Satellite view of the English Channel

The English Channel (French: La Manche, "the sleeve") is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. It is about 562 km (350 miles) long and varies in width from 240 km (150 miles) at its widest to only 34 km (21 miles) in the Strait of Dover. The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait ( French: Pas de Calais, pɑdə kalɛ "Strait of Calais " Dutch: Nauw van ^[1] It is the smallest of the shallow seas around the continental shelf of Europe, covering an area of only some 75,000 km² (29,000 square miles). ^[2]

Geography

Map of the English Channel

The length of the Channel is most often defined as the line between Land's End and Ushant at the (arbitrarily defined) western end, and the Strait of Dover at the eastern end. Land's End ( Cornish name Penn an Wlas) is a headland on the Penwith Peninsula, located near Penzance in Cornwall Ushant (Enez Eusa Ouessant is an Island in the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of European France. The Strait is also the Channel's narrowest point, while its widest point lies between Lyme Bay and the Gulf of Saint Malo near the midpoint of the waterway. Lyme Bay is an area of the English Channel situated in the southwest of England between Torbay in the west and Portland in the east Saint-Malo ( Breton: Sant-Maloù; Gallo: Saent-Malô) is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern ^[1] It is relatively shallow, with an average depth of about 120 m (390 ft) at its widest part, reducing to about 45 m (150 ft) between Dover and Calais. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France. From there eastwards the adjoining North Sea continues to shallow to about 26 m in the Broad Fourteens where it lies over the watershed of the former land bridge between East Anglia and the Low Countries. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The Broad Fourteens is an area of the southern North Sea that is fairly consistently fourteen Fathoms (26 m deep (thus on a nautical chart with depths East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt It reaches a maximum depth of 180 m (590 ft) in the submerged valley of Hurds Deep, 30 km (19 miles) northwest of Guernsey. Hurd's Deep (or Hurd Deep) is a deep underwater valley in the English Channel, north west of the Channel Islands at position 49 degrees 30 minutes North 3 degrees The Bailiwick of Guernsey (Bailliage de Guernesey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. ^[3]

A number of major islands are situated in the Channel, of which the most notable are the Isle of Wight off the English coast and the British crown dependencies the Channel Islands off the coast of France. The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands The Isles of Scilly off the far south-west coast of England are not generally counted as being in the Channel. The coastline, particularly on the French shore, is deeply indented; the Cotentin Peninsula in France juts out into the Channel, and the Isle of Wight creates a small parallel channel known as the Solent. The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a Peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.

The Channel is of geologically recent origins, having been dry land for most of the Pleistocene period. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period It is thought to have been created between 450,000 and 180,000 years ago by two catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods caused by the breaching of the Weald-Artois Anticline, a ridge which held back a large proglacial lake in the Doggerland region, now submerged under the North Sea. A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF can occur when a lake contained by a glacier (called Jökulhlaup if it was a Subglacial lake, Marginal lake drainage The Weald-Artois Anticline is a geological structure running between the regions of the Weald in southern England and Artois in north eastern France In Geology, a proglacial lake is a lake formed either by the Damming action of a Moraine or Ice dam during the retreat of a melting glacier or Doggerland is the former landmass in the southern North Sea which connected the island of Great Britain to mainland Europe during the last ice The flood would have lasted several months, releasing as much as one million cubic metres of water per second. The cause of the breach is not known but may have been caused by an earthquake or simply the build-up of water pressure in the lake. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer Fluid pressure is the Pressure at some point within a Fluid, such as water or air As well as destroying the isthmus that connected Britain to continental Europe, the flood carved a large bedrock-floored valley down the length of the English Channel, leaving behind streamlined islands and longitudinal erosional grooves characteristic of catastrophic megaflood events. ^[4]

At its west end, it is narrowly separated from the Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay by the peninsulas of Cornwall and Brittany respectively. The Celtic Sea (An Mhuir Cheilteach Y Môr Celtaidd An Mor Keltek Ar Mor Keltiek La Mer Celtique is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the South Coast Cantabrian Sea redirects here Not to be confused with Biscay Bay Newfoundland and Labrador or Biscayne Bay. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into

For the UK Shipping Forecast the English Channel is divided into the areas of (from the West):

• Plymouth
• Portland
• Wight
• Dover

Name

Map with French nomenclature

The name "English Channel" has been widely used since the early 18th century, possibly originating from the designation "Engelse Kanaal" in Dutch sea maps from the 16th century onwards. The Shipping Forecast is a four-times-daily BBC radio broadcast of Weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. The Isle of Portland ( is a limestone tied island long by wide in the English Channel. The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands It has also been known as the "British Channel". ^{[5] [6]} Prior to then it was known as the British Sea, and it was called the "Oceanus Britannicus" by the 2nd century geographer Ptolemy. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca The same name is used on an Italian map of about 1450 which gives the alternative name of "canalites Anglie" - possibly the first recorded use of the "Channel" designation. ^[7]

The French name "La Manche" has been in use since at least the 17th century. ^[2] The name is usually said to refer to the Channel's sleeve (French: "manche")-like shape. However, it is sometimes claimed to instead derive from a Celtic word meaning "channel" that is also the source of the name for The Minch, in Scotland. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The Minch ( Scottish Gaelic An Cuan Sgith Cuan na Hearadh An Cuan Leòdhasach) also called The North Minch, is a Strait in north-west Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ^[8]In Spain and most Spanish speaking countries the Channel is referred to as "El Canal de la Mancha". In Portuguese it is known as "O Canal da Mancha". (It is interesting to note that that this is not a translation from French: in Portuguese, as well as in Spanish, "mancha" means "stain", while the word for sleeve is "manga". ) Other languages use also this name, such as Greek (Κανάλι της Μάγχης) and Italian (la Manica). Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy.

