(mō´ne) , strait, c.80 mi (130 km) wide, between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Connecting the N Atlantic Ocean with the Caribbean Sea, it is a favored shipping lane. In it is Mona Island, c.20 sq mi (50 sq km), part of Puerto Rico. It was visited by Columbus in 1493, and in 1508 Ponce de León stopped there. In 1511 the island was ceded to Columbus's younger brother Bartolomé, but it soon became a haven for pirates. It has a nature reserve and lighthouse.
