On two sides (south and north), it connects the largest Pacific Ocean with the Indian. And in the west-east direction, it connects the Coral and Arafura Seas with each other. Torres Strait coordinates: 9°52'49" S, 142°35'26" E. The geographical position of this water area can be seen on the map below.
Characteristic
The Torres Strait is endowed with a large area, the width of its most narrowed part, adjacent to the provincial peninsula of New Guinea called Cape York, reaches 150 km. The length of the water area is almost 75 km. In some places, the width between opposite banks reaches 240 km. Where is the Torres Strait located? Naturally, when it comes to such a continent as Australia, it immediately becomes clear that this water area should be looked for on the map of the Southern Hemisphere.
The bay was named after the famous Spanish navigator - Luis Vaez de Torres. The name has been givenin 1769. This happened after the Scottish geographer A. Dalrymple read the expedition reports.
Due to the fact that the Torres Strait is shallow, and its waters hide massive coral reefs, it is incredibly dangerous for ships to navigate.
Islands
In the middle of the strait, you can see numerous inhabited and uninhabited islands, which are diverse in nature, shape and size. There are more than 270 of them, and only 17 of them are inhabited. They received a consonant name - the Torres Strait Islands. These land areas are divided into 4 types:
- alluvial (formed during the deposition of sedimentary rocks);
- hilly (the hills of the islands are represented by granite);
- coral (from petrified coral reefs);
- volcanic (formed from thickened and petrified magma).
History of the island
The Torres Strait was first discovered by Spanish-born navigator Luis Vaez de Torres. This event took place in 1605. He mentioned his discoveries in his diary and works. In 1769, the Scottish geographer fell into the hands of the works of Torres, from where he learned about the existence of a certain coral strait, which was named after its discoverer. A year later, the eastern regions of Australia and the adjacent islands, including the Torres Strait Islands, were annexed to Britain. And already in 1879, as part of Queensland, the islands became a British colony.
Population
Population of allislets in total does not exceed 10 thousand people. The Melanesian people are considered the indigenous people, and immigrants from New Guinea (Papuans) also took root there. The most commonly used among the local population is the Creole language and dialects close to it.
Summarize
Rich flora and fauna, a variety of fish and beautiful views make coral expanses, surroundings and the Torres Strait itself special. The main and unforgettable attractions of these places are natural picturesque landscapes and multi-colored branched corals in translucent water. This region is chosen for tourism by connoisseurs of quiet rest and relaxation.
