Ferries in Istanbul Ferries in Istanbul The city of Istanbul is at a geographic crossroads, straddling Europe and Asia Minor, and is divided by a sea lane called the Bosphorus Strait, which joins the Black Sea in the northeast and the Marmara Sea in the southwest. This strait has played a key role in the history of the city. Boats have traversed the waters of the Bosphorus for millennia and until the opening of the first Bosphorus bridge in 1973, were the only mode of transport between the European and Asian halves of Istanbul. They continue to serve as a key public transport
Piracy in the Strait of Hormuz Piracy in the Strait of Hormuz Piracy has taken place in a maritime area bounded by the Suez and the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 35 percent of all crude oil shipped by sea and one-third of all liquefied natural gas pass through the strait. High Risk Areas for piracy (HRA) have been declared in different parts of the world to reflect precautions to be taken when ships transit them. These include the following: As per the Contact group of Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), the HRA (updated on 8 October 2015) is an area bounded by the following: