or Bab el-Mandeb Arabic B 0101; b al-Mandab
Strait that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden .
Its land boundaries are the Arabian Peninsula (northeast) and the African coast (southeast), which are separated by some 20 mi (32 km). The strait is divided into two channels by Perim Island. Its name means "Gate of Tears," referring to the dangers that formerly attended its navigation.