| Sunda Strait | |
|---|---|
| Selat Sunda (Indonesian) | |
 H.C.S. Sir David Scott at the entrance to Sunda Strait, February 1830 | |
  Sunda Strait | |
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| Coordinates | 5°55′S105°53′E / 5.92°S 105.88°E |
| Type | Strait |
| Etymology | Sunda Kingdom |
| Part of | Java Sea |
| Basin countries | Indonesia |
| Min. width | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Average depth | −20 m (−66 ft) |
The Sunda Strait (Indonesian : Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the western portion of Java (an area covering the present day West Java, Jakarta, Banten, and some of western Central Java) from 669 to around 1579. [1]
The name also alludes to the Sundanese people native to West Java and Banten. [1]
Extending in a roughly southwest/northeast orientation, with a minimum width of 24 km (15 mi) at its northeastern end between Cape Tua on Sumatra and Cape Pujat on Java, the strait is part of the Java Sea. [2] [3] It is essentially triangular in shape, with two large bays on its northern side. It is also very broad and deep at its southwestern end, but as it narrows to the northeast it becomes much shallower, with a minimum depth of only 20 m (66 ft) in parts of its northeastern end. [3]
The strait is notoriously difficult to navigate because of this shallowness, very strong tidal currents, sandbanks, and man-made obstructions such as oil platforms off the Java coast. [3]
For centuries, the strait was an important shipping route, especially during the period when the Dutch East India Company used it as the gateway to the Spice Islands of Indonesia (1602–1799). However, its narrowness, shallowness, and lack of accurate charting make it unsuitable for many modern, large ships, most of which use the Strait of Malacca instead. [3]
The strait is dotted with a number of islands, many of which are volcanic in origin. They include: Sangiang (Thwart-the-Way), Sebesi, Sebuku, and Panaitan (Prince's). The 1883 eruption of Krakatau, one of these islands, had a profound effect on the area, both short and long term. Tsunamis and pyroclastic flows which floated on clouds of steam killed tens of thousands. Out of 3,000 people on nearby Sebesi at the time, not one survived. Some land was never resettled and became Ujung Kulon National Park.
The Krakatoa eruption drastically altered the topography of the strait, with as much as 18–21 km3 of ignimbrite being deposited over an area of 1.1 million km2 around the volcano. However, the population has recovered and much of the coastline is now very densely populated. Aside from Krakatoa's sole remaining peak, Rakata, the Krakatoa Archipelago consists of the islands of Lang (Panjang or Rakata Kecil), Verlaten (Sertung), and most recently, Anak Krakatau, which emerged in 1927 from the original Krakatoa's shattered remains.
On March 1, 1942, the Battle of Sunda Strait—part of the larger Battle of the Java Sea—took place when the Allied cruisers HMAS Perth and USS Houston encountered a Japanese amphibious landing force near Bantam, commanded by Rear Admiral Kenzaburo Hara. [4] That force included a light cruiser and eleven destroyers, four heavy cruisers and a light aircraft carrier. [5] The two Allied cruisers were sunk, while a Japanese minesweeper and a transport vessel were sunk by friendly fire. [3]
In the 1960s proposals were made for a bridge across the Sunda Strait, and in the 1990s further suggestions arose. A new plan was announced in October 2007. It would use the islands of Ular, Sangiang and Prajurit to create a four-part suspension bridge reaching 70 metres (230 ft) above sea level. This bridge would have a maximum span of 3 kilometers, around 50% longer than the current record holder, the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge. Construction was projected to begin in 2014 if funding of at least US$10 billion could be secured. [6]
An accord was signed in April 2012 with China Railway Construction Corporation for an $11 billion road and double track rail bridge. [7] However, in November 2014 the incoming government of President Joko Widodo shelved plans to build the bridge. [8]
Krakatoa, also transcribed Krakatau, is a caldera in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group comprising four islands. Two of them are known as Lang and Verlaten, another, Rakata, is the only remnant of an island mostly destroyed by an eruption in 1883 which created the caldera.
Lampung, officially the Province of Lampung, is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra. It has a short border with the province of Bengkulu to the northwest, and a longer border with the province of South Sumatra to the north, as well as a maritime border with the provinces of Banten and Jakarta to the east. It is the home of the Lampung people, who speak their own language and possess their own written script. Its capital city is Bandar Lampung.
Rakata, also called Greater Krakatau, is a partially collapsed and uninhabited stratovolcano on the Indonesian island of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java. Standing 813 m (2,667 ft) tall, it was the largest and southernmost of three volcanoes that formed the island Krakatoa and the only one not totally destroyed in the 1883 eruption. Rakata is the last remnant of the original island prior to its destruction. However, Rakata did lose its northern half in that eruption, leaving just its southern half. The exposed cliff is quite striking visually, partially of a large exposed dike terminating in a large lenticular extrusion at the middle of the almost vertical cliff. The feature has been called "the Eye of Krakatoa."
