Strait of Malacca (Malay Ave.) passes between large areas of land - the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra. It is the oldest sea route between China and India.
Where is the Malacca Strait
Located in Southeast Asia, shares the Malacca (Malay) Peninsula with the island of Sumatra.
The Strait of Malacca connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans (South China Sea). Its length is 1,000 kilometers, its approximate width is 40 kilometers, and its depth does not exceed 25 meters.
The northern and eastern shores of the strait and the islands belong to the Kingdom of Thailand. The rest of the coast belongs to Malaysia, and the island of Sumatra belongs to Indonesia. The largest islands of the Strait of Malacca: Phuket, Penang, Langkawi.
Origin of the name
The strait most likely got its name from the Malacca Sultanate, whose power was extended here. Although this influence lasted less than a century - from 1414 to 1511. According to another theory, the name comes from the port of Melaka, currently the city of Malacca in Malaysia.
History Pages
WhenEuropeans first visited here, they were amazed at how developed the ports of the Strait of Malacca were. They were in no way inferior to those in Europe, both in terms of trading activity and in terms of the number and quality of shipyards. In 1511, the Portuguese established their power here, until the middle of the 16th century they controlled the strait, not letting the Malacca Sultanate here. In the next century, the Dutch established themselves here. The British (for whom they were competitors) tried to overthrow them. The forces were approximately the same, and the indigenous population did not support either one or the other. Thus, one century in the strait was relatively quiet, there were no major skirmishes. It is not known how long this domination would have continued if not for the wars of Napoleon, who occupied Holland at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. England took advantage of the situation and captured the strait and its ports, including Singapore. In 1824, the Malacca Sultanate also began to be included in the list of British colonies, where it remained until 1957. Unless, of course, do not count the occupation by Japan during the Second World War. Colonization led to the intensive development of this trade route. It is still the most important link between Europe and the countries of Asia, the Middle East, and America.
What connects the Strait of Malacca. Shipping
This strait is quite narrow, its width reaches 3 kilometers in some places, but it is long (1000 kilometers) and very important. Movement along it is hampered by the fact that there are many shoals in it, and reefs lurk in some places. The importance of the Strait of Malacca can be compared with the status of the Suez and Panama Canals. Here passthe most important sea routes. If you look at the map, which oceans the Strait of Malacca connects, you can not help but appreciate its significance.
This is the main link between several cardinal directions. Here there is transport communication between three large states - Indonesia, India, China. 50,000 ships for various purposes cross the Strait of Malacca a year, their number sometimes reaches 900 per day. Among other things, ferries run here. The Strait of Malacca is the busiest, transportation here provides 20-25 percent of maritime trade. Oil is transported from Iran and other countries of the Persian Gulf to China, Japan and many states of East Asia. This is 11 million barrels per day and 25 percent of all black gold shipments. The needs of these states are constantly growing, and therefore the load on the strait is increasing.
Obstacles to navigation
Piracy has been here for centuries. It so happened that in this strait it always brought a very large income and, among other things, was a political tool. Throughout history, the strait has played a large role in the struggle for power in Southeast Asia.
As already mentioned, the Strait of Malacca is very important for trade, there are transport routes. For this reason, there is a great threat of pirate attacks here, so here the governments of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia are forced to introduce patrols of the Malacca Strait. Actionscriminals can stop world trade, for this it is enough to sink a large ship in the smallest place.
Another problem is smoke. Since forest fires often occur on the island of Sumatra, visibility is periodically significantly reduced. But it is very important for shipping.
Environmental Issues
The Strait of Malacca is a very rich in flora and fauna part of the world's oceans. The reefs are home to 36 different types of stony corals. Since a large number of tankers with oil pass through the strait every day, a great threat to the environment is created. The probability of a catastrophe is quite high, because some places in the strait are very narrow and dangerous.
At Philips Chenel, off the coast of Singapore, it is barely 3 kilometers wide. And the likelihood of pirate attacks generally makes it unpredictable. In 1993, a Danish tanker sank here, and the consequences of this accident have not yet been completely eliminated. The smoke factor is also very important, as it affects visibility.
Proposal for a shortcut
Thailand has been developing plans to reduce the pressure on the Strait of Malacca. One of the proposals was to shorten the sea route through the strait thanks to the isthmus of Kra. So it was possible to shorten the road by sea by 960 kilometers. So, among other things, it was possible to bypass the separatist-minded Muslim province of Pattani. But the possibility of financial costs and environmental impact gets in the way of the implementation of this idea.
The second proposal is to build an overland pipeline to pump oil across this isthmus. There are plans to build two more oil refineries in Malaysia. The pipeline will be 320 kilometers long and should connect two Malaysian states. Oil from the Middle East will be processed at refineries, then pumped from Kedah to Kelantan. And from there, loaded onto tankers and sailed through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore.
