La Pérouse Strait
La Pérouse Strait, from Cape Sōya, Hokkaido
Japanese name
Kanji 宗谷海峡 Rōmaji Sōya Kaikyō
Sōya Strait
Russian name
Cyrillic Пролив Лаперуза Romanization Proliv Laperuza
La Pérouse Strait

La Pérouse Strait is a strait dividing the southern part of the Russian island of Sakhalin (Karafuto) from the northern part of the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, and connecting the Sea of Japan on the west with the Sea of Okhotsk on the east. It is 40 km (25 mi) long and 20 to 40 m (66 to 130 ft) deep.

The strait is named after Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse (Count of La Pérouse), who explored the channel in 1787.^[1] Japan's territorial waters extend to three nautical miles into the strait instead of the usual twelve, reportedly to allow nuclear-armed United States Navy warships and submarines to transit the strait without violating Japan's prohibition against nuclear weapons in its territory.^[2]

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La Pérouse Strait charted by La Pérouse himself

Coordinates: 45°43′20″N 142°01′36″E / 45.72222°N 142.02667°E / 45.72222; 142.02667

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