Strait of Messina

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Strait of Messina
Stretto di Messina (Italian) Strittu di Missina (Sicilian)
Satellite photo of the Strait of Messina with names. NASA image.
Strait of Messina Show map of Sicily Strait of Messina Show map of Calabria Strait of Messina Show map of Italy Strait of Messina Show map of Mediterranean
Location	Tyrrhenian Sea–Ionian Sea
Coordinates	38°14′45″N 15°37′57″E / 38.24583°N 15.63250°E / 38.24583; 15.63250
Type	Strait
Basin countries	Italy
Min. width	3.1 km (1.9 mi)
Settlements	Messina, Villa San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Scilla, Calabria

The Strait of Messina (Italian: Stretto di Messina; Sicilian: Strittu di Missina) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily (Punta del Faro) and the western tip of Calabria (Punta Pezzo) in Southern Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south, within the central Mediterranean. At its narrowest point, between Torre Faro and Villa San Giovanni, it is 3.1 km (1.9 mi) wide. At the city of Messina, it is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) wide. The strait's maximum depth is about 250 m (820 ft).

The strait has strong tidal currents that create a unique marine ecosystem.^[1] The rock in the town of Scilla, Calabria at the north of the strait and a natural whirlpool in the northern portion of the strait have been linked to the Greek legend of Scylla and Charybdis.^[2] In some circumstances, the mirage of Fata Morgana can be observed when looking at Sicily from Calabria. With its bottleneck shape, it is also a compulsory point of transit in the migration of many bird species.

In 1957, a 220 kV overhead power line was built across the Strait of Messina. Its pylons are among the highest in the world. This power line has since been replaced by a submarine power cable, but the pylons remain and are protected as historical monuments (see Pylons of Messina).