The term Queen Charlotte Strait is also used to refer to the general region and its many communities, notably of the Kwakwakaʼwakw peoples.

[2] During a boat excursion up Goletas Channel, Strange saw an opening ahead and named it Queen Charlotte Sound.

The southern end of Queen Charlotte Strait is described as "several narrow channels north and east of Malcolm Island".

[4] The strait lies between the mainland and Vancouver Island portions of the Regional District of Mount Waddington, a form of regional municipal governance with power over zoning, building and sewer permits and inter-municipal integration.

The traditional territories of most of the various Kwakwaka'wakw peoples overlap in the strait, which is a vital fishery resource and transportation link between their communities.