| Strait of Malacca | |
| Location: | Andaman Sea-Strait of Singapore |
| Type: | Strait |
| Etymology: | Malacca Sultanate (present day state of Melaka, Malaysia) |
| Depth: | (minimum)[1] |
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 800km (500miles) long and from 65 to 250 km (40–155 mi) wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean).[2] As the main shipping channel between the Indian and Pacific oceans, it is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the strait between 1400 and 1511, the center of administration of which was located in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia.
The International Hydrographic Organization define the limits of the Strait of Malacca as follows:[3]