sentence: Many straits are economically important.
sentences_before: A 'strait' is a narrow,  channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water. It most commonly means a channel of water that is between two land masses, but it may also mean a navigable channel through a body of water that is not navigable, for example because it is too shallow, or because it contains an unnavigable reef or archipelago. The terms 'strait', 'channel', 'passage', 'sound' and 'firth' can be synonymous, but each is sometimes used with a slight difference of meaning.
sentences_after: Straits can lie on important shipping routes, and wars have been fought for control of these straits. Many artificial channels, called 'canals', have been constructed to connect two bodies of water over land.
concept_name: strait
headings: Strait