Map with French nomenclature The name "English Channel" has been widely used since the
early 18th century, possibly originating from the designation "Engelse
Kanaal" in Dutch sea maps from the 16th century onwards. It has also been
known as the "British Channel". Prior to then it was known as the British Sea, and it was called the "Oceanus
Britannicus" by the 2nd century geographer Ptolemy. The same name is used
on an Italian map of about 1450 which gives the alternative name of
"canalites Anglie"—possibly the first recorded use of the
"Channel" designation.
The French name "(la) Manche" has been
in use since at least the 17th century.[2] The name is usually said to refer to
the Channel's sleeve (French: "manche") shape. However, it is sometimes
claimed to instead derive from a Celtic word meaning "channel" that
is also the source of the name for The Minch, in Scotland.[12] In Spain and
most Spanish speaking countries the Channel is referred to as "El Canal de
la Mancha".
In Portuguese it is known as "O Canal da Mancha". (This is not a
translation from French: in Portuguese, as well as in Spanish,
"mancha" means "stain", while the word for sleeve is
"manga"-which prompts an early phonetic bad translation from
French-). Other languages also use this name, such as Greek (Κανάλι της Μάγχης) and Italian
(la Manica).
History Before the end of the Devensian
glaciation (the most recent ice age) around 10,000 years ago, the British Isles
were part of continental Europe.
During this period the North Sea and almost all
of the British Isles were covered with ice.
The sea level was about 120 m
lower than it is today, and the channel was an expanse of low-lying tundra,
through which passed a river which drained the Rhine and Thames towards the Atlantic to the west. As the ice sheet melted, a large
freshwater lake formed in the southern part of what is now the North Sea. As the meltwater could still not escape to the
north (as the northern North Sea was still
frozen) the outflow channel from the lake entered the
Atlantic Ocean in the region of Dover
and Calais.
This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which
serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against
the envy of less happier lands.
William Shakespeare, Richard II (Act II, Scene
1)The channel has been the key natural defence for Britain, halting invading armies
while in conjunction with control of the North Sea allowing Britain to
blockade the continent.[citation needed] The most significant failed invasion
threats came when the Dutch and Belgian ports were held by a major continental
power, e.g. from the Spanish Armada in 1588, Napoleon during the Napoleonic
Wars, and Nazi Germany during World War II. Successful invasions include the
Roman conquest of Britain,
the Norman Conquest in 1066 and the invasion and conquest of Britain by Dutch troops under William III in
1688, while the concentration of excellent harbours in the Western Channel on Britain's south coast made possible the largest
invasion of all time: the Normandy
landings in 1944. Channel naval battles include the Battle of Goodwin Sands
(1652), the Battle of Portland (1653), the Battle of La Hougue (1692) and the
engagement between USS Kearsarge and CSS Alabama (1864).
In more peaceful times the channel served as a
link joining shared cultures and political structures, particularly the huge
Angevin Empire from 1135–1217. For nearly a thousand years, the Channel also
provided a link between the Modern Celtic regions and languages of Cornwall and Brittany.
Brittany was founded by Britons who fled Cornwall and Devon after
Anglo-Saxon encroachment. In Brittany, there
is a region known as "Cornouaille" (Cornwall)
in French and "Kernev" in Breton[13] Anciently there was also a
"Domnonia" (Devon) in Brittany
as well.
In February 1684 (New style), ice formed on the
sea in a belt 3 miles
(4.8 km)
wide off the coast of Kent and 2
miles (3.2
km) wide on the French side.
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