8, 9, 10 Degree Channels ——————————————— A channel is a broad | Floraison IAS

8, 9, 10 Degree Channels
———————————————
A channel is a broad open waterway that passes through two landmasses that lie close to each other. It is different from the strait which is a relatively narrow body of water, connecting two larger bodies of water.
As per National Geographic, it is the deepest part of a waterway/narrow water body that connects two larger bodies of water.
Channels are created either by glaciers or by people. The channels that are created by glaciers carve out deep canyons between two landmasses. The channels that are created by people are usually dug from the bottoms of shallow waterways to build a passage for large ships.

Ten Degree Channel
—————————————
It separates the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands from each other in the Bay of Bengal and forms the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
It is 150km wide from north to south and 10km long from east to west with a minimum depth of 7.3m.
It is so named as it lies on the 10-degree line of Latitude, north of the equator.

Nine Degree Channel
————————————-
It separates the island of Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep archipelago. The Kalpeni and Suheli Par, and Maliku Atoll and Amindivi Subgroup together form the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
It is 200 km wide with a depth of 2597 metres.
Investigator Bank-- a submerged bank-- is located in the southern region of this channel.
It is strategically important as it is the passage of nearly all merchant shipping between Europe, the Middle-East and Western Asia with South-East Asia and the Far-East.
It is so named as it lies on the 9-degree line of Latitude, north of the equator.

Eight Degree Channel
—————————————
The maritime boundary between the Maldives and India runs through the Eight Degree Channel. It separates the islands of Minicoy and Maldives.
Maliku Kandu and Māmalē Kandu Divehi are the traditional names of the Eight Degree Channel
It is so named as it lies on the 8-degree line of Latitude, north of the equator.

NOTE : To sum up, the Eight Degree Channel separates the islands of Minicoy and Maldives, the Nine Degree Channel separates the island of Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep archipelago and the Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands from each other in the Bay of Bengal.
#Geography
@FloraisonIAS