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The Sunda Strait

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

The strait stretches in a roughly north-east/south-west orientation, with a minimum width of 24 km (15 miles) at its north-eastern end between Cape Tua on Sumatra and Cape Pujat on Java. It is very deep at its western end but as it narrows it becomes much shallower, with a depth of only 20 m (65 feet) in parts of its eastern end. This makes it notoriously difficult to navigate, with sandbanks, very strong tidal flows and man-made obstructions such as oil rigs off