Strait of Georgia

Strait of Georgia
The Strait of Georgia with sediment from the Fraser River clearly visible.
Strait of Georgia
Location	British Columbia and Washington
Coordinates	49°17′39″N 123°48′26″W / 49.29417°N 123.80722°W / 49.29417; -123.80722
Part of	Salish Sea
River sources	Fraser River, Squamish River
Ocean/sea sources	Pacific Ocean
Basin countries	Canada and United States
Surface area	6,800 km2 (2,600 sq mi)
Average depth	156 m (512 ft)
Max. depth	420 m (1,380 ft) [1]
Residence time	160 days[2]
Sections/sub-basins	Malaspina Strait
Settlements	Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Delta, Nanaimo, Courtenay

The Strait of Georgia (French: Détroit de Géorgie) or the Georgia Strait^[3] is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada, and the extreme northwestern mainland coast of Washington, United States. It is approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) long and varies in width from 20 to 58 kilometres (12 to 36 mi).^[4] Along with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, it is a constituent part of the Salish Sea.

Archipelagos and narrow channels mark each end of the Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands in the south, and the Discovery Islands in the north. The main channels to the south are Boundary Pass, Haro Strait and Rosario Strait, which connect the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. In the north, Discovery Passage is the main channel connecting the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait. The strait is a major navigation channel on the west coast of North America, owing to the presence of the port of Vancouver, and also due to its role as the southern entrance to the Intracoastal route known as the Inside Passage.