The Strait of Malacca runs between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra and links the Indian Ocean with the Pacific region.
The waterway is about 800 kilometres long and is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Its northern entrance opens toward the Andaman Sea, while its southeastern end leads toward the Singapore Strait and the South China Sea.
The strait has supported trade for centuries. Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Southeast Asian merchants used it as part of maritime networks linking the Bay of Bengal with the Indonesian archipelago and East Asia. The port of Malacca became especially influential during the medieval and early modern periods.
The main modern navigation challenge is its narrowness and heavy traffic. Ships using the route must also account for shallow areas, islands, currents, and congestion near Singapore. The Strait of Malacca is distinct from Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, which lies farther south between Sumatra and Java.