channel of the western Indian Ocean, threading between the island nation of Madagascar on the east and Mozambique on the African mainland (west). About 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long, it varies in width from 250 to 600 miles (400 to 950 km) and reaches a maximum depth of 10,000 feet (3,000 m). The Comoro Archipelago marks the northern entrance, and the islands of Bassas da India and Europa lie in the south. An important route for shipping in eastern Africa, it receives all major Madagascar rivers and has the ports of Mahajanga (Majunga) and Toliary (Tuléar) on the same coast. Along the opposite coast are the mouth of the Zambezi River and the ports of Maputo (formerly Lourenço Marques), Moçambique, and Beira. The Mozambique Current passes through the strait.