Anak Krakatau is a volcanic island in Indonesia. On 29 December 1927, Anak Krakatau first emerged from the caldera formed in 1883 by the explosive volcanic eruption that destroyed the island of Krakatoa. There has been sporadic eruptive activity at the site since the late 20th century, culminating in a large underwater collapse of the volcano, which caused a deadly tsunami in December 2018. There has been subsequent activity since. Owing to its young age the island is one of several in the area that are of interest to, and the subject of extensive study by volcanologists.
Lang Island lies in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra, in Indonesia. It is one of the Krakatoa Archipelago, above the famous Krakatoa volcano. Lang suffered only slightly in the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa; it actually grew in area from massive pumice fall, although most of the additional area washed away within several years.
Perboewatan was one of the three main volcanic cones on the island of Krakatoa, in the Sunda Strait, in Indonesia. It was the lowest and northernmost of the cones. Perboewatan was completely destroyed during the 1883 eruption; the caldera is approximately 820 feet (250 m) deep at its former location.
Danan was one of the three volcanic cones on the island of Krakatoa, in the Sunda Strait, in Indonesia. It stood 450 metres (1,480 ft), lay in the central area of the island, and may have been a twin volcano. Danan was almost entirely destroyed in the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa; only a rocky islet named Bootsmansrots remains of it.
Verlaten Island is a volcanic island. It may have been created in the 535 AD eruption of Krakatoa. It is located in the Sunda Strait in Indonesia, between Java and Sumatra. It is part of the Krakatoa Archipelago, above the famous Krakatoa volcano. Other than some minor collapse in the southeast, Verlaten suffered little damage in the 1883 eruption. Instead, it grew almost three times in area due to pumice fall, although most of the gain was quickly eroded away.
Anyer, also known as Anjer or Angier, is a coastal town in Banten, formerly West Java, Indonesia, 82 miles (100 km) west of Jakarta and 15 kilometers (9 mi) south of Merak. A significant coastal town late 18th century, Anyer faces the Sunda Strait.
Sebesi is an Indonesian island in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra, and part of the province of Lampung. It rises to a height of 844 metres (2,769 ft) and lies about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the Krakatoa Archipelago; it is the closest large island to Krakatoa, about the same area and height as the remnant of Rakata. Like Krakatoa, it too is volcanic, although no dated eruptions are known. Unlike the Krakatoa Archipelago, Sebesi has permanent streams and is inhabited. Habitation is concentrated most heavily on the northern and eastern coasts of the island.
The Sunda Strait Bridge was a planned road and railway megaproject between the two large Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java.
Panaitan is an island in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra, and in the Indonesian province of Banten. It is the largest island in the strait, and is located near the westernmost tip of Java. Like the nearby Krakatoa, it too is volcanic in origin, although there are no known historic eruptions. The name 'Prince's Island' apparently is because the island was considered the property of Javan princes. Administratively, the island is a part of Pandeglang Regency.
Sebuku is an island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. It is one of the larger islands in the strait and lies just 2.5 km (1.6 mi) to the north of Sebesi and 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) south of Sumatra. It is administratively part of South Lampung Regency, Lampung.
The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait occurred from 20 May until 21 October 1883, peaking in the late morning of 27 August when over 70% of the island of Krakatoa and its surrounding archipelago were destroyed as it collapsed into a caldera.
Duncan Passage is a strait in the Bay of Bengal. It is about 48 km (30 mi) wide; it separates Rutland Island to the north, and Little Andaman to the south. West of Duncan Passage is the Bay of Bengal; east is the Andaman Sea. It lies within the exclusive economic zone of India protected by the integrated tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command of Indian Military.
South Lampung Regency is a regency of Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia, a strip of land surrounding the provincial capital of Bandar Lampung on its northern and eastern sides. The regency is bounded to the west by the new Pesawaran Regency, to the northeast by the East Lampung Regency, and to the south by the Sunda Strait; as such it is a major transit corridor to/from Java island. It has an area of 2,109.74 km2, and a population of 909,989 at the 2010 census and 1,064,301 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 1,101,376. The regency seat is the town of Kalianda.
The 2018 Sunda strait tsunami occurred on 22 December 2018 at around 21:38 local time after large parts of the southwestern side of Anak Krakatoa collapsed onto its caldera. The landslide spawned a massive tsunami wave that struck multiple coastal regions in Banten and Lampung, including the popular tourist destination of Anyer.
The Krakatoa Archipelago is a small uninhabited archipelago of volcanic islands formed by the Krakatoa stratovolcano located in the Sunda Strait, nestled between the much larger islands of Java and Sumatra. As of 2018, the archipelago consists of four main islands: Verlaten, Lang, Rakata, and the currently volcanically active Anak Krakatoa. Together, the islands are a part of the Indonesian island arc system, created by the northeastward subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate. As part of a dynamic volcanic system, the islands have been continuously reshaped throughout recorded history, most notably in the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.
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