Dictionary:

isthmus

  (ĭs'məs)

1. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land.
2. Anatomy.
   1. A narrow strip of tissue joining two larger organs or parts of an organ.
   2. A narrow passage connecting two larger cavities.

[Latin, from Greek isthmos.]

A narrow strip of land that connects two larger bodies of land and has water on both sides.

A narrow connection between two larger bodies or parts.

• aortic i. — that part of the aorta between the origin of the brachiocephalic trunk, or the left subclavian artery, and that of the ductus arteriosus which is partly constricted in the fetus; it marks the partial separation of fetal blood flow derived from right and left ventricles, and is most conspicuous in the newborn calf.
• i. of auditory tube — the narrowest part of the pharyngotympanic tube at the junction of its bony and cartilaginous parts. Called also isthmus of pharyngotympanic tube.
• i. of fauces, i. faucium — the constricted aperture between the cavity of the mouth and the pharynx.
• oviduct i. — the short slightly narrower section of the oviduct of the bird between the magnum and the uterus, where the shell membranes are laid down.
• pharyngeal i. — the aperture between the dorsal and ventral parts of the pharynx and separated by the free edge of the soft palate and the palatopharyngeal arch.
• i. of pharyngotympanic tube — see isthmus of auditory tube (above).
• i. of rhombencephalon — the narrow segment of the fetal brain, forming the plane of separation between the rhombencephalon and cerebrum.
• i. of thyroid — the band of tissue joining the lobes of the thyroid. It is fibrous in sheep and horses and glandular in dogs and cattle.
• i. of uterine tube — the narrower, thicker-walled portion of the uterine tube closest to the uterus.

The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America.

An isthmus (IPA: /ˈɪsθməs, ˈɪstməs, ˈɪsməs/, Greek: ἰσθμός, plural isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow strip of land that is bordered on two sides by water and connects two larger land masses. It is the inverse of a strait (which lies between two land masses and connects two larger bodies of water).

Isthmi are naturally good places to build canals. The Panama Canal, for instance, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, drastically reduces the naval travel time between the east and west coasts of the Americas.

List of isthmi

• Erin isthmus, in ireland
• Auckland Isthmus, in Auckland, New Zealand

• Isthmus of Dubrovnik - today's Stradun, (main center street), which connected Laus and Dub into a single city unit
• Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania - which connects the Forestier Peninsula and Tasman Peninsula
• Isthmus of East Falklands (Goose Green)
• Isthmus of Gibraltar, which joins Gibraltar to mainland Spain. Its sovereignty is disputed by Spain.
• Karelian Isthmus between Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga
• Isthmus of Kra, which joins the Malay Peninsula with mainland Asia
• Isthmus of Kushimoto in Japan - connects Honshū with Cape Shiono-Misaki
• La Coupée isthmus in Sark
• Madison Isthmus, between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin
• Mavis Grind isthmus in Shetland, UK
• Isthmus of Médanos - connects Venezuela to Médanos
• Neck in Bruny Island, Tasmania - connects North and South Bruny
• Ofqui Isthmus, Aysen Region, Chile
• Isthmus of Panama - arguably the most famous isthmus, connects North America and South America.
• Isthmus of Perekop between Crimea and Ukraine proper
• Quezon Province, in Luzon, Philippines - connecting Bicol peninsula with mainland Luzon
• Adam's Bridge, between India and Sri Lanka (a former Isthmus)
• Isthmus of Suez - the isthmus between North Africa and Southwest Asia, in Egypt where the Suez Canal is located
• Isthmus of Tehuantepec - connects Yucatan and Central America with the rest of Mexico
• Isthmus of Summerside, connecting the Western section of Prince Edward Island, Canada with the remainder of the island
• Isthmus of Corinth, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with the mainland of Greece.
• Isthmus of Potidea, connecting the Kassandra peninsula with the mainland of Greece.

See also

• Geography
• Mainland
• Tombolo
• Peninsula
• Land bridge

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - landtange

Nederlands (Dutch)
landengte

Français (French)
n. - isthme

Deutsch (German)
n. - Isthmus, Landenge

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (γεωγρ.) ισθμός

Italiano (Italian)
istmo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - istmo (m)

Русский (Russian)
перешеек, перемычка

Español (Spanish)
n. - istmo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - näs

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
地峡, 峡部

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 地峽, 峽部

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 지협, 협부

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 地峡, 峡部

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) برزخ ( مثال برزخ بنما)‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חלק צר המחבר שני חלקים רחבים יותר, מיצר יבשה‬

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