Palk Strait

Palk Strait
Palk Strait separating Palk Bay from the Gulf of Mannar
Palk Strait
Bathymetry of the Palk Strait, with water depth in metres
Location	Bay of Bengal–Laccadive Sea
Coordinates	10°00′N 79°45′E / 10.000°N 79.750°E / 10.000; 79.750
Type	Strait
Etymology	Robert Palk
Basin countries	India, Sri Lanka
Max. length	137 km (85 mi)
Max. width	137 km (85 mi)
Min. width	64 km (40 mi)
Max. depth	35 m (115 ft)
Settlements	Rameswaram Jaffna

Palk Strait is a strait between the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It connects the Palk Bay in the Bay of Bengal in the north with the Gulf of Mannar in the Laccadive sea in the south. It stretches for about 137 km (85 mi) and is 64 to 137 km (40 to 85 mi) wide. It is named after Robert Palk, who was a governor of Madras (1755–1763) during the Company Raj period.

Several rivers including the Vaigai flow into the strait. The strait consists of many islands and is interspersed with a chain of low islands and reef shoals that are collectively called Ram Setu or Adam's bridge. The shallow waters and reefs make it difficult for large ships to pass through, although fishing boats and small craft navigate the waters. Dredging the sea to make it deeper for navigation and plans for a bridge over the waters have been proposed.