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An isthmus is a narrow strip of land, bordered on two sides by water, and connects two larger land masses. The term is pronounced "IS-mus" with a silent th. The plural form can either be isthmuses or isthmi.

The most famous isthmus is Panama, which connects the North and South American continents. Other isthmuses include:

• the first isthmus to be called an isthmus, Isthmus of Corinth, in Greece
• the isthmus of Dubrovnik - today's Stradun , (main center street), which connected Laus and Dub into single city unit.
• the Isthmus of Suez: the isthmus between Africa and Asia, in Egypt where the Suez Canal is located
• the Isthmus of Kra, which joins the Malay Peninsula with mainland Asia
• the Isthmus of Avalon, Canada: separate the main island of NewfoundlandThis is about the island in Canada. For the Canadian province of Newfoundland see Newfoundland and Labrador. For other meanings of Newfoundland see Newfoundland (disambiguation). Newfoundland is a large island off the north-east coast of North America, an from the Peninsula of Avalon (where the capital, St. John'sThe Canadian city of St. John's (population 99,182 in 2001), is the provincial capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador. History St. John's is one of the oldest settlements in North America. On August 5, 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert took posses, is).
• the Isthmus of ChignectoThe Isthmus of Chignecto is an area bordering the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia which connects the mainland portion of Nova Scotia with North America. The isthmus separates the waters of Chignecto Bay, a sub-basin of the Bay of Fundy: connects the mainland portion of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia ( In Detail) ( In Detail) Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (One defends and the other conquers Capital Halifax Largest City Halifax Area Total % fresh water 12th largest(9th lgst prov. 55 284 km² 3. 5% Population Total (2001) Density Ranked with North America
• the Isthmus of TehuantepecThe Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. The name comes from the town of Tehuantepec (formally, "Santo Domingo Tehuantepec") in Oaxaca state, which in turn co: connects Yucatan and Central AmericaCentral America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. Some geographers classify Central America as a large isthmus, and in this geographic sense it sometimes in with the rest of Mexico.

Isthmuses are logical places to build canals. The Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, drastically reduces the naval travel time between the east and west coasts of the Americas. The previously mentioned Suez Canal is another example — it allows ship transportation between Europe and Asia without the circumnavigation of Africa.

Isthmuses are the inverse of straits. That is, while isthmuses lie between two bodies of water and joins two larger land masses, straits lie between two land masses and connects two larger bodies of water.

See also: geography, Mainland