The Strait of Malacca or Straits of Malacca is a narrow, 550 mi (890 km) stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. As the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, it is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1400 and 1511.
The Malacca Sultanate was a Malay sultanate centred in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks c. 1400 as the founding year of the sultanate by a Malay Raja of Singapura, Parameswara, also known as Iskandar Shah. At the height of the sultanate's power in the 15th century, its capital grew into one of the most important entrepots of its time, with territory covering much of the Malay Peninsula, the Riau Islands and a significant portion of the northern coast of Sumatra in present-day Indonesia.
Malacca City, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. As of 2010 it has a population of 484,885. It is the oldest Malaysian city on the Straits of Malacca, having become a successful entrepôt in the era of the Malacca Sultanate. The present-day city was founded by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince who escaped to the Malay Peninsula when Srivijaya fell to the Majapahit. Following the establishment of the Malacca Sultanate, the city drew the attention of traders from the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the Portuguese, who intended to dominate the trade route in Asia. After Malacca was conquered by Portugal, the city became an area of conflict when the sultanates of Aceh and Johor attempted to take control from the Portuguese.
The Tampin is a town in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however part of the town spills over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border.
Lebuh Ayer Keroh, Federal Route 143, also known as Lebuhraya Ayer Keroh or Ayer Keroh Highway, is the main dual-carriageway highway that connects Malacca City of Malacca, Malaysia to the North–South Expressway via Ayer Keroh Interchange. Ayer Keroh, the main satellite town of Malacca City is located along the road. Lebuh Ayer Keroh used to be Melaka State Route M31 before being recommissioned by Malaysian Public Works Department (Jabatan Kerja Raya ). Before 1993, most of the road was a two-lane road before it was upgraded to a dual-carriageway in 1993 and in 1997.
Federal Route 19 is a federal road in the state of Malacca, Malaysia. The road connects Kampung Ulu Kendong in Negeri Sembilan to Malacca Town.
Federal Route 61, or Jalan Alor Gajah–Tampin or Jalan Dato' Mohd Zin on Malacca side, is a federal road in Malacca and Negeri Sembilan state, Malaysia. The road connects Alor Gajah in the south to Tampin in the north. The road is named after former Melaka Chief Minister, Mohd Zin Abdul Ghani.
A Famosa is a former Portuguese fortress located in Malacca, Malaysia. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Southeast Asia and the Far East. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only part of the fortress which still remains today.
Malacca International Airport (formerly known as Batu Berendam Airport is an airport located in Batu Berendam, Malacca, Malaysia. The airport serves the state of Malacca, as well as northern Johor. The 7,000 m2 terminal complex is equipped with international-standard amenities that can handle 1.5 million passengers annually. The airport's 2135m runway allow Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 operations.
Piracy in the Strait of Malacca has for long been a threat to ship owners and the mariners who ply the 900 km-long sea lane. In recent years, coordinated patrols by Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore along with increased security on vessels have sparked a sharp downturn in piracy.
Federal Route 138 is a federal road in Malacca, Malaysia, connecting Masjid Tanah and Kuala Linggi. It was originally known as Jalan Kuala Sungai Baru-Sungai Udang and Jalan Lubuk Redan-Masjid Tanah. Federal Route features Sungai Linggi Bridge and was built to provide a shorter, less-winding alternative to Federal Route 5 for journeys from Malacca City to Port Dickson. Kilometre Zero of Federal Route 138 is at Kampung Jeram near Masjid Tanah.
Dutch Malacca (1641–1825) was the longest period that Malacca was under foreign control. The Dutch ruled for almost 183 years with intermittent British occupation during the Napoleonic Wars (1795–1818). This era saw relative peace with little serious interruption from the Malay kingdoms due to the understanding earlier on forged between the Dutch and the Sultanate of Johor in 1606. This time also marked the decline of the importance of Malacca. The Dutch preferred Batavia as their economic and administrative centre in the region and their hold in Malacca was to prevent the loss of the city to other European powers and subsequently the competition that would naturally come with it. Thus in the 17th century, with Malacca ceased to be an important port, the Johor Sultanate became the dominant local power in the region, due to the opening of its ports and the alliance with the Dutch.
Lebuhraya Alor Gajah–Melaka Tengah–Jasin , or popularly known as Lebuh AMJ (Alor Gajah–Central Malacca –Jasin), Federal Routes 19 and 5 is a divided highway across Malacca state, Malaysia.
Piracy in Indonesia is not only notorious, but according to a survey conducted by the International Maritime Bureau, it was also the country sporting the highest rate of pirate attacks back in 2004, where it subsequently dropped to second place of the world's worst country of pirate attacks in 2008, finishing just behind Nigeria. However, Indonesia is still deemed the country with the world's most dangerous water due to its high piracy rate.
With more than half of the world's piracy crimes surrounding the South-East Asia aquatic regions, the turmoil caused by piracy has made the Strait of Malacca a distinct pirate hotspot accounting for most of the attacks in Indonesia, making the ships that sail in this region risky ever since the Europeans arrived. The term 'Piracy in Indonesia' includes both cases of Indonesian pirates hijacking other cargo and tanks, as well as the high rate of practising piracy within the country itself. The Strait of Malacca is also one of the world's busiest shipping routes as it accounts for more than twenty-five percent of the world's barter goods that come mainly from China and Japan. Approximately 50,000 vessels worth of the world's trade employ the strait annually, including oil from the Persian Gulf and manufactured goods to the Middle East and Suez Canal. The success that stems from this trade portal makes the Strait an ideal location for pirate attacks.
The Pulau Sebang/Tampin railway station is a Malaysian train station on the West Coast Line located near and named after the border towns of Pulau Sebang, Malacca and Tampin, Negeri Sembilan. The station itself is situated in Malaccan territory, being one of the only two stations on the West Coast Line that serves the state of Malacca, the other being Batang Melaka station.
The Battle of Malacca was a successful attempt by the Dutch to capture Malacca from the Portuguese.
Lebuh SPA (Sungai Udang–Paya Rumput–Ayer Keroh Highway), Federal Route 33, is a major highway in Malacca state, Malaysia. This 23.1 km highway connects Sungai Udang in the west to Ayer Keroh in the east.
Jalan Syed Abdullah Aziz or Malacca Coastal Highway, Federal Route 192, is a coastal highway in Malacca City, Malacca, Malaysia. This coastal highway was built as a bypass of the Malacca City Centre and was built to shorten the travel distance between Bandar Hilir and Kampung Limbongan town area from 10 km (estimated) to 5 km (estimated).
Jalan Lama Alor Gajah or Jalan Dato' Dol Said, Federal Route 191, is a federal road in the state of Malacca, Malaysia. The road connects Kampung Gajah Mati to Kampung Melekek. The Kilometre Zero of the Federal Route 19 starts at Kampung Melekek.
