thumb|250px|The Isthmus of Panamathumb|250px|The Suez Canal crosses the Suez isthmusthumb|250px|The sandy isthmus connecting North and South [[Bruny Island in Tasmania, Australia]]
An isthmus ( or //; plural: isthmuses, isthmi, from ) is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas. Of note, the Isthmus of Panama connects the continents of North and South America (the Americas), and the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt connects Africa and Asia (or Eurasia).
Canals are often built on isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation. The Panama Canal bisects the Isthmus of Panama, thereby connecting the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; the Suez Canal adjoins the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans, cutting across the Isthmus of Suez to connect the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez/Red Sea. Strait is the sea counterpart of isthmus.

List of isthmuses

In Southeast Asia

The Isthmus of Kra is the narrow land bridge which connects the Malay Peninsula with the mainland of Asia. The east part of the landbridge belongs to Thailand, the west part belongs to the Tanintharyi division of Burma. To the west of the Isthmus is the Andaman Sea, to the east is the Gulf of Thailand.

In Europe

Mediterranean Sea

• Isthmus of Bolbs, which joins Gibraltar to mainland Spain.

• Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Peloponnese peninsula to the rest of Greece.

• Isthmus of Potidea, connecting the Kassandra peninsula with the mainland of Greece.

Black Sea

• Isthmus of Perekop between Crimea and Ukraine proper.

British Isles

• La Coupée isthmus in Sark.

• Forth-Clyde isthmus in Scotland.

• Mavis Grind isthmus in Shetland, UK.

• Tyne-Solway Isthmus in England, along the Stanegate in Roman times main forts at Corbridge and Carlisle.

Atlantic Ocean

• Isthmus of Westfjords peninsula, which connects to the mainland of Iceland.

In North America

• Isthmus of Panama

• Madison Isthmus

• Isthmus of Chignecto

• Isthmus of Avalon

In South America

• Isthmus of Médanos - links Venezuela to Médanos.

• Ofqui Isthmus, Aisén Region, Chile.

In the Middle East

Red Sea

• Isthmus of Suez - the isthmus between North Africa and Sinai Peninsula, in Egypt where the Suez Canal is located.

See also

• Geography

• Mainland

• Tombolo

• Peninsula

• Land bridge

• The Karelian Isthmus