Geographical Features
The Inland Sea is 450 km (280 mi) long from east to west. The width from south to north varies from 15 to 55 km (9.3 to 34 mi). In most places, the water is relatively shallow. The average depth is 37.3 m (122 ft); the greatest depth is 105 m (344 ft).
The Naruto Strait connects the eastern part of the Inland Sea to the Kii Channel, which in turn connects to the Pacific Ocean. The western part of the Inland Sea connects to the Sea of Japan through the Kanmon Straits and to the Pacific through the Bungo Channel.
Each part of the Inland Sea has a separate name in Japanese. For example, Iyo-nada (伊予灘?) refers to the strait between Ehime, Yamaguchi, and Ōita prefectures in the western portion of the sea; Aki-nada (安芸灘?) is the open expanse west of the Geiyo Archipelago, near Hiroshima prefecture; and Suō-nada (周防灘?) refers to the expanse between Yamaguchi prefecture and Suō-Ōshima. There are also many straits located between the major islands, as well as a number of smaller ones that pass between islands or connect the Inland Sea to other seas or the Pacific.
Almost 3,000 islands are located in the Inland Sea, including the larger islands Awaji-shima and Shōdo-shima. Many of the smaller islands are uninhabited.
Read more about this topic: Seto Inland Sea
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