Straits of Malacca
Straits of Malacca

Author: Donald B. Freeman

Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 9780773525153

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For centuries the Straits of Malacca, a narrow waterway between the Malay peninsula and the island of Sumatra, has been both a major conduit for long distance trade between Asia and the West and one of the most dangerous areas for commercial shipping. Casting a broad net across several disciplines, particularly geography and political economy, Donald Freeman examines the significance of the Straits as both a trade gateway and a choke-point that has forced generations of sailors to run the gauntlet. Rather than the more conventional historical-narrative approach, he offers an innovative adoption of an interdisciplinary, analytical perspective through his use of detailed case studies of trading systems and shipping hazards.

The Strategic Importance of the Straits of Malacca
The Strategic Importance of the Straits of Malacca

Author: Hans-Dieter Evers

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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World trade and energy resources have to pass certain "choke points" between areas of production and their final destination. One of these is the Straits of Malacca, the sea passage connecting the China Sea with the Indian Ocean. Trade through the Malacca Straits historically played a major role in the formation of the littoral states such as Srivijaya, Aceh, Melaka, Johore, the Straits Settlements and more recently Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The Straits are one of the world's most vulnerable areas because of its high potential for political conflict, piracy and ecological disaster. They are not just a conduit for sea traffic from East to West or West to East, but also a crossroads of cultures and societies. With closer regional economic integration cross-Straits communication is increasing. Cross-boundary social networks are ethnically diverse but closely integrated. Thus the Straits bear great opportunities for the economic and social development of the littoral states of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Moreover, peace and stability in the region is a precondition for regional development, for uninterrupted energy supplies and international trade between the European Union and East Asia. Based on field observations and recent statistical sources the paper outlines the current strategic importance of the Straits of Malacca for world trade and regional development.