manche

Manche is the French name for the English Channel, the sea that separates southern England from northern France and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the North Sea. The channel’s eastern end includes the Dover Strait, the narrowest point, about 33 kilometers wide. It is a major maritime corridor, hosting international shipping and frequent ferry links between ports such as Dover, Calais, Cherbourg, and Le Havre. In French usage, La Manche is a standard geographical term that appears on maps and in regional discourse.

Manche is also the name of a department in the Normandy region of northwestern France. Named after the nearby channel, it occupies part of the Cotentin Peninsula and coastal areas facing the English Channel. The prefecture is Saint-Lô, and the department includes towns such as Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Avranches, and Coutances. Mont-Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage site, lies within its borders. The Manche department has an economy based on agriculture, dairy farming, fishing, and tourism, with coastal scenery, historic towns, and maritime heritage. The area reflects the broader history of Normandy, including medieval architecture and its role in maritime and military history.