The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula (Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It serves as the primary maritime channel connecting the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most strategically important waterways in the world.
Did you know? The Strait of Malacca handles approximately 94,000 vessel transits annually, carrying about one-quarter of the world's traded goods - more than the Suez and Panama Canals combined.
This vital shipping lane links major Asian economies including India, China, Japan, and South Korea with the rest of the world. The strait handles massive volumes of:
Named after the historic Malacca Sultanate (1400-1511), the strait has been a crucial trade route for over 600 years. It was a key part of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and remains central to modern global commerce.
The Strait of Malacca is consistently ranked as one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. Its strategic value cannot be overstated:
The strait facilitates approximately $3.4 trillion in annual trade. It represents the shortest sea route between:
Critical Energy Corridor: More than 15 million barrels of crude oil pass through the strait daily - making it second only to the Strait of Hormuz for global oil transit.
Any disruption to traffic through the Strait of Malacca would have immediate and severe global consequences:
The strait's importance makes it a focal point for:
The Strait of Malacca stretches approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) in a northwest-southeast direction:
Despite being a vital trade route, the strait presents significant challenges to mariners:
1. Shallow Depth
The 25-meter minimum depth restricts passage of ultra-large crude carriers (ULCCs) and some very large crude carriers (VLCCs), especially when fully loaded.
2. Traffic Density
With over 250 vessels transiting daily, the strait is one of the world's most congested waterways. Ships must navigate carefully through established traffic separation schemes.
3. Geographic Hazards
Numerous small islands, rocks, and shoals require precise navigation. The strait contains over 1,000 islands and islets.
Critical Chokepoint: The Phillips Channel at the Singapore Strait, only 2.8 km wide, creates a significant bottleneck where hundreds of ships must carefully coordinate passage.
If the Strait of Malacca were blocked, ships would need to use the longer Sunda Strait (between Java and Sumatra) or Lombok Strait, adding 3-5 days to voyage times and increasing costs significantly.
Proposed projects include:
Real-time ship positions in Strait of Malacca. Click vessels for details.
Data provided by VesselFinder AIS tracking system