In Breton it is known as "Mor Breizh" (the Sea of Brittany). The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into

In southern Britain it is often referred to simply as "the Channel".

Archaeology

The geology and geography of the Channel make it a productive site for maritime archaeologists and it has thousands of shipwrecks^[9]

In August 2007, artefacts including wood and hazelnuts from the 8000-year-old Bouldnor Cliff Mesolithic Village were presented by the Underwater Archaeology Centre based in the Isle of Wight. Maritime archaeology (also known as marine archaeology) is a discipline that studies human interaction with the Sea, lakes and rivers through the study of vessels In August 2007 the Underwater Archaeology Centre on the Isle of Wight announced they had collected Mesolithic flints wood hazelnuts and other organic material from The Underwater Archaeology Centre is a museum and educational facility located in the Maritime Heritage Centre at Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight. The preservation of organic material from the stone age is unique to the UK and already the site is of international importance.

History

The channel has been the key natural defence for Britain, halting invading armies whilst in conjunction with control of the North Sea allowing her to blockade the continent. William Shakespeare ( baptised King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595 The most significant failed invasion threats came when the Dutch and Belgian ports were held by a major continental power, e. g. from the Spanish Armada in 1588, Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars, and Nazi Germany during World War II. The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Successful invasions include the Roman conquest of Britain, the Norman Conquest in 1066 and the invasion and conquest of Britain by Dutch troops under William III in 1688, whilst the concentration of excellent harbours in the Western Channel on Britain's south coast made possible the largest invasion of all times: the Normandy landings in 1944. This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt. The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England (VII of Scotland in 1688 by a union William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" Channel naval battles include the Battle of Goodwin Sands (1652), the Battle of Portland (1653), the Battle of La Hougue (1692) and the engagement between USS Kearsarge and CSS Alabama (1864). See also [[single-ship action]] [[Single-ship actions and other major naval events]] and [[CategoryNaval battles]] [[CategoryNaval battles]] This list of naval battles The naval Battle of Goodwin Sands (also known as the Battle of Dover) fought on 29 May 1652 ( 19 May 1652 in the Julian Calendar The naval Battle of Portland, or Three Days' Battle took place during 28 February - 2 March, 1653 ( Old style) during the The related naval battles of Barfleur and La Hougue took place between 29 May and 4 June New Style(NS, 1692 (19th-24 May in the Old Style(OS Hunting Confederate raiders She was built at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery Maine under the 1861 American Civil War emergency shipbuilding program History Construction Alabama was built in secrecy by British shipbuilders John Laird Sons and Company in Liverpool, Merseyside

In more peaceful times the channel served as a link joining shared cultures and political structures, particularly the huge Angevin Empire from 1135-1217. The term Angevin Empire describes a collection of states ruled by the Angevin Plantagenet dynasty For nearly a thousand years, the Channel also provided a link between the Modern Celtic regions and languages of Cornwall and Brittany. Modern Celts are those peoples who are speakers of Celtic languages, or who consider themselves or have been considered by others to participate in a Celtic culture Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Brittany was founded by Britons who fled Cornwall and Devon after Anglo-Saxon encroachment. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name In Brittany, there is a region known as "Cornouaille" (Cornwall) in French and "Kernev" in Breton (cf "Kernow", the Cornish for Cornwall). Cornouaille is an historic region in Brittany, in northwest France. The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany Anciently there was also a "Domnonia" (Devon) in Brittany as well. Domnonée ( Breton: Domnonea) is the modern French version of the Latin name Dumnonia (or Domnonia which denoted a kingdom in northern Brittany founded

The way to the British Isles

This is the approximate extent of Old Norse and related languages in the early 10th century around the North Sea. The red area is the distribution of the dialect Old West Norse, the orange area is the spread of the dialect Old East Norse and the green area is the extent of the other Germanic languages with which Old Norse still retained some mutual intelligibility

Diodorus Siculus and Pliny^[10] both suggest trade between the rebel celtic tribes of Armorica and Iron Age Britain flourished. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Armorica or Aremorica is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul that includes the Brittany Peninsula and the territory between the This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. In 55 BC Julius Caesar invaded claiming that the Britons had aided the Veneti against him the previous year. He was more successful in 54 BC but Britain wasn't fully established as part of the Roman Empire until completion of the invasion by Aulus Plautius in 43 AD. Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid-1st century A brisk and regular trade began between ports in Roman Gaul and those in Britain. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western This traffic continued until the Roman departure from Britain in 410 AD after which we enter early Anglo-Saxon times and historical records are generally far less clear. The Roman departure from Britain was completed by 410. The Archaeological records of the final decades of Roman rule show undeniable signs of decay The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of Early medieval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon

In the power vacuum left by the retreating Romans, the Germanic Angles, Saxons, and Jutes began the next great migration across the North Sea. The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestral region of Angeln, a modern district located in The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutae were a Germanic people who according to Bede were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of the time Having already been used as mercenaries in Britain by the Romans, many people from these tribes migrated across the North Sea during the Migration Period, conquering and perhaps displacing the native Celtic populations. The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions, or sometimes Völkerwanderung ( German for "wandering of peoples" is the English name Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts ^[11]

Norsemen and Normans

The Hermitage of Saint Helier lies in the bay off St. Helier and is accessible on foot at low tide

The attack on Lindisfarne in 793 is generally considered the beginning of the Viking Age. Saint Helier, a 6th century ascetic Hermit, is Patron saint of Jersey in the Channel Islands, and in particular of the town and Parish Saint Helier ( French language: Saint-Hélier, Jèrriais: St Hélyi) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest Lindisfarne () (variant spelling Lindesfarne is a Tidal island off the north-east coast of England. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. For the next 250 years the Scandinavian raiders of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark dominated the North Sea, raiding monasteries, homes, and towns along the coast and along the rivers that ran inland. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle they began to settle in Britain in 851. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. They continued to settle in the British Isles and the continent until around 1050. ^[12]

