The Torres Strait is one of the shallowest, second in the list of its own 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, the Coral and Arafura Sea are connected with each other . Coordinates of the Torres Strait: 9 ° 52′49 ″ south latitude, 142 ° 35′26 ″ east longitude. 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 area should be sought on the map of the Southern Hemisphere.
The bay was named in honor of the famous Spanish navigator - Luis Vaes de Torres. The name was given in 1769. This happened after a geographer from Scotland A. Dalrymple read expedition reports.
Due to the fact that the Torres Strait is shallow, and its waters hide massive coral reefs, it is incredibly dangerous for the navigation of ships.
The 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 got a consonant name - the Torres Strait Islands. These land areas are divided into 4 types:
- alluvial (arising from the deposition of sedimentary rocks);
- hilly (elevations of the islands are represented by granite);
- coral (from petrified coral reefs);
- volcanic (formed from thickened and petrified magma).
Island history
For the first time, the Torres Strait was discovered by a sailor of Spanish origin Luis Vaes de Torres. This event happened 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 coral strait, which was named in honor of 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 colony of Britain.
Population
The population of all islets in total does not exceed 10 thousand people. The Melanesian people are considered to be 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.
To summarize
The rich flora and fauna, a variety of fish and beautiful species make the coral open spaces, the surroundings and the Torres Strait itself special. The main and unforgettable sights of these places are the picturesque natural landscapes and multi-colored branched corals in translucent water. This region for tourism is chosen by connoisseurs of quiet rest and relaxation.