Zanzibar Channel

Zanzibar Channel
The Zanzibar Channel in an 1872 map
Coordinates	06°00′S 39°00′E / 6.000°S 39.000°E / -6.000; 39.000Coordinates: 06°00′S 39°00′E / 6.000°S 39.000°E / -6.000; 39.000
Ocean/sea sources	Indian Ocean
Basin countries	Tanzania
Max. length	110 km (68 mi)
Max. width	37 km (23 mi)
Islands	Unguja (Zanzibar)

The Zanzibar Channel is a strait in south-eastern Africa, separating the island of Unguja (also known as Zanzibar) from mainland Tanzania. The channel is 120 km long and 30-40 km wide, with depth varying from a few dozen metres (in the centre) to a few hundred metres to the north and to the south. In ancient times the overall depth of the channel has been considerably smaller (about 120 m less during the last ice age).

The southern entrance to the Channel is indicated by a lighthouse located on the mainland coast on the Ras Kanzi promontory, 22 km south of Dar es Salaam.