Coordinates 1°26'N 102°53'E? / ?1.43, 102.89 The
Strait of Malacca is a narrow, 805 km (500 mile) stretch of water between
Peninsular Malaysia (West
Malaysia) and the
Indonesian island of
Sumatra. It is named after the state of
Melaka, Malaysia.
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 and the Pacific Ocean, linking major Asian economies such as India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Over 50,000 vessels pass through the strait per year,[1] carrying about one-quarter of the world's traded goods including oil, Chinese manufactures, and Indonesian coffee.[2]
About a quarter of all oil carried by sea passes through the strait, mainly from Persian Gulf suppliers to Asian markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea. In 2006, an estimated 15&_160;million barrels per day (2,400,000&_160;m³/d) were transported through the strait.[3]
