Bosporus

[bos-per-uh s] /ˈbɒs pər əs/
noun
1.
a strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. 18 miles (29 km) long.
Also, Bosphorus
[bos-fer-uh s] /ˈbɒs fər əs/ (Show IPA)
.
Compare Dardanelles.
Related forms
Bosporan, Bosporanic
[bos-puh-ran-ik] /ˌbɒs pəˈræn ɪk/ (Show IPA),
Bosporian
[bo-spawr-ee-uh n, -spohr-] /bɒˈspɔr i ən, -ˈspoʊr-/ (Show IPA),
adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Bosporus

Bosporus

/ˈbɒspərəs/
noun
1.
the Bosporus, a strait between European and Asian Turkey, linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara
Bosporus in Culture
Bosporus [(bos-puh-ruhs)]

Strait separating the European and Asian portions of Turkey. The Bosporus is a link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Note: It is an important shipping route for Russia, whose northern routes are mostly blocked by ice in winter, and for other nations that border the Black Sea or use any of the many major rivers that flow into it.