The fiefdom of Normandy was created for the Viking leader Rollo (also known as Robert of Normandy). The Duchy of Normandy stems from various Danish, Hiberno-Norse, Orkney Viking and Anglo-Danish ( from the Danelaw) invasions of A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Rollo, occasionally known as Rollo the Viking, (c 860 - c 932 was the founder and first ruler of the Viking principality in what soon became known as Rollo had besieged Paris but in 911 entered vassalage to the king of the West Franks Charles the Simple through the Treaty of St.-Claire-sur-Epte. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, West Francia or the West Frankish Kingdom was a short-lived kingdom encompassing the lands of the western part of the Carolingian Empire that came under the undisputed Charles III ( September 17, 879 – October 7, 929) called the Simple or the Straightforward (from the contemporary The Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte was signed in the autumn of 911 between Charles the Simple and Rollo, the leader of the Vikings for the purpose In exchange for his homage and fealty, Rollo legally gained the territory he and his Viking allies had previously conquered. For medieval usage see Homage (medieval and Commendation ceremony, or Homage (disambiguation Homage (from the French An Oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas ( Faithfulness) is a pledge of Allegiance of one person to another The name "Normandy" reflects Rollo's Viking (i. e. "Northman") origins.

The descendants of Rollo and his followers adopted the local Gallo-Romantic language and intermarried with the area’s previous inhabitants and became the Normans – a Norman French-speaking mixture of Scandinavians, Hiberno-Norse, Orcadians, Anglo-Danish, and indigenous Franks and Gauls. The Gallo-Romance branch of Romance languages includes French, Occitan, Arpitan, and several other languages spoken in modern France The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. The northern Norman can be classified in the septentrional Oil languages with Picard and Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Norse-Gaels were a people who dominated much of the Irish Sea region and western Scotland for a large part of the Middle Ages, who were of Scandinavian Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (also known as the Danelagh; Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western

Rollo's descendant William, Duke of Normandy became king of England in 1066 in the Norman Conquest culminating at the Battle of Hastings while retaining the fiefdom of Normandy for himself and his descendants. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages The Battle of Hastings was the decisive Norman victory in the Norman Conquest of England. In 1204, during the reign of King John, mainland Normandy was taken from England by France under Philip II while insular Normandy (the Channel Islands) remained under English control. John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste ( 21 August[[ 165]] &ndash 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands In 1259, Henry III of England recognized the legality of French possession of mainland Normandy under the Treaty of Paris. Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 The Treaty of Paris (also known as the Treaty of Albeville) was a Treaty between Louis IX of France and Henry III of England His successors, however, often fought to regain control of mainland French Normandy.

With the rise of William the Conqueror the North Sea and Channel began to lose some of its importance. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages The new order oriented most of England and Scandinavia's trade south, toward the Mediterranean and the Orient.

Although the British surrendered claims to mainland Normandy and other French possessions in 1801, the monarch of the United Kingdom retains the title Duke of Normandy in respect to the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands (except for Chausey) remain a Crown dependency of the British Crown in the present era. Chausey is a group of small Islands islets and rocks that forms part of the Channel Islands from a geographical point of view but because it is under French The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government Thus the Loyal Toast in the Channel Islands is La Reine, notre Duc ("The Queen, our Duke"). The Loyal Toast is the first toast to be given at a formal gathering by the presiding person The British monarch is understood to not be the Duke of Normandy in regards of the French region of Normandy described herein, by virtue of the Treaty of Paris of 1259, the surrender of French possessions in 1801, and the belief that the rights of succession to that title are subject to Salic Law which excludes inheritance through female heirs. The Treaty of Paris (also known as the Treaty of Albeville) was a Treaty between Louis IX of France and Henry III of England Salic law ( Lat Lex Salica) was an important body of traditional Law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the Early Middle Ages French Normandy was occupied by English forces during the Hundred Years' War in 1346-1360 and again in 1415-1450. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior

Britain: the naval superpower

From the reign of Elizabeth I, English foreign policy concentrated on preventing invasion across the Channel by ensuring no major European power controlled the potential Dutch and Flemish invasion ports. Her climb to the pre-eminent sea power of the world began in 1588 as the attempted invasion of the Spanish Armada was defeated by the combination of outstanding naval tactics by the English under command of Sir Francis Drake and the breaking of the bad weather. The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral, (c 1540 &ndash 27 January 1595 was an English Privateer, navigator, Slaver, and politician The strengthened English Navy waged several wars with their continental neighbours and by the end of the 18th century had erased the Dutch's previously world-spanning empire. ^[13]

The building of the British Empire was possible only because the British navy exercised unquestioned control over the seas around Europe, especially the Channel and the North Sea. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The only significant challenge to British domination of the seas came during the Napoleonic Wars. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions The Battle of Trafalgar took place off the coast of Spain against a combined French and Spanish fleet and was won by Admiral Horatio Nelson, ending Napoleon's plans for a cross-Channel invasion and securing British dominance of the seas for over a century. The Battle of Trafalgar ( 21 October 1805) was a historic sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758– 21 October 1805 was a British Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe.

