Long Strait

The Long Strait (Russian: пролив Лонга; Proliv Longa) is a body of water in the Russian Federation.

Long Strait
пролив Лонга (Russian)
A view from space, with a long polynya in the strait and Wrangel Island to the north-east
Long Strait Location in Russia
Location	Russian Far East; between the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea
Coordinates	69°49′N 176°10′E
Part of	Arctic Ocean
Basin countries	Russia
Max. length	128 km (80 mi)
Max. width	141 km (88 mi)
Max. depth	50 m (160 ft)
Frozen	Most of the year

History

This strait was named after the American whaling captain Thomas W. Long.^[1][2]

In August 1983, it was the site of a disaster when 50 ships were trapped in ice, with the loss of one and damage to as many as 30 others.

Geography

This strait separates Wrangel Island from the Siberian mainland.^[3] It is very broad, its minimum width being 141 km, between Cape Blossom at the southwestern tip of Wrangel Island and Cape Yakan, 65 km east of Cape Billings, close to Gytkhelen, Chukotka.^[4]

The Long Strait is also a geographic landmark connecting the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea.