Sage-Tips

Why is the English channel called La Manche?

Earlier names had included Oceanus Britannicus and the British Sea, and the French have regularly used La Manche (in reference to the sleevelike coastal outline) since the early 17th century. Baltic and North seas and the English Channel. The Baltic and North seas and the English Channel.

What is the Channel between England and France?

Channel Tunnel
What is the Chunnel? The Channel Tunnel (often called the ‘Chunnel’ for short) is an undersea tunnel linking southern England and northern France. It is operated by the company Getlink, who also run a railway shuttle (Le Shuttle) between Folkestone and Calais, carrying passengers in cars, vans and other vehicles.

What do the French call the Channel Tunnel?

the Chunnel
The Channel Tunnel (also referred to as the Chunnel) is a 50.46-kilometre (31.35 mi) railway tunnel that connects Folkestone (Kent, England, UK) with Coquelles (Hauts-de-France, France) beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover.

Why is it called the English Channel and not the French channel?

In the sixteenth century, Dutch maps referred to the sea as the Engelse Kanaal (English Channel) and by the 1590s, William Shakespeare used the word Channel in his history plays of Henry VI, suggesting that by that time, the name was popularly understood by English people.

Can you drive across the English Channel?

It is not possible to drive a car or motorcycle through the Channel Tunnel. Instead, motorists must drive onto the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle train, which boards at the Channel Tunnel terminals in Folkestone and Calais.

Why is France called La France?

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The name France comes from Latin Francia (“land of the Franks”). Originally it applied to the whole Empire of the Franks, extending from southern France to eastern Germany.

How many tunnels are under the English Channel?

three tunnels
The Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea tunnel in the world: its section under the sea is 38km long. It is actually composed of three tunnels, each 50km long, bored at an average 40m below the sea bed. They link Folkestone (Kent) to Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais).

What do the British call the English Channel?

By the Eighteenth century, the name English Channel was in common usage in England. Following the Acts of Union 1707, this was replaced in official maps and documents with British Channel or British Sea for much of the next century.

Can you see Britain from France?

On a clear day, it is possible to see the opposite coastline of England from France and vice versa with the naked eye, with the most famous and obvious sight being the White Cliffs of Dover from the French coastline and shoreline buildings on both coastlines, as well as lights on either coastline at night, as in …

Why is the English Channel called the ‘Manche’?

It is La Manche, which means ‘the sleeve’. According to the French Wikipedia page for La Manche, calling straits and channels ‘manche’ used to be somewhat common, but over the years the English Channel has become the one and only sleeve. [1] http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man…

Why is the English Channel called the sleeve of France?

It is La Manche, which means ‘the sleeve’. According to the French Wikipedia page for La Manche, calling straits and channels ‘manche’ used to be somewhat common, but over the years the English Channel has become the one and only sleeve.

What is the sea between England and France called?

The ‘English Channel’ is called La Manche in French. ‘La manche’ is a sleeve of a shirt or jacket, the shape of the Channel looking like a sleeve. In conversation and in newspaper reports in England, the sea between England and France is generally just called ‘The Channel’.

What is the English Channel called in other languages?

English Channel. The English Channel ( French: la Manche, “The Sleeve”; German: Ärmelkanal, “Sleeve Channel”; Breton: Mor Breizh, “Sea of Brittany”; Welsh: Môr Udd; Cornish: Mor Bretannek, “British Sea”; Dutch: Het Kanaal, “The Channel”), also called simply the Channel, is the body of water that separates Southern England…