The Straits of Malacca, located between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra Island, is a long and narrow waterway connecting the South China Sea and the Andaman Sea of China, thus indirectly connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It is named after Malacca, an ancient city near the Malay Peninsula.
Map of Malacca Strait
Malacca Strait is a long and narrow waterway from northwest to southeast, with a length of 1080 km. The total length is 1 185 km if the Singapore Strait, which is exported to the east, is included. The strait is trumpet-shaped. The exit at the northwest end is 370 kilometers wide and the southeast is narrow. There are many small islands, and the narrowest part is only 37 kilometers. The bottom of the strait is flat, and the water depth of the main channel is about 25 ~150m, increasing from southeast to northwest, which is generally available for 200,000-ton ships. Because the Malacca Strait is located near the equator, the wind is weak and the channel is always calm. Coupled with the perfect navigation mark system, navigation is very safe.
Malacca Strait is the main shipping channel from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia to East Asia and Oceania. It is also a maritime hub between Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania, and its traffic status is very important. It is called "Gibraltar of the East". According to statistics, more than 50,000 ships pass through the Straits every year, with an average of more than 140 ships passing through the Straits every day, making the Straits of Malacca one of the busiest in the world. It is the only way for Southeast Asia to connect South Asia, West Asia and the east coast of Africa. Because Japan imports 90% of its oil from Africa and the Middle East every year, a large number of raw materials and export commodities are transported from here, and the strait is regarded as Japan's "lifeline at sea".
Map of southeast Asia
Because of its strategic position and economic value, the Strait has been occupied by Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and Japan since the 6th century. It was not until after World War II that the Straits of Malacca were owned by coastal countries. In 20 13, the straits were jointly managed by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
Besides Malacca Strait, there are also some straits between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, but they are either shallow or rocky.
Or because of its remoteness, lack of navigation AIDS and navigation facilities, and most of them are located in Indonesia's territorial waters, international routes rarely pass through, which makes the Straits of Malacca actually the only channel to communicate with the two oceans for a long time, which is of great significance both economically and strategically. Especially since the 1960s, Japan has risen to be the third economic power in the world, other countries and regions in the Far East have developed rapidly, and the trade volume between the East and the West has greatly increased. The importance of the Straits of Malacca has become more prominent. The busyness of its ships and the quantity of goods it carries are second only to the English Channel, and it ranks second in the world's internationally significant 1 14 navigation channel.
Located at the "crossroads" between Asia and Oceania, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, the geographical position is very important. Relying on the Straits of Malacca, Singapore has made great efforts to develop entrepot trade and become an important cargo distribution center in the world.
Topographic map of southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
The Malacca Strait at the intersection of "crossroads" enjoys a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles and a small island of at least 12 nautical miles in the strait, and the rest is an exclusive economic zone; Countries along the Straits enjoy sovereignty over the territorial waters of the Straits and the waters of the exclusive economic zone of the Straits. Malacca is an important shipping channel connecting Asia, Europe and the Middle East, controlling 25% of the global shipping trade. According to statistics, nearly half of the world's oil tankers pass through the Malacca Strait every year. Known by the Japanese as the "lifeline of the sea"
Malacca is an important shipping channel connecting Asia, Europe and the Middle East, controlling 25% of the global shipping trade. According to statistics, nearly half of the world's oil tankers pass through the Malacca Strait every year. Known by the Japanese as the "lifeline of the sea", in the early 1970s, 40,000 ships passed through the Straits of Malacca every year, including 7,000 from Japan and 6,000 from Britain. Since then, shipping in the Straits has developed again. From 20 10 to 20 13, there are nearly 100000 ships every year, especially the ships are getting bigger and bigger. Since Japan built the world's largest 1 15000-ton ship "Tokyo Maru" in 1966. In 20 10-20 13 years, as many as 1500- 1600 supertankers passed through the Malacca Strait. Such a busy voyage, coupled with the large-scale ships, makes the Malacca Strait narrower and narrower, which increases the unsafe factors in navigation. In addition, there are many shoals in the Straits of Malacca, including as many as 37 shoals with a water depth of less than 23 meters. In addition, sunken ships, quicksand and silt often change the channel conditions, increasing the possibility of accidents and posing a serious threat to coastal countries. A typical example is 1975, where two large oil tankers ran aground or collided, resulting in a total loss of 8,900 tons of oil. 1979 The oil tanker collided with the aircraft carrier and lost 10000 tons of oil, which caused serious pollution every time.