North Sea

North Sea (Latin Mare Germanicum), arm of the Atlantic Ocean, between the eastern coast of Great Britain and the continent of Europe. The Strait of Dover, with the English Channel, forms the southern link with the Atlantic. The greatest width of the North Sea is 650 km (400 mi), its greatest length 950 km (590 mi), and its area 575,000 sq km (222,000 sq mi). A number of rivers flow into the southern part of the North Sea, namely, the Elbe, Weser, Ems, Rhine (which is joined at its mouth by the Meuse), and Schelde (Escaut) in Europe and the Thames and Humber in Great Britain. The sea reaches its greatest depth off the coast of Norway. The shallow Dogger Bank occupies the south central part of the sea. The tides of the North Sea are very irregular, because two tidal waves enter it, one from the north and one from the south.

Rain and fog occur at all seasons, and the violent northwestern storms blowing toward the shoals on the southeastern coast make navigation dangerous, especially along the coast of the peninsula of Jutland. North Sea fisheries provide support for inhabitants of the surrounding countries. Beginning in the late 1970s, much petroleum was produced from the sea floor. By means of the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, ships enter the Baltic Sea without making the longer passage north around Jutland.