Zachary Robinson, age 10, of Patterson, N.J. for his question:

HOW WIDE IS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL?

The English Channel is that narrow sea in western Europe that separates France and Great Britain. It is 112 miles wide in the west where it meets the Atlantic Ocean and narrows to 21 miles at the Strait of Dover, its junction with the North Sea.

It is known in French as La Manche, which means "the sleeve."

Chief ports of the English Channel are Cherbourg and Le Havre in France and Southampton in Great Britain. Regular ferry service plies the channel between these and several smaller ports, including Dover, Plymouth and Portsmouth in Great Britain and Calais, Dunkirk, Boulougne sur Mer and Dieppe in France.

There is a 30 minute Hovercraft connection between Dover and Calais.

A channel tunnel crossing, first discussed in 1802, was begun in 1974 and abandoned shortly thereafter for lack of funds.

Numerous seaside resorts are located on both the French and British coasts.