The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...
to the northeast and the
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
n island of
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
to the southwest,
connecting the
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea (historically also known as the Burma Sea) is a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar and Thailand along the Gulf of Martaban and the west side of the Malay Peninsula, and separated f ...
(Indian Ocean) and the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
(Pacific Ocean).
As the main
shipping channel between the
Indian and
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
oceans, it is one of the most important
shipping lanes in the world.
Etymology
The name "Malacca" is traditionally associated with the Malacca tree (''
Phyllanthus emblica''), also known as the Indian gooseberry tree, and is believed to derive from the local
Malay word "Melaka". According to historical traditions,
Parameswara, a
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
n prince and the founder of the
Malacca Sultanate
The Malacca Sultanate (; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Parameswara, also known as I ...
, selected the site for his new kingdom where the city of
Malacca now stands. It is said that he named the location "Melaka" after the Malacca tree under which he had rested. Over time, the name "Malacca" came to refer not only to the city but also to the strategically significant waterway between the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...
and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, known as the Malacca Strait.
Extent
The
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) (French: ''Organisation Hydrographique Internationale'') is an intergovernmental organization representing hydrography. the IHO comprised 102 member states.
A principal aim of the IHO is to ...
define the limits of the Strait of Malacca as follows:
History
Early traders from
Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
,
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, and
southern India
South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
reached
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
before arriving at
Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
. Kedah served as a western port on the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...
. They traded glassware,
camphor, cotton goods,
brocades,
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...
,
sandalwood
Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sanda ...
, perfume, and precious stones. These traders sailed to Kedah via the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
winds between June and November. They returned between December and May. Kedah provided accommodations, porters, small vessels, bamboo rafts, elephants, as well as tax collections for goods to be transported overland toward eastern ports of the Malay Peninsula such as
Langkasuka and
Kelantan
Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...
. After the tenth century, ships from China began to trade at these eastern trading posts and ports. Kedah and
Funan
Funan (; , ; , Chữ Hán: ; ) was the name given by Chinese cartographers, geographers and writers to an ancient Khmer-Mon Indianized state—or, rather a loose network of states ''( Mandala)''—located in Mainland Southeast Asia covering ...
were famous ports throughout the 6th century, before shipping began to use the Strait of Malacca itself as a trade route.
In the 7th century, the maritime empire of
Srivijaya
Srivijaya (), also spelled Sri Vijaya, was a Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia) that influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important ...
, based in
Palembang,
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
, rose to power, and its influence expanded to the Malay Peninsula and
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. The empire gained effective control of two major choke points in maritime Southeast Asia: the Strait of Malacca and the
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait () is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the western portion of Ja ...
. By launching a series of conquests and raids on potential rival ports on both sides of the strait, Srivijaya ensured its economic and military domination in the region, which lasted about 700 years. Srivijaya gained great benefits from the lucrative spice trade, e.g. the tributary trade system with China, and trade with Indian and Arab merchants. The Strait of Malacca became an important maritime trade route between India and China. The importance of the Strait of Malacca in global trade networks continued well into later centuries with the rise of the
Malacca Sultanate
The Malacca Sultanate (; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Parameswara, also known as I ...
in the 15th century, the
Johor Sultanate
The Johor Sultanate ( or ; also called the Sultanate of Johor, Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga, or the Johor Empire) was founded by Sultan of Malacca Mahmud Shah of Malacca, Mahmud Shah's son, Alauddin Riayat Shah II of Johor, Alauddin Riayat Shah ...
, the
Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements () were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under control of the ...
, and the modern city-state of
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
.
Since the 17th century, the strait has been the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Various major regional powers have managed the straits during different historical periods.
Economic importance

From an economic and strategic perspective, the Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.
The strait is the main shipping channel between the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
and the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
, linking major Asian economies such as
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
,
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
. The Strait of Malacca is part of the
Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast towards the southern tip of
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
to
Mombasa
Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
, from there through the
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
via the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
to the Mediterranean, there to the upper
Adriatic region to the northern Italian hub of
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
with its rail connections to
Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
and the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
. Over 94,000 vessels pass through the strait each year (2008) making it the busiest strait in the world, carrying about 25% of the world's traded goods, including oil, Chinese manufactured products, coal, palm oil and
Indonesian coffee
Indonesia was the fourth-largest producer of coffee in the world in 2014.[Production](_blank)
ico.org Coffee ...
. About a quarter of all oil carried by sea passes through the strait, mainly from
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
suppliers to Asian markets. In 2007, an estimated 13.7 million
barrels per day were transported through the strait, increasing to an estimated 15.2 million barrels per day in 2011.
