Øresund, Maritime strait between Zealand and Scania, Denmark and Sweden.
Øresund is a strait that connects Zealand with Scania and stretches for roughly 118 kilometers. The width ranges from 4 to 28 kilometers while depth reaches up to 23 meters in some spots.
The strait became a major source of income for the Danish crown from 1429 onwards as all ships had to pay tolls when passing through. These toll payments remained in force until 1857 and funded numerous construction projects in Copenhagen.
The name means "sand stretch" in Old Norse, referring to the shallow coastal sections along the waterway. Today the strait connects two European capitals and allows thousands of commuters to travel daily between the two countries.
Several ferry connections run daily and carry travelers between Danish and Swedish ports. The crossings take between 20 minutes and one hour depending on the route.
The water temperature often drops below 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter months while it can reach up to 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer. The salinity changes through inflow from both the Baltic Sea and North Sea and creates a special ecosystem with fish species from both bodies of water.
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