The First World War

The exceptional strategic importance of the Channel as a tool for blockade was recognised by the First Sea Lord Admiral Fisher in the years before WW1. Admiral of the Fleet John Arbuthnot "Jackie" Fisher 1st Baron Fisher of Kilverstone, GCB, OM, GCVO ( 25 January 1841

"Five keys lock up the world! Singapore, the Cape, Alexandria, Gibraltar, Dover. "^[14]

Because the Kaiserliche Marine surface fleet could not match the British Grand Fleet, the Germans developed submarine warfare which was to become a far greater threat to Britain. The Dover Patrol was set up just before war started to escort cross-Channel troopships and to prevent submarines from accessing the Channel, thereby obliging them to travel to the Atlantic via the much longer route around Scotland. The Dover Patrol was a Royal Navy command of the First World War, notable for its involvement in the Zeebrugge Raid on 22 April 1918

On January 31st 1917 the Germans restarted unrestricted submarine warfare leading to dire Admiralty predictions that submarines would defeat Britain by November,^[15] the most dangerous situation Britain faced in either World War.

The Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, was fought to reduce the threat by capturing the submarine bases on the Belgian coast though it was the introduction of convoys and not capture of the bases that averted defeat. "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as A convoy is a group of Vehicles (of any type but usually motor vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support In April 1918 the Dover patrol carried out the famous Zeebrugge Raid against the U boat bases. ||-||} The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on April 23[[ 918]] was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian The Naval blockade effected via the Channel and North Sea was one of the decisive factors in the German defeat in 1918. ^[16]

The Second World War

British radar facilities during the Battle for Britain 1940

During the Second World War, naval activity in the European theatre was primarily limited to the Atlantic (see Battle of the Atlantic). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The European Theatre of Operations ( ETO) was an area of heavy fighting across Europe during World War II, from Nazi Germany's Invasion of Poland The early stages of the Battle of Britain[1] featured air attacks on Channel shipping and ports and until the Normandy landings with the exception of the Channel Dash the narrow waters were too dangerous for major warships. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and However, despite these early successes against shipping, the Germans did not win the air supremacy necessary for a cross Channel invasion.

The Channel subsequently became the stage for an intensive coastal war, featuring submarines, minesweepers, and Fast Attack Craft. A minesweeper is a Naval Warship designed to counter the threat posed by Naval mines The dedicated purpose-built minesweeper first appeared during A Fast Attack Craft (FAC (Schnellboot is a small (100 to 400 Tonnes, fast (up to ca ^[17]

150 mm World War II German gun emplacement in Normandy.

The town of Dieppe was the site of the ill-fated Dieppe Raid by Canadian and British armed forces. Dieppe is a town and commune in the Seine-Maritime department and Haute-Normandie region of France. The Dieppe Raid, also known as The Battle of Dieppe or Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located More successful was the later Operation Overlord (also known as D-Day), a massive invasion of German-occupied France by Allied troops. Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. Caen, Cherbourg, Carentan, Falaise and other Norman towns endured many casualties in the fight for the province, which continued until the closing of the so-called Falaise gap between Chambois and Montormel, then liberation of Le Havre. Caen (kɑ̃ is a commune in northwestern France. It is the Prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France. During August 1944 the Falaise pocket was the area between the four towns of Trun, Argentan, Vimoutiers and Chambois near Falaise Chambois is a commune of Orne, in France. The city is remarkable for its Norman Keep (12th century and was part of the Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine

As part of the Atlantic Wall, between 1940 and 1945 the occupying German forces and the Organisation Todt constructed fortifications round the coasts of the Channel Islands such as this observation tower at Les Landes, Jersey

Main article: Occupation of the Channel Islands

The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Commonwealth occupied by Germany (excepting the part of Egypt occupied by the Afrika Korps at the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein). The Atlantikwall ( English: Atlantic wall) was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by the German Third Reich Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 The Organisation Todt (OT was a Third Reich civil and Military engineering group in Germany eponymously named for its founder Fritz Todt, an The Occupation of the Channel Islands refers to the Military occupation of the Channel Islands by Germany during World War II which lasted The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands The Occupation of the Channel Islands refers to the Military occupation of the Channel Islands by Germany during World War II which lasted This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The German Afrikakorps ( German: Deutsches Afrikakorps DAK) was the original German blocking force (Sperrverband = Armored Blocking Force in Libya The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The German occupation 1940–1945 was harsh, with some island residents being taken for slave labour on the Continent; native Jews sent to concentration camps; partisan resistance and retribution; accusations of collaboration; and slave labour (primarily Russians and eastern Europeans) being brought to the islands to build fortifications. Unfree labour is a generic or collective term for those work relations especially in modern or early modern history in which people are employed against their will PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial A partisan is a member of an Irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation Collaborationism, can describe the Treason of cooperating with enemy Forces occupying one's Country. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for The Royal Navy blockaded the islands from time to time, particularly following the liberation of mainland Normandy in 1944. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) A blockade is any effort to prevent supplies Troops information or aid from reaching an opposing force Intense negotiations resulted in some Red Cross humanitarian aid, but there was considerable hunger and privation during the five years of German occupation particularly in the final months when the population was close to starvation. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The German troops on the islands surrendered on 9 May 1945 only a few days after the final surrender in mainland Europe. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar

Population

The English Channel is densely populated on both shores, on which are situated a number of major ports and resorts possessing a combined population of over 3. 5 million people. The most significant towns and cities along the Channel (each with more than 20,000 inhabitants, ranked in descending order; populations are the urban area populations from the 1999 French census, 2001 UK census, and 2001 Jersey census) are as follows:

English side

The walled city of Saint-Malo was a former stronghold of corsairs

The Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth at night, showing the Tower's uplighting. Saint-Malo ( Breton: Sant-Maloù; Gallo: Saent-Malô) is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern Corsairs were French Privateers from the north-western French port of St-Malo, located on the northern coast of Brittany. The Spinnaker Tower is a –high Tower in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which