In addition, it is also one of the world's most congested shipping
choke points because it narrows to only 2.8 km (1.5
nautical mile
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude at t ...
s) wide at the Phillip Channel (close to southern
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
).
The
draught of some of the world's largest ships (mostly
oil tankers) exceeds the Strait's minimum depth of . This shallow point occurs in the
Singapore Strait. The maximum size of a vessel that can pass through the Strait is referred to as the
Malaccamax. The next closest passageway to the east, the
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait () is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the western portion of Ja ...
between Sumatra and Java, is even shallower and narrower, meaning that ships exceeding the Malaccamax must detour a few thousand
nautical mile
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude at t ...
s and use the
Lombok Strait,
Makassar Strait,
Sibutu Passage, and
Mindoro Strait instead.
The strategic significance of the strait has led to security concerns for major trading nations, particularly China. In 2003, Chinese president
Hu Jintao coined the term "
Malacca dilemma" to describe China's vulnerability to potential disruptions in energy supplies transiting the strait. With roughly 80% of China's imported crude oil passing through this narrow maritime corridor, Chinese policymakers have identified the strait as a critical chokepoint. The concept has since influenced China’s foreign policy, leading to investments in alternative energy routes and maritime security initiatives.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty, is an international treaty that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. , 169 sov ...
(UNCLOS) states that each coastal state has their territorial waters from the baseline and 12 nautical miles out.
The UNCLOS framework’s legal limits to maritime boundaries has at times heightened tensions in the Strait of Malacca.
An example of this can be seen from several pirate attacks in the 1990's and 2000's which took place in the territorial waters of Indonesia and were thus classified as armed robberies, not
piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
. Indonesia lacked resources to tackle the pirates and thus territorial rivalry heightened in the area. The increase in tension made it easier for pirates to evade law enforcement by traversing maritime border in order to avoid capture.
Present-day maritime security
Due to its significant role as a vital sea lane in global trade, security in the Strait of Malacca is of great importance to several countries besides those that border it. Threats in the region are shaped by
piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
,
smuggling, geopolitical tension, and environmental threats like pollution and ecosystem degradation. Some of these challenges have seen a decrease in numbers, but some challenges still remain. Mainly with regards to international cooperation and environmental stability.
In 2005 the Strait of Malacca and
Strait of Singapore were declared as high-risk areas due to attacks against passing vessels. The designation was later removed due to regional cooperation and naval patrols. However, in January 2025 it was reported that significant maritime security risks had risen. Passing ships are still advised to proceed with adequate security measures.
International Cooperation
Sovereignty versus cooperation
Efforts to enhance maritime security in the region are often caught in the struggle between state sovereignty and the need to further international security cooperation. The states bordering the Strait of Malacca have historically been reluctant to surrender some of their sovereign control over their territorial waters and
exclusive economic zone
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...
(EEZ), especially related to safe and free passage of ships, where they are not allowed to interfere. This reluctance has impeded more integrated efforts.
Regional cooperation such as with the Cooperative Mechanism have contributed to reducing security threats and pollution, but in order to maintain and have consistent security in the region, greater coordination is needed between the states of the Strait of Malacca to secure the maritime domain.
List of international organisations and agreements
* Malacca Strait Patrols: A cooperative security initiative launched in 2004. It includes Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The main focus of the framework is to coordinate joint naval patrols, surveillance and intelligence exchange.
* MALSINDO: A trilateral agreement between the three coastal states in the Strait of Malacca with a focus on deterring pirates through naval patrols.
*
Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia: A larger agreement in its extent, its delves into information-sharing between states, capacity building and reporting.
Shipping hazards
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
has been a problem in the strait. Piracy had been high in the 2000s, with additional increase after the events of September 11, 2001. After attacks rose again in the first half of 2004, regional navies stepped up their patrols of the area in July 2004. Subsequently, attacks on ships in the Strait of Malacca dropped, to 79 in 2005 and 50 in 2006. Attacks have dropped to near zero in recent years.
There are 34
shipwreck
A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. It results from the event of ''shipwrecking'', which may be intentional or unintentional. There were approximately thre ...
s, some dating to the 1880s, in the local TSS channel (the channel for commercial ships under the global
Traffic Separation Scheme). These pose a collision hazard in the narrow and shallow strait.
