Knowra La Pérouse Strait La Pérouse Strait La Pérouse Strait is a passage between Hokkaido, Japan, and Sakhalin, Russia, linking the Sea of Japan with the Sea of Okhotsk. It is also called Sōya Strait.
Hokkaido : Hokkaido is Japan’s northernmost main island, lying south of Sakhalin across La Pérouse Strait. Its northern coast forms the Japanese side of the strait.
Soya Current : The Soya Current is a warm current that flows from the Sea of Japan through La Pérouse Strait into the Sea of Okhotsk. It carries relatively warm water northward through the strait.
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse : Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, was a French naval officer and explorer who led a Pacific expedition from 1785. The strait bears his name after his expedition explored the region.
Maritime transport : Maritime transport moves people and goods by sea using ships and supporting port infrastructure. The strait is a route between the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Sakhalin : Sakhalin is a long Russian island in the North Pacific, north of Hokkaido. Its southern coast forms the opposite side of the passage.
Oyashio Current : The Oyashio is a cold, nutrient-rich current flowing southward along the Kuril Islands and northeastern Japan. Its waters influence conditions near the strait’s Pacific-facing region.
Lapérouse expedition : The Lapérouse expedition was a French scientific and exploratory voyage across the Pacific from 1785 to 1788. Its 1787 survey brought the strait onto European charts.
Sōya Misaki : Sōya Misaki is the northernmost point of Hokkaido, Japan, facing Sakhalin across the strait. This headland marks a prominent Japanese coastal approach to the passage.
Sea of Japan : The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific bordered by Japan, Korea, and Russia. La Pérouse Strait opens into it on the south.
Sea ice : Sea ice is frozen seawater that forms, drifts, and melts on the ocean surface. Seasonal ice can constrain navigation through this northern passage.
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