• Brighton–Worthing–Littlehampton: 461,181 inhabitants
• Portsmouth: 442,252
• Bournemouth & Poole: 383,713
• Southampton: 304,400
• Plymouth: 243,795
• Torbay (Torquay): 129,702
• Hastings–Bexhill: 126,386
• Eastbourne: 106,562
• Bognor Regis: 62,141
• Folkestone–Hythe: 60,039
• Weymouth: 56,043
• Dover: 39,078
• Exmouth: 32,972
• Falmouth–Penryn: 28,801
• Ryde: 22,806
• Seaford: 21,851
• Penzance: 20,255

French side

• Le Havre: 248,547 inhabitants
• Calais: 104,852
• Boulogne-sur-Mer: 92,704
• Cherbourg: 89,704
• Saint-Brieuc: 85,849
• Saint-Malo: 50,675
• Lannion–Perros-Guirec: 48,990
• Dieppe: 42,202
• Morlaix: 35,996
• Dinard: 25,006
• Étaples–Le Touquet-Paris-Plage: 23,994
• Fécamp: 22,717
• Eu–Le Tréport: 22,019
• Trouville-sur-Mer–Deauville: 20,406
• Berck: 20,113

Channel Islands

• Saint Helier: 28,310 inhabitants
• Saint Peter Port: 16,488 inhabitants

Shipping

The Channel, with traffic in both the UK-Europe and North Sea-Atlantic routes, is one of the World's busiest seaways carrying over 400 ships per day. Brighton ( is a town on the south coast of England and with its neighbour Hove, forms the city of Brighton and Hove. Worthing (ˈwɜrðɪŋ is a large seaside town and a local government borough in West Sussex, England Littlehampton is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Bournemouth ( is a large coastal resort town in the Borough of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. Poole ( is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset on the south coast of England Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Geography There are three main towns around the bay Torquay in the north Paignton in the centre and Brixham in the south which have become connected Torquay (tɔrˈkiː is a town in the Unitary authority of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. Hastings is a town on the coast of East Sussex in England; it is also the administrative centre for the Borough of the same name Bexhill-on-Sea (often simply Bexhill) is a town and Seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the Eastbourne ( is a large town and borough of East Sussex, on the south coast of England with an estimated population of 94816 as of 2007 Bognor Regis is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. Folkestone (ˈfoʊkstən is a resort town on the south coast of Kent, England, traditionally known as "The Garden Coast" Hythe (haɪð or haithe) is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway (derived from Sheep Way on the south coast Weymouth (ˈweɪməθ is a town in Dorset, England situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. Exmouth (ˈɛksməθ is a port Town and Seaside resort in Devon, England, at the east side of the mouth of the River Exe Falmouth (Aberfal is a town Civil parish and Port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, UK. See also Penryn (UK Parliament constituency Penryn (Pennrynn from Pen-ryn meaning 'promontory' is a Town in Cornwall, Ryde is a British seaside town and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30000 Seaford is a coastal town in the County of East Sussex, England, on the south coast east of Newhaven, Brighton and west of Eastbourne Penzance (Pensans also Penzans, IPA: /pɛnˈzæns/ is a town Civil parish, and Port in the Penwith district of Cornwall Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France. Boulogne-sur-Mer ( Bonen in Dutch is a City in Northern France. Saint-Brieuc ( Breton: Sant-Brieg, Gallo: Saent-Berioec) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor Department in Saint-Malo ( Breton: Sant-Maloù; Gallo: Saent-Malô) is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern Lannion (Lannuon is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France. Perros-Guirec (Perroz-Gireg is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France. Dieppe is a town and commune in the Seine-Maritime department and Haute-Normandie region of France. Morlaix (Montroulez is a commune in Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France. Dinard (Dinarzh Gallo: Dinard) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Bretagne in northwestern France Étaples or Étaples-sur-Mer ( Dutch: Stapel) is a commune and the chief town of a canton, in the arrondissement Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a coastal town and commune of the Pas-de-Calais département, Fécamp is a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, Upper Normandy in France. Eu is a historic town in northern France. It is the chief town of a canton situated close to the coast in the département of Seine-Maritime Le Tréport is a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, in northwestern France. Trouville-sur-Mer, commonly referred to as Trouville, is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region For the motorcycle of the same name see Honda Deauville. Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département Berck, sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer, is a commune of northern France, in the department of Pas-de-Calais Saint Helier ( French language: Saint-Hélier, Jèrriais: St Hélyi) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest St Peter Port is the Capital of Guernsey, as well as the main Port of the island Following an accident in January 1971 and a series of disastrous collisions with wreckage in February ^[18], the Dover Traffic Separation System (TSS)^[19], the World's first Radar controlled TSS was set up by the International Maritime Organization. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships The International Maritime Organization ( IMO) formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization ( IMCO) is a late 20th century

In December 2002 the MV Tricolor, carrying £30 m of luxury cars sank 32 km (20 m) north west of Dunkirk after collision in fog with the container ship Kariba. MV Tricolor was a 50000 tonne Norwegian -flagged vehicle carrier built in 1987, notable for having been involved in three English Channel The cargo ship Nicola ran into the wreckage the next day. However, there was no loss of life. The shore-based long range traffic control system was updated in 2003 and is one of the most advanced systems in the world. Though the system is inherently incapable of reaching the levels of safety obtained from aviation systems such as the Traffic Collision Avoidance System, it has reduced accidents to one or two a year. The Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (or TCAS) is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collisions between

Marine GPS systems allow ships to be preprogrammed to follow navigational channels accurately and automatically, further avoiding risk of running aground, but following the fatal collision between Dutch Aquamarine and Ash in October 2001, Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch, MAIB issued a safety bulletin, saying it believed that in these most unusual circumstances GPS use had actually contributed to the collision. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth The ships were maintaining a very precise automated course, one directly behind the other, rather than making use of the full width of the traffic lanes as a human navigator would.

