Strait of Malacca
Malacca, Strait of
(məläk`ə), c.500 mi (800 km) long and from c.30 to 200 mi (50–320 km) wide, between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Linking the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea, it is one of the world's most important sea passages. Chief ports include Belawan in Indonesia and MelakaMelakaor Malacca
, state (1991 pop. 504,502), 640 sq mi (1,658 sq km), Malaysia, S Malay Peninsula, on the Strait of Malacca. Formerly one of the Straits Settlements, it was constituted a state of Malaya in 1957 (see Malaysia).
..... Click the link for more information. and Penang in Malaysia; Singapore is at the southern end of the strait. The Strait of Malacca has been controlled by the Arabs, the Dutch, the Portuguese, and the British. In the mid-19th cent. it was a haven for pirates who menaced Dutch and British traders. Piracy remained a problem in the strait into the early 2000s.
Malacca, Strait of
a strait between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra. It joins the Andaman Sea with the South China Sea. The strait is about 1,000 km long; the minimum width is about 40 km, and the minimum depth in the fairway is 25 m. The port of Singapore (the capital of the state of Singapore) is located near the southern entrance of the Strait of Malacca.