Around 90% of international trade (in terms of tonnage) is carried out by sea, and these flows use the many natural or man-made straits (maritime and transoceanic canals). As both transverse and longitudinal passageways, straits play a fundamental role in maritime relations. This book takes a multidisciplinary and international approach to the Straits: legal, geographical, historical, environmental, economic and geopolitical. It examines their functions and the issues associated with them, both now and in the past, using specific examples: Artics, Dover, Gibraltar, Hormuz, Kerch, Malacca, Messina, Oresund, etc.

Contributors are: F. Lasserre, A. Choquet, N. Fau, A. Trentesaux ,S. Karagiannis, C. Henry, O. Delfour-Samama, M. Lehardy, F. Mynard, M. Lo Prete, T. Vaisset, F. Schneider, F. Fontrier, A. Marino, D. Gaurier, R. Thillard, A.M. Aldawish, C. Escudé, H. Dehouck, F. Charlet, S. Gupta, G. Guyetant, J-Y Reynaud, O. Averbuc, J-P. Geib, C. Roche, F. Davansant, and C. Gibout.