Accidents will happen. A combination of radar difficulties in monitoring areas near cliffs, a failure of a CCTV system, incorrect operation of the anchor, the inability of the crew to follow standard procedures of using a GPS to provide early warning of the ship dragging the anchor and reluctance to admit the mistake and start the engine led to the MV Willy running aground in Cawsand bay, Cornwall in January 2002. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar The Marine Accident Investigation Branch report makes it clear that the harbour controllers were actually informed of impending disaster by shore observers even before the crew were themselves aware! The village of Kingsand was evacuated for 3 days due to very serious risk of explosion and the ship was stranded for 11 days. Kingsand and Cawsand are twin villages on the Rame Peninsula located in South East Cornwall, United Kingdom, across the sound from

Because of the risk to life from large vessels manoeuvring in narrow shipping lanes, unorthodox crossings of the Dover Straits is banned under French Law, the only exception being for Cross Channel swimming attempts organised and approved by the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) and (CS&PF).

Ecology

As a busy shipping lane, the English Channel experiences environmental problems following accidents involving ships with toxic cargo[2] and oil spills. Indeed over 40% of the UK incidents threatening pollution occur in or very near the Channel. [3] One of the best known and least loved was the MSC Napoli, which with nearly 1700 tonnes of dangerous cargo was controversially beached in Lyme bay, a protected World Heritage Site coastline. Kyrill While en route from Belgium to Portugal, on January 18 2007, during European windstorm Kyrill, severe gale The ship had been damaged and was en route to Portland when much nearer harbours were available.

The Channel Islands are important for protected wetland species and include a number of Ramsar sites. The Ramsar Convention is an international Treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Wetlands i Bailiwick of Guernsey Off Alderney Burhou Ortac Bailiwick of Jersey

Transport links

View of the beach of Le Havre and a part of the rebuilt city

Ferry

Important ferry routes are:

• Dover-Calais
• Dover-Boulogne
• Newhaven-Dieppe
• Portsmouth-Caen (Ouistreham)
• Portsmouth-Cherbourg
• Portsmouth-Le Havre
• Poole-Saint Malo
• Poole-Cherbourg
• Weymouth-Saint Malo
• Plymouth-Roscoff

Channel Tunnel

Many travellers cross beneath the English Channel using the Channel Tunnel. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. The Channel Tunnel (Le tunnel sous la Manche also known as the Chunnel, is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in England with This engineering feat, first proposed in the early 19th century and finally realised in 1994, connects the UK and France by rail. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. It is now routine to travel between Paris, Brussels and London on the Eurostar train. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris Cars can also travel on special trains between Folkstone and Calais. Folkestone (ˈfoʊkstən is a resort town on the south coast of Kent, England, traditionally known as "The Garden Coast" Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France.

Economy

Tourism

The coastal resorts of the channel, such as Brighton and Deauville, inaugurated an era of aristocratic tourism in the early 19th century, which developed into the seaside tourism that has shaped resorts around the world. Brighton ( is a town on the south coast of England and with its neighbour Hove, forms the city of Brighton and Hove. For the motorcycle of the same name see Honda Deauville. Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département Short trips across the channel for leisure purposes are often referred to as Channel Hopping. In Television terminology channel hopping may be used as an alternative phrase for Channel surfing.

Culture and languages

Kelham's Dictionary of the Norman or Old French Language (1779), dealing with England's Law French, a cross channel relic

A streetsign in Merck-Saint-Liévin, Pas-de-Calais, showing Germanic influence in local toponyms. Law French is an archaic language originally based on Old Norman and Anglo-Norman, but increasingly influenced by Parisian French and later English Pas-de-Calais is a department in northern France. Its name is the French language equivalent of the Strait of Dover, which it borders The name Picquendal corresponds to the modern Dutch Pikkendal.

The two dominant cultures are English on the north shore of the Channel, and French on the south shore. However, there are also a number of minority languages that are/were found on the shores and islands of the English Channel, which are listed here, with the Channel's name following them.

Celtic Languages

• Breton (Brezhoneg) - "Mor Breizh" (Sea of Brittany)
• Cornish (Kernuack) - "Chanel"

Germanic languages

• Dutch (West Flemish) - "Het Kanaal" (the Channel)

Dutch previously had a larger range, and extended into parts of the modern-day French state. The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname West Flemish (West Flemish Vlaemsch/Vlaams, Dutch: West-Vlaams, French: Flamand occidental) is a group of Dutch dialects spoken in For more information, please see French Flemish. French Flemish ( Dutch: Frans-Vlaams, occasionally used in English is spoken in the north of contemporary France and is considered part of the West Flemish

Romance Languages

• French language - "La Manche"
• Gallo
• Norman, including the Channel Island vernaculars -
  • Anglo-Norman (extinct, but still fossilised in certain English law phrases)
  • Auregnais (extinct)
  • Cotentinais - Maunche
  • Guernesiais - Ch'nal
  • Jèrriais - Ch'na
  • Sercquais
• Picard

The English Channel has a variety of names in these languages. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Gallo is a regional language of France. Gallo is a Romance language, one of the oïl languages. Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. The northern Norman can be classified in the septentrional Oil languages with Picard and The Anglo-Norman language is a term traditionally used to refer to the variety of French used in England and to some extent elsewhere in the British Isles following the Auregnais, Aoeur'gnaeux or Aurignais was the Norman dialect of the Channel Island of Alderney ( French: Aurigny Cotentinais is the Dialect of the Norman language spoken in the Cotentin Peninsula. Guernésiais, also known as Dgèrnésiais, Guernsey French, Guernsey Norman French, is the variety of Norman language spoken in Guernsey Jèrriais is the form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, off the coast of France. roa Sercquiais also known as Sarkese or Sark-French ( roa Lé Sèrtchais) is the Norman dialect of the Channel Island of Sark Picard is a Language closely related to French, and as such is one of the larger group of Romance languages. In Breton, it is known as Mor Breizh meaning the Sea of Brittany; in Norman, the Channel Island dialects use forms of "channel", e. g. Ch'nal, whereas the Mainland dialects tend more towards the French as in Maunche. In Flemish and Dutch it is Het Kanaal (the channel). Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname

Most other languages tend towards variants of the French and English forms, but notably Welsh has "Môr Udd"

Notable channel crossings

As one of the narrowest but most famous international waterways lacking dangerous currents, crossing the Channel has been the first objective of a number of innovative sea, air and human powered technologies. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Human power is timed rate of work done by a human Most humans can exert only less than one-half Horsepower for a duration of a few minutes Some of these are given below.