On 20 August 2017, the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
lost ten of its crew's lives in a
collision with the merchant ship ''
Alnic MC'' a short distance east of the strait whilst full steering capabilities had been lost. The ship had made a series of errors in attempted mitigation, its external lights being changed to "red over red" ("vessel not under command").
Another risk is the annual
haze due to wildfires in
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. It may reduce visibility to , forcing ships to slow in the busy strait. The strait is frequently used by
ships longer than .
Proposals to relieve the strait
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
has developed plans to divert much of the strait's traffic and hence some of its economic significance to a shorter route: the Thai government has several times proposed
cutting a canal through the
Isthmus of Kra, saving around from the journey between the two oceans.
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
has offered to cover the costs, according to a report leaked to ''
The Washington Times
''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...
'' in 2004. Nevertheless, and despite the support of several Thai politicians, the prohibitive financial and ecological costs suggest that the canal will not be built.
An alternative is to install a
pipeline
A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
across the
Isthmus of Kra to carry oil to ships waiting on the other side. Proponents calculate it would cut the cost of oil delivery to
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
by about $0.50/barrel ($3/m
3).
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
has also made a similar pipeline proposal.
See also
; Geostrategic context
*
Andaman and Nicobar Command
*
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea (historically also known as the Burma Sea) is a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar and Thailand along the Gulf of Martaban and the west side of the Malay Peninsula, and separated f ...
*
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region.
Many South Asian and Southe ...
*
Exclusive economic zone of Indonesia
*
Exclusive economic zone of Malaysia
*
Exclusive economic zone of Thailand
*
Exclusive economic zone of India
; Local context
*
Malacca City
**
Malaccamax
**
Lingga Roads
**
Malacca Strait Bridge
*
George Town, Penang
*
History of Kedah
**
Kedah Sultanate
The Kedah Sultanate () is a History of Islam, Muslim dynasty located in the Malay Peninsula. It was originally an independent state, but became a British protectorate in 1909. Its monarchy was abolished after it was added to the Malayan Union but ...
**
Action of 10 September 1782
**
Battle of Penang
**
Action of 13 November 1943
**
Action of 11 January 1944
**
Action of 14 February 1944
**
Action of 17 July 1944
**
Battle of the Malacca Strait
*
Mangroves of the Straits of Malacca
*
Piracy in the Strait of Malacca
References
Further reading
* Borschberg, Peter,
The Singapore and Melaka Straits: Violence, Security and Diplomacy in the 17th Century' (Singapore and Leiden: NUS Press and KITLV Press, 2010).
* Borschberg, Peter, ed.,
Iberians in the Singapore-Melaka Area and Adjacent Regions(16th to 18th Century)'' (Wiesbaden and Lisbon: Harrassowitz and Fundação Oriente, 2004).
* Borschberg, Peter, ed.
The Memoirs and Memorials of Jacques de Coutre. Security, Trade and Society in 17th Century Southeast Asia' (Singapore: NUS Press, 2013).
* Borschberg, Peter, ed.,
Journal, Memorials and Letters of Cornelis Matelieff de Jonge. Security, Diplomacy and Commerce in 17th Century Southeast Asia' (Singapore: NUS Press, 2015).
* Borschberg, Peter, "The value of Admiral Matelieff's writings for the history of Southeast Asia, c. 1600–1620", ''Journal of Southeast Asian Studies,'' 48(3), pp. 414–435.
* Borschberg P. and M. Krieger, ed.,
Water and State in Asia and Europe' (New Delhi: Manohar, 2008).
External links
World oil transit chokepointsMaritime Security in Southeast Asia: U.S., Japanese, Regional, and Industry Strategies(
National Bureau of Asian Research, November 2010)
BBC News report on the increased security in the Straits"Going for the jugular" Report on the potential terrorist threat to the Straits. From the Economist, requires subscription, in the print edition June 10, 2004A report from the International Maritime Organisation on the implementation of a Straits "Marine Electronic Highway" – a series of technological measures to ensure safe and efficient use of the busy watersMalacca, Singapore, and Indonesia(1978) by Michael Leifer
The Strategic Importance of the Straits of Malacca for World Trade and Regional DevelopmentAP: Singapore warns of terror threat in Malacca Strait, 2010-03-04
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strait Of Malacca
International straits
Malacca
Malacca
Malacca
Malacca
Maritime Southeast Asia
Andaman Sea
Malay Peninsula
Peninsular Malaysia
Southern Thailand
Indonesia–Malaysia border
Indonesia–Thailand border
Landforms of Johor
Landforms of Sumatra
Shipping in Asia
Sea lanes
Malacca
Malacca