Sunda Strait

The Sunda Strait is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

Related Topics:
Strait - Indonesian - Java - Sumatra - Java Sea - Indian Ocean

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It is about 30km wide at its narrowest point, which is at the north end, but this is a short section, about 30km long, and then it opens out to about 100km for another 100km. There are a number of small islands in the strait; the volcano Krakatoa is located on one of them.

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The strait is an important shipping channel; it and the Strait of Malacca are the main passages from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean. The Sunda Strait is much shorter than the Malacca Strait, but is narrower and contains more dangerous rocks. Both bottlenecks have long been plagued by pirates.

Related Topics:
Strait of Malacca - South China Sea - Pirates

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In early 1942, the battle of Sunda Strait was fought here. A Japanese force commanded by Rear Admiral Kenzaburo Hara sank the Allied cruisers USS Houston and HMAS Perth as they attempted to prevent Japanese landings on Java.

Related Topics:
1942 - Battle of Sunda Strait - Japanese - Kenzaburo Hara - USS ''Houston'' - HMAS ''Perth''

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