By boat

Pierre Andriel crossed the English Channel aboard the Élise in 1815, one of the earliest sea going voyages by steam ship . Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller

The Mountbatten class hovercraft (MCH) entered commercial service in August 1968 initially operated between Dover and Boulogne but later craft also made the Ramsgate (Pegwell Bay) to Calais route. The Mountbatten class Hovercraft or SR-N4 (Saunders Roe Nautical 4 was built by the British Hovercraft Corporation (BHC Ramsgate is a seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in east Kent, England. Pegwell Bay is a shallow inlet in the English Channel Coast at the Estuary of the River Stour between Ramsgate and Sandwich The journey time, Dover to Boulogne, was roughly 35 minutes, with six trips a day at peak times. The fastest ever crossing of the English Channel by a commercial car-carrying hovercraft was 22 minutes, recorded by the Princess Anne MCH SR-N4 Mk3 on 14 September 1995,^[21] for the 10:00 am service. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995

The youngest recorded sailors to cross the channel by boat are Hugo Sunnucks and Guy Harrison aged 15 (formula 18 catamaran). A catamaran (From Tamil 'kattumaram' is a type of Multihulled Boat or Ship consisting of two hulls or vakas joined by some They completed in 4 hours 15 mins in August 2006.

By swimming

The sport of Channel Swimming traces its origins to the latter part of the 19th century when Captain Matthew Webb made the first observed and unassisted swim across the Strait of Dover swimming from England to France on 24 August–25 August 1875 in 21 hours and 45 minutes. This article is about the first man to swim the English Channel unaided Matthew Webb. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

In 1927 (at a time when fewer than ten swimmers had managed to emulate the feat and a number of dubious claims were being made), the Channel Swimming Association (the CSA) was founded to authenticate and ratify swimmers' claims to have swum the English Channel and to verify crossing times. The CSA was dissolved in 1999 and succeeded by two separate organisations: The CSA (Ltd) and the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CSPF) (website). Both organisations are registered with the international governing body for swimming Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA) (website) and observe and authenticate cross-Channel swims in the Strait of Dover.

Although the swimming rules and regulations of the two organisations are virtually identical, the CSA has not always been prepared to recognise swims conducted under the auspices of the larger and more popular CSPF.

A comprehensive list of all registered and verified solo swims is available from http://home.btconnect.com/critchlow/ChannelSwimDatabase.htm

A comprehensive list of all registered and verified solo and relay swims is available from http://www.dover.uk.com/channelswimming/

For a list of Channel Swimming Association Records for swims registered only under the rules of the Channel Swimming Association and verified by that body, go to http://www.channelswimmingassociation.com

• On 24 August–25 August 1875 Capt. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Matthew Webb made the first crossing of the English Channel from England to France.
• On 12 August 1923 Enrico Tiraboschi made the first crossing of the English Channel from France to England. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• On 6 August 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the Channel. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Gertrude Caroline Ederle ( October 23, 1905 &ndash November 30, 2003) was an American competitive swimmer. She did it in 14 hours and 31 minutes, breaking the men's record of the time by two hours. However, this swim attracted some controversy. On 16 August, The Westminster Gazette reported locals as saying that "Miss Ederle swam under the lea of one of the accompanying tugs" while another boat "navigated in such a manner as to keep the heavy seas and tides off her" and that "Miss Ederle was drawn along by the suction of the tug so that she was able to swim at about twice the speed she would have been able to swim under ordinary conditions. " The Dover Express and East Kent News commented that "So far little information has been given of the detail of Miss Ederle's swim. The most extraordinary thing about it being that she made no westward drift with the ebb tide, which on the day in question ran westward for nearly seven hours. "
• On 7 October 1927, Mercedes Gleitze became, at her eighth attempt, the first British woman to swim the channel. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She swam from France to England in 15 hours and 15 minutes. Because of a claim which was soon proven to be false, by Dr. Dorothy Cochrane Logan (using her professional name, Mona McLennan), to have swum the Channel on October 11th in the faster time of thirteen hours and ten minutes, Gleitze's own claim was cast into doubt. To silence the doubters, Gleitze decided to repeat her feat in what was called "the vindication swim". On October 21st at 4:21am she entered the water at Cap Gris Nez. But this time the water was much colder, and she was unable to complete the crossing. At 2:45pm she was pulled semi-conscious from the water after 10 hours and 24 minutes, some seven miles (11 km) short of the English shore. She might have been disappointed at not completing the swim, but after witnessing her strength, courage, and determination, nobody doubted the legitimacy of her previous swim, and she was hailed as a heroine. As she sat in the boat, one journalist made an incredible discovery and reported it in The Times as follows: "Hanging round her neck by a riband on this swim, Miss Gleitze carried a small gold watch, which was found this evening to have kept good time throughout. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. " This was one of the first Rolex Oyster waterproof watches which the director of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, had asked her to wear during her repeat attempt, and her feat was subsequently used in advertising by Rolex.
• In 1961 Antonio Abertondo from Argentina became the first person to swim the channel both ways non-stop. Antonio Abertondo ( Argentina) was the first person to complete a two way swim of the English Channel.
• In July 1972, Lynne Cox became the youngest person to swim the English Channel at age fifteen, breaking both the men's and women's records. Lynne Cox (born 1957 is an American long-distance open-water swimmer and writer She swam the channel again in 1973, setting a new record time of nine hours and thirty-six minutes.
• The oldest verified male swimmer to cross is American George Brunstad, who was aged 70 years and 4 days when he crossed on 27 August and 28 August 2004, taking 15 hours 59 min. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
• The oldest male swimmer to cross under the rules of the Channel Swimming Association is Australian Clifford Batt, who was aged 67 years and 240 days when he crossed on 19 August 1987, taking 18 hours 37 minutes. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar)
• The fastest ever verified swim of the channel was by Petar Stoychev on 24 August 2007. Petar Stoychev (Петър Стойчев (born 24 October 1976 in Momchilgrad) is a Bulgarian open water swimmer and is most famous for claiming Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. He crossed the channel in 6 hours 57 minutes and 50 seconds.
• The fastest verified female channel swimmer is Yvetta Hlaváčová in 2006. Yvetta Hlaváčová (born 26 May, 1975 in Boskovice) is a Czech national team member in long-distance Swimming and women’s world record She crossed the channel in 7 hours 25 minutes and 15 seconds.
• The fastest verified two way channel swimmer is Philip Rush in 1987. Philip Rush ( New Zealand - born 6 November 1963) is a firefighter and long distance swimmer who is the current world record holder for the fastest two and He crossed the channel (England/France/England) in 16 hours 10 mins.
• The fastest verified female two way channel swimmer is Susie Maroney in 1991. Susie Maroney (born 15 November 1974, Cronulla New South Wales) is an Australian marathon swimmer She crossed the channel (England/France/England) in 17 hours 14 mins.
• The fastest verified three way channel swimmer is Philip Rush in 1987. Philip Rush ( New Zealand - born 6 November 1963) is a firefighter and long distance swimmer who is the current world record holder for the fastest two and He crossed the channel (England/France/England/France) in 28 hours 21 mins.
• The fastest (and only) verified female three way channel swimmer is Alison Streeter in 1990. Alison Streeter MBE (born 1964) has conquered the English Channel 43 times more than anyone in the world and earning her the title of Queen of the English Channel She crossed the channel (England/France/England/France) in 34 hours 40 mins.
• The woman with the most crossings, holding the undisputed title of "Queen of the Channel", is Alison Streeter MBE with 43 crossings, including one 3-way and three 2-way swims. Alison Streeter MBE (born 1964) has conquered the English Channel 43 times more than anyone in the world and earning her the title of Queen of the English Channel
• The "King of the Channel" title has been awarded to Kevin Murphy (34 crossings, including three doubles)
• Des Renford swam the Channel 19 times, more than any other Australian. Kevin Murphy (born 1949 has swum the English Channel 34 times more than any other man in history earning him the title as King Of the Channel (the title was Desmond Robert Renford MBE ( 25 August 1927 - 30 December 1999) was an Australian long distance swimmer who swam the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. He was born on 25 August 1927, the 52nd anniversary of Matthew Webb's inaugural swim. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Other swimming crossings include: Vicki Keith (first butterfly swim crossing); Florence Chadwick (first woman to swim the Channel in both directions); Montserrat Tresserras (first woman to swim the Channel in both directions, as verified by the Channel Swimming Association); Marilyn Bell (youngest person up to 1955); Amelia Gade Corson (first mother and second woman); Mercedes Gleitze (first Englishwoman, 7 October 1927); Brojen Das, the first Asian (23 August 1958); Abhijit Rao, the youngest Asian (6 August 1988); Comedians who have swum the channel Doon Mackichan, and David Walliams (BBC report). Vicki Keith, CM OOnt (born 26 February, 1961 in Winnipeg Manitoba) is a retired Canadian marathon swimmer. Florence May Chadwick (November 9 1918 &ndash March 15 1995 was an American Swimmer who was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions Marilyn Bell (born October 19, 1937) is a retired Canadian long distance swimmer, born in Toronto. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brojen Das (ব্রজেন দাস Brojen Dash) ( 9 December, 1927 – 1998 was the first Asian to swim across the English Channel, and Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Doon Mackichan (born Sarah-Doon Mackichan 1962 in Surrey) is an English Comedienne. David Walliams (born David Williams, August 20, 1971) is an English Comedian and Actor, best known for his partnership

The team with the most number of Channel swims to its credit is the International Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team with 35 crossings by 25 members (by 2005). [4]

By the end of 2005, 811 individuals had completed 1185 verified crossings under the rules of the CSA, the CSA (Ltd), the CSPF and Butlins.

The total number of swims conducted under and ratified by the Channel Swimming Association to 2005: 982 successful crossings by 665 people. This includes twenty-four 2-way crossings and three 3-way crossings.

Total number of ratified swims to 2004: 948 successful crossings by 675 people (456 by men and 214 by women). There have been sixteen 2-way crossings (9 by men and 7 by women). There have been three 3-way crossings (2 by men and 1 by a woman). (It is unclear whether this last set of data is comprehensive or CSA-only. )

See also

• Phoenix breakwaters
• Booze cruise

References

External links

• A unique and new approach to swimming the channel
• Information about Dover and Channel Swimming
• Oceanus Britannicus or British Sea
• Channel swimmers website
• Archives of long distance swimming
• Sponsor David Walliam's Sport Relief swim
• Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation
• Channel Swimming Association
• World War II Eye Witness Account - Audio Recording Air Battle over the English Channel (1940)