The English Channel

If you look at the satellite view of the English Channel you can see a narrow area between Dover, England and Calais, France. This is a strait. The entire body of water is the channel.

There is much confusion about the word channel. Some say it is larger than a strait. However, a broader definition of channel is the one used above in red. The channel to the left could easily be called a canal. The important thing to remember - a channel connects two larger bodies of water.

Related Terms
strait - could be another word for channel
canal - could be another word for channel if it connects two larger bodies of water
reef - there are often channels that allow a boat to pass through a reef
atoll - usually have channels through the reef going from ocean side to lagoon side