# Strait of Malacca

*Last updated: 2026-06-26*

> Compared to other major shipping lanes, the Strait of Malacca offers the shortest passage between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, making it the most direct artery for trade flows linking Europe and South Asia with East Asia.

Compared to other major shipping lanes, the Strait of Malacca offers the shortest passage between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, making it the most direct artery for trade flows linking Europe and South Asia with East Asia. The waterway stretches roughly 900 km between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, narrowing to approximately 2.7 km at its tightest point. Several thousand vessels transit daily, including crude oil tankers from the Persian Gulf and container ships on Asia-Europe services. The extreme constraints require strict traffic separation schemes operated under joint coordination by Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia; deeply laden VLCCs must sometimes divert to the Lombok or Sunda straits. Piracy was once a serious regional concern but has declined markedly through coordinated coast guard operations among the littoral states.

**Source:** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Strait of Malacca |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 133 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-26 |
| Source | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca |

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