Strait of Juan de Fuca

Juan de Fuca, Strait of, waterway between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. Forming part of the boundary between the United States and Canada, the strait is about 100 mi (160 km) long and 11 to 17 mi (18 to 27 km) wide. It is an important shipping channel for the ports of Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. The passage's name comes from a Greek navigator who sailed for Spain and claimed discovery in 1592, although his claim has been disputed.