Also: Palk Bay, Adam's Bridge, Ram Setu, Katchatheevu
Definition
The Palk Strait is the narrow, shallow stretch of sea between Tamil Nadu in India and the Jaffna peninsula of northern Sri Lanka, linking the Bay of Bengal with Palk Bay and, through the chain of shoals called Adam's Bridge, with the Gulf of Mannar.
The strait separates the Indian mainland from Sri Lanka, which was connected to India by land during periods of low sea level in the Ice Ages. To its south lies Palk Bay, bounded by a chain of limestone shoals, sandbanks and small islands running from Pamban (Rameswaram) island in India to Mannar island in Sri Lanka. This chain is known as Adam's Bridge or Ram Setu, and in the Ramayana tradition it is linked with the bridge built by Rama's army. Beyond it lies the Gulf of Mannar, a rich marine area with coral reefs and seagrass beds.
The strait is named after Robert Palk, who governed the Madras Presidency in the eighteenth century. Its waters are mostly less than about 10–15 metres deep, so large vessels travelling between India's west and east coasts must go around Sri Lanka. Small boats have crossed for centuries, carrying trade, pilgrims and fishermen, and the strait has shaped close cultural ties between Tamils in India and Sri Lanka. In 1974 and 1976, India and Sri Lanka signed agreements fixing their maritime boundary; the first placed the small island of Katchatheevu on the Sri Lankan side.
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