Editing Mozambique Channel

{{Short description|Indian Ocean strait}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name                = Mozambique Channel
| native_name         =
| native_name_lang    =
| image               = LocationMozambiqueChannel.png
| alt                 =
| caption             = Location of Mozambique Channel
| pushpin_map         = Africa
| pushpin_map_alt     =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| image_bathymetry    =
| alt_bathymetry      =
| caption_bathymetry  =
| location            =
| coords              = {{coord|18|S|41|E|region:XI_type:waterbody|display =inline,title}}
| type                = [[Arm (geography)|Arm]]
| part_of             = [[Indian Ocean]]
| inflow              =
| rivers              =
| outflow             =
| catchment           =
| basin_countries     = [[Madagascar]] and [[Mozambique]]
| agency              =
| designation         =
| length              = {{convert|1600|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| width               = {{convert|1000|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| min_width           = {{convert|419|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| area                = {{cvt|700,000|km2}}
| depth               =
| max-depth           = {{convert|3292|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| volume              =
| residence_time      =
| salinity            =
| shore               =
| elevation           =
| frozen              =
| islands             =
| sections            =
| trenches            =
| benches             =
| cities              =
| website             =
| reference           =
}}

The '''Mozambique Channel''' ({{langx|fr|Canal du Mozambique}}, {{langx|mg|Lakandranon'i Mozambika}}, {{langx|pt|Canal de Moçambique}}) is an [[arm (geography)|arm]] of the [[Indian Ocean]] located between the [[Southeast Africa]]n countries of [[Madagascar]] and [[Mozambique]]. The channel is about {{convert|1700|km|nmi mi|-2|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|419|km|nmi mi|0|abbr=on}} across at its narrowest point, and reaches a depth of {{convert|3292|m|0|abbr=on}} about {{convert|230|km|nmi mi|0|abbr=on}} off the coast of Mozambique. A [[warm current]], the [[Mozambique Current]], flows in a southward direction in the channel, leading into the [[Agulhas Current]] off the east coast of [[Southern Africa]].<ref name="brit"/>

==Extent==
The [[International Hydrographic Organization]] (IHO) defines the limits of the Mozambique Channel as follows:<ref name="iho"/>

::''On the North.'' A line from the [[estuary]] of the [[Ruvuma River|River Rovuma]] ({{coord|10|28|S|40|26|E}}) to Ras Habu, the northernmost point of [[Grande Comore|Ile Grande Comore]], the northernmost of the [[Comoro Islands|Comore (Comoro) Islands]], to Cap d'Ambre (Cape Amber), the northern extremity of [[Madagascar]] ({{coord|11|57|S|49|17|E}}).

::''On the East.'' The west coast of Madagascar.

::''On the South.'' A line from [[Cape Saint Marie|Cap Sainte-Marie]], the southern extremity of Madagascar to [[Ponta d'Ouro|Ponto do Ouro]] on the mainland ({{coord|26|53|S|32|56|E}}).

::''On the West.'' The coast of [[Southern Africa]].

==Islands in the channel==
===Comoros===
* [[Grande Comore]]
* [[Mohéli]]
* [[Anjouan]]

===France===
* [[Region of France]]: [[Mayotte]] (claimed by [[Comoros]])
* [[Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean]], district of [[French Southern and Antarctic Lands]]:
** [[Glorioso Islands]] (claimed by [[Madagascar]] and [[Comoros]])
** [[Juan de Nova Island]] (claimed by [[Madagascar]])
** [[Europa Island]] (claimed by [[Madagascar]])
** [[Bassas da India]] (claimed by [[Madagascar]])

===Mozambique===
* [[Primeiras and Segundas Archipelago]]
* [[Ilha do Fogo, Mozambique|Ilha do Fogo]]

