Bass Strait
Bass Strait (/bæs/) is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterway between the Great Australian Bight and the Tasman Sea, and is also the only maritime route into the economically prominent Port Phillip Bay.
| Bass Strait | |
|---|---|
Bass Strait | |
Map of Australia with Bass Strait marked in light blue | |
| Location | Indian Ocean–Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 40°S 146°E |
| Type | Strait |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 500 kilometres (310 mi) |
| Max. width | 350 kilometres (220 mi) |
| Average depth | 60 metres (200 ft) |
| Max. depth | 155 m (509 ft) |
Formed 8,000 years ago by rising sea levels at the end of the last glacial period, the strait was named after English explorer and physician George Bass (1771-1803) by European colonists.
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