Strait of Anián facts for kids
The Strait of Anián was a waterway that early mapmakers thought connected North America and Asia. From about 1560, people believed this strait would let ships travel from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This imaginary passage was often shown on maps as part of a shortcut called the Northwest Passage.
Later, in 1728, the real strait connecting these two continents was discovered. It is now known as the Bering Strait. The Strait of Anián was usually drawn near where the Bering Strait is, but sometimes it appeared much further south, even near California.
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The Mystery Strait
For a long time, no one knew exactly where the idea of the Strait of Anián came from. Early maps, like one by Martin Waldseemüller from 1506 or 1507, showed America and Asia as separate landmasses. However, a 1562 map by Paolo Forlani showed them joined together in the north.
How the Name Started
The name "Anián" likely came from "Ania," a Chinese province mentioned in a 1559 book by Marco Polo. The name "Strait of Anián" probably first appeared on a map made by an Italian mapmaker named Giacomo Gastaldi in 1562.
Other famous mapmakers also included it on their maps:
- Abraham Ortelius (1564)
- Bolognini Zaltieri (1567)
- Gerardus Mercator (1567)
Gastaldi's and Zaltieri's maps showed the strait as narrow and winding. Some maps, like those by Gastaldi and Ortelius, even had a place called "Ania" or "Anian" on the eastern side of the strait.
Explorers and Maps
In 1592, a Greek sailor named Juan de Fuca went on a Spanish trip specifically to find this famous Strait of Anián. People really wanted to find it because it promised a faster way to travel by sea.
Maps continued to show different ideas of the strait:
- A 1578 map even showed Frobisher Bay in Canada stretching all the way across the country to meet the Strait of Anián.
- A 1719 map by Herman Moll showed the strait as a possible bay around 50° North latitude, which is north of what was then called the "Island of California."
- A 1726 map by Johannes van Keulen also showed the strait north of the "Island of California." This map even had a note saying, "They say that one can come through this strait to Hudson Bay, but this is not proven." This shows how much people hoped it would connect to other known waterways.
In Books and Stories
The Strait of Anián even appeared in famous stories! You can see it on the map of Brobdingnag in Jonathan Swift's classic novel Gulliver's Travels. This shows how well-known the idea of this mysterious strait was.
Images for kids
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Map of Brobdingnag; Straits of Anian can be seen on the right.
