Torres Strait

Torres Strait is the shallow sea passage between Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea, linking the Coral Sea and Arafura Sea through an island-studded region.

Torres Strait Islands: An archipelago of more than 270 islands between Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea. They divide the strait into channels and support distinct island communities.
Coral reef: A marine ecosystem built chiefly by coral animals secreting calcium carbonate. Reef systems shape many of the strait’s shallow, hazardous channels.
Torres Strait Islanders: An Indigenous Melanesian people whose ancestral islands lie in Torres Strait. Their communities and maritime knowledge are inseparable from the region.
Torres Strait Treaty: A 1978 agreement between Australia and Papua New Guinea governing their maritime boundary and cross-border relations. It established a protected zone for traditional movement and shared regional interests.
Thursday Island: An inhabited island in Torres Strait and the administrative center of the Torres Shire. It is the region’s principal service and administrative hub.
Great Barrier Reef: The world’s largest coral reef system, extending along northeastern Australia. Its northern reefs meet the strait’s southern waters.
Tidal current: A horizontal movement of seawater driven by the rise and fall of tides. Strong tidal flows govern navigation through narrow island channels.
Aboriginal Australians: The Indigenous peoples of mainland Australia and its surrounding islands. Aboriginal communities live on the strait’s southern coast and nearby islands.
Torres Strait Protected Zone: A region established by treaty to protect the livelihoods and traditional activities of communities on both sides of the border. It balances national jurisdiction with customary travel and fishing.
Boigu Island: The northernmost inhabited island of Australia, close to the coast of New Guinea. Its location shows how near the strait’s communities are to the international border.

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