What ocean separates Antarctica from South America?
Drake Passage, deep waterway, 600 miles (1,000 km) wide, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans between Cape Horn (the southernmost point of South America) and the South Shetland Islands, situated about 100 miles (160 km) north of the Antarctic Peninsula.
How many miles separate Cape Horn from Antarctica?
440 nautical miles
It is not the bad reputation of the pirate’s name that makes tourists shiver still today when they hear the infamous name of the 440 nautical miles wide passage between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula, respectively the South Shetland Island.
What is the ocean that borders Antarctica?
The Southern Ocean
Antarctic Polar Front The Southern Ocean encircles Antarctica, and its area is usually defined as extending from the edge of the continent (and its ice shelves) to the position of the ‘polar front’ separating it from the surrounding Pacific, Indian and South Atlantic Oceans.
Which canal joins the Atlantic and Pacific ocean?
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a constructed waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the Isthmus of Panama.
Where is the Cape Horn lighthouse in Antarctica?
The small lighthouse can be seen as a white spot close to the seaside. Cape Horn is located on Isla Hornos in the Hermite Islands group, at the southern end of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. It marks the north edge of the Drake Passage, the strait between South America and Antarctica. It is located in Cabo de Hornos National Park .
Why was the Cape Horn important to South America?
Located on the southernmost point of South America, the cape was previously part of the clipper routes that transported much of the world’s trade, marking a gateway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Which is the widest passage south of Cape Horn?
The open waters of the Drake Passage, south of Cape Horn, provide by far the widest route, at about 800 kilometres (500 miles) wide; this passage offers ample sea room for maneuvering as winds change, and is the route used by most ships and sailboats, despite the possibility of extreme wave conditions.
Where are the land limits of the Southern Ocean?
The Southern Ocean was delineated by land-based limits – the continent of Antarctica to the south, and the continents of South America, Africa, and Australia plus Broughton Island, New Zealand in the north. The detailed land-limits used were Cape Horn in South America, Cape Agulhas in Africa,…