Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca links the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, via the South China Sea. It is one of the busiest waterways in the world, with about 140 ships passing through the strait each day. The cargo includes about one quarter of the world’s oil, on its way from the Persian Gulf to markets including Japan and China. The high levels of traffic have lead to a dramatic increase in piracy in this area in recent years. Of the 251 pirate attacks on ships worldwide in 2004, 70 (more than a quarter) were in the Malacca region.
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- Length 600 miles (963 km)
- Minimum Width 9 miles (15 km)