Slokais Straits
| Slokais Straits | |
|---|---|
| Type | Strait |
| Etymology | The Slokais Islands |
| Primary inflows | Gulf of Haesan, Slokais Sea |
| Primary outflows | Promethean Sea |
| Ocean/sea sources | Part of the greater Tenebric Ocean |
| Basin countries | Haesan, Slokais Islands |
| Max. width | 50 kilometres (31 mi), at its narrowest |
| Settlements | Kirkwall, Slokais; Sokhae, Haesan |
The Slokais Straits are a narrow channel which separates the Slokasian Northern Isles from the Haesanite province of Hyeolseo. The straits connect the outflows of the Gulf of Haesan to the northwest and the Slokais Sea to the northeast to the Promethean Sea basin. The straits are known for their role in Haesan-Slokais diplomacy and have been the subject of political, environmental, and economic negotiation, and are notable for their choppy waters, importance to international trade, and centrality to conservation initiatives.
The Slokais Straits have historically been a point of contention between Haesan and the Slokais Islands. During Imperial Haesan, Haesanite gunboats would extract duties from all foreign flagged ships crossing the straits, regardless if it was a local fishing boat or a large merchant vessel from Pindai. The Slokais Straits were later the site of naval skirmishes between the Opthelian Navy and Costenan military forces who sought to control the important trade route. In modern times, it is believed that Henri Lagarde's plans to refurbish the National Canal were seen by Slokasian dictator Juan Costa as a way to bypass Slokasian ports and duties collected on the Slokais Straits, a grievance relayed to Daryan Grand Vizier Shivnath Nishad when convincing him to invade Haesan during the Great War. Post-war, the maritime boundaries of the Slokais Straits were redrawn in the 1987 Junyeol Accords, which saw Jakja returned to Haesan. They were further redrawn at the Victoria Island Conference in 2011, which regulated shipping lanes and implemented conservation initiatives.
The Slokais Straits are economically important due to linking several vital waterways, and have been labeled by logisticians as one of the top three shipping chokepoints in Eastern Hesperida. The strait maintains regular ferry service from Kirkwall to Sokhae operated by Slokasian Rail. The straits have been monitored carefully for pollution and ship noise in recent years, since they are a critical migration path for many protected fish and marine mammals like the silver whale. The straits have also been a target for long distance swimmers, who started doing crossing attempts in the 1970s, with Slokasian Edwin Aquino making the first successful recorded crossing in 1976.