==History==
=== World War II ===
==== ''Graf Spee'' Incident ====
On 15 November 1939, under the command of [[Sea captain|Captain]] [[Patrick Dove (sea captain)|Patrick (Paddy) Dove]], the British Coastal Tanker [[MV Africa Shell|''Africa Shell'']] was plying through the Mozambique Channel en-passage from [[Quelimane]] to [[Lourenço Marques]] sailing [[Sailing ballast|in ballast]]. During the morning, at a point {{convert|10|nmi}} south-southwest from the lighthouse at [[Zavora|Cape Zavora]], she was spotted by the [[Germany|German]] [[Pocket Battleship]] {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Graf Spee||2}}, under the command of Captain [[Hans Langsdorff]], and which was embarked upon a [[commerce raiding]] [[sortie]]. ''Graf Spee'' ordered the ''Africa Shell'' to stop by the firing of a shot across her [[Bow (ship)|bow]].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?102011|title=MV Africa Shell (1939)|access-date=29 December 2020|website=Wrecksite}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite web|url=http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=3125|title=Motor Vessel AFRICA SHELL built by George Brown & Co. (Marine) Ltd in 1939 for Shell Company of East Africa Ltd. - Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd., London, Tanker|website=clydeships.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceC">{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/I-WAS-GRAF-SPEES-PRISONER/dp/B0016JJN3O#detailBullets_feature_div|title=I WAS GRAF SPEE'S PRISONER!|first=Captain Patrick|last=Dove|date=1 January 1940|publisher=Withy Grove Press|via=Amazon}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceD">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewarillustrated.info/23/our-ships-were-sunk-by-the-graf-spee.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514150654/http://www.thewarillustrated.info/23/our-ships-were-sunk-by-the-graf-spee.asp|url-status=usurped|archive-date=14 May 2011|title=I Was There! - Our Ships were Sunk by the 'Graf Spee' - The War Illustrated|website=thewarillustrated.info}}</ref>

Having stopped the ''Africa Shell,'' a [[Cutter (boat)|cutter]] with a boarding party was despatched from ''Graf Spee'' and boarded the tanker, the officer in charge addressing Captain Dove in perfect English with the sentence, ''"Good morning, captain. Sorry; fortunes of war"''.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> The boarding party ordered the [[ship's company]], save the ''Africa Shell's'' [[Master mariner|Master]], into their [[lifeboat (ship)|lifeboats]] before stripping the ''Africa Shell'' of all [[foodstuff]]s including a small amount of [[wine]]. The crew were ordered to row for shore, except for Captain Dove who was taken prisoner on board the ''Graf Spee''. Dove was incensed by the interception of his ship, and complained personally to Langsdorff, citing that the ''Africa Shell'' was within [[Portugal|Portuguese]] territorial waters and that the action was in clear violation of [[international law]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref name="ReferenceD"/>

With the crew of the ''Africa Shell'' making their way to the shore and with Dove on ''Graf Spee,'' the boarding party set [[scuttling charges]] and re-embarked in the [[motor launch]] and made their way back to the ''Graf Spee''. Langsdorff and his crew observed the detonation of the charges which blew two holes in the ''Africa Shell's'' [[stern]]. Following this ''Graf Spee'' opened fire using some of her secondary armament of [[15 cm SK C/28|{{convert|15|cm|abbr=on}}]] SK C/28 guns, sinking ''Africa Shell''.

==== Battle of Madagascar ====
In 1942, the Mozambique Channel was a [[World War II]] clashpoint during the [[Battle of Madagascar]].

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="brit">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica | title = Mozambique Channel | url = http://www.britannica.com/place/Mozambique-Channel | access-date = 2015-09-27 | year = 2015 | publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.}}</ref>

<ref name="iho">{{cite web|url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf|title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition|year=1953|publisher=International Hydrographic Organization|access-date=28 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008191433/http://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf|archive-date=8 October 2011}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* [http://stonebooks.com/history/mozam.shtml Japanese Submarines at Madagascar and the Mozambique Channel]
* {{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Mozambique Channel}}
{{List of African seas}}
{{List of seas}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mozambique Channel| ]]
[[Category:Channels of the Indian Ocean]]
[[Category:Straits of Africa]]
[[Category:Borders of Mozambique]]
[[Category:Borders of Madagascar]]
[[Category:International straits]]
[[Category:Borders of the Comoros]]
[[Category:Borders of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands]]