Strait of Malacca

Strait of Malacca Latest News

A new cyclonic circulation recently developed over the central region of the Strait of Malacca, reaching an altitude of 5.8 km.

About Strait of Malacca

• It connects the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean).
• It runs between the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the west and peninsular (West) Malaysia and extreme southern Thailand to the east. 
• The Strait of Malacca’s name was derived from the Malacca Sultanate, who governed the archipelago from 1400 until 1511.
• The strait has a width of about 890 kilometres and a depth of 25 meters. 
• It has an area of about 25,000 square miles (65,000 sq.km.).
• The climate of the strait is hot and humid and is characterized by the northeast monsoon during the (northern) winter and the southwest monsoon during the summer.
• It links the Indian and Pacific oceans and is one of the busiest and most important shipping lanes in the world.
• Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia control the joint patrolling of the Malacca Strait.
• Significance:
  • Roughly 60% of India’s seaborne trade and almost all of its LNG imports pass through the Malacca Strait.
  • The route is also a choke point for Chinese shipping, which makes it strategically sensitive.

Source: ODTV

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