Bering Strait links the Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea and separates the continents of Asia and North America at their closest point. Hence, statement 1 is correct. Located between Alaska and Russia , the Bering Strait is the only marine gateway between the icy Arctic and the Pacific Ocean . This strait separates the United States and Russia by 58 miles (85 km) , with a water depth that measures 100–165 feet , (30–50 meters). It is named for Danish-born Russian mariner Vitus Bering, who first spotted the Alaskan mainland while exploring the area with an expedition of Russian sailors in the mid-18th century. There are numerous islands in the strait, including the two Diomede Islands (about 6 square miles [16 square km]), and to the south of the strait lies St.Lawrence Island (about 1,000 square miles [2,600 square km]). The International Date Line in the mid-Pacific curves from the normal 180-degree meridian at the Bering Strait , Fiji, Tonga and other islands to prevent confusion of day and date in some of the island groups that are cut through by the meridian. Hence, statement 2 is correct. Some of them keep Asiatic or New Zealand standard time, others follow the American date and time .