An interesting fact is that only the only natural waterway connects the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The Kattegat Strait is in the middle of this path. It is an addition to the Danish canal system (they are also called the Baltic). They are located between Jutland and the Scandinavian Peninsula. On a world map, these two land areas are in Europe, in its northwestern part.
Cat manhole
The entire chain of natural straits, which includes Kattegat, along with the “understudy”, the Kiel Canal, and the shipping passage Strait Limfjord, located in the north of Jutland, is of great strategic and economic importance. With its help, the countries of the Baltic basin are connected with the ocean. If this path were blocked, the Baltic Sea would be isolated.
Like all other straits in the Baltic, Kattegat is relatively shallow. Especially in the southern part where the rapids are located. For the passage of warships and large ships, only a few fairways are suitable. In this regard, the name Kattegat, which goes back to the Middle Scandinavian language and means “the way of the ships”, in the jargon of Dutch sailors is interpreted as “cat's hole”. This means a narrow passage, since “ghat” simultaneously means both a cat and a ship.
Busy Sea Route
Since the time of the Vikings, it was an international, very busy sea route. And this despite the fact that he was difficult and unsafe. Today, the sea channels have undergone significant deepening, stones have been caught from them, sand has been pumped out, and lighthouses have been erected. Therefore, navigation has become many times easier.
The Kattegat Strait has access to the North Sea through the Lim Ford shipping channel. The coast, located west of the first of them and belonging to Denmark, is lower than the eastern rocky, steep coast belonging to Sweden. The latter is the edge of a vast plateau.
The shores of the strait are covered with mixed forests; bays and bays cut through them. Many of them are flooded riverbeds. In the 70s. of the last century due to the intensive exploitation of the coast of the strait and its water area by ecologists, it was declared a sea zone, which was called dead.
In this region, the main economic sectors have long been such as maritime transport, fishing, and the port industry. As a result of the Scandinavian industrial revolution, there was an intensive development of shipbuilding, oil refining, and mechanical engineering on both sides of the strait.
Subsequently, they were supplemented by lively oil transit, which was not always carried out by serviceable tankers. As a result, environmental collapse occurred. Today, Denmark, together with the EEC, is carrying out costly long-term projects aimed at restoring the natural balance in the region.
The largest islands in the Kattegat Strait are three - these are Anholt, Les and Sams. The first two are often called the “Danish desert belt,” since there is a dry summer climate. The strait has two currents. One of them is directed to the north. It is superficial, less salty. The second is directed to the south, is deep and more salty. In winter, coastal waters freeze. The main port is Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden.
Digital indicators
The Kattegat Strait features the following:
- The area is approaching 30 thousand square meters. km
- The length is 270 km, and the width in different places varies. In some it is 60 km, and in the south it reaches 120 km.
- The depth of the strait begins with 7 and ends with 18 m on the southern rapids, and in the northern part there are also 50 km.
- The percentage of salinity is between 31 and 34%.
- Water flows at a speed of 2 to 4 km per hour.
- The climate is temperate marine with an average annual water temperature of plus 10 ° Celsius. In January, the average temperature is 0 °, in July + 15 °. About 600-800 mm of precipitation falls annually.
At the end of the consideration of the question of where the Kattegat Strait is located, what are its characteristics and features, interesting places should be noted.
sights
The Kattegat Strait has the following:
- The largest desert in Northern Europe is the eastern region of Anholt Island, where the sand dunes reach a height of 21 m. And there is also a seal colony, the largest in Denmark.
- In the Swedish national reserve Kullaberg in Skåne, characterized by harsh rocky shores and caves, a number of rare species of animals live.
- Sweden's scenic Melle harbor features views of the Danish Skagen and Swedish Kullaberg.
- The Swedish industrial city of Gothenburg is known as the center of Scandinavian rock.
Such an interesting object is a small strait.