What strait separates Singapore from mainland Malaysia?

The strait separating Singapore from mainland Malaysia is the Johor Strait. It lies between Singapore to the south and Malaysia’s state of Johor on the Malay Peninsula to the north.

The waterway is also called the Straits of Johor, Tebrau Strait, or Johore Strait. It runs for roughly 50 kilometres and connects with the Strait of Malacca to the west and the Singapore Strait to the southeast. Singapore and Malaysia are linked across it by the Johor–Singapore Causeway and the newer Malaysia–Singapore Second Link.

A common mix-up is the Strait of Malacca, which borders the western side of the Malay Peninsula and is a much larger international sea route. The Singapore Strait lies south of Singapore and separates Singapore from Indonesia’s Riau Islands, not mainland Malaysia. The Johor Strait is narrower and more sheltered, but its waters are environmentally important and have been affected by reclamation and urban development on both shores.