northern entrance from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, eastern Canada. The strait, 90 mi (145 km) long, 10 to 17 mi wide, and lying between Newfoundland (east) and Labrador (west), is the most direct route from the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes ports to Europe. The cold Labrador Current flows through the strait, favouring an extended period of ice cover and limiting the shipping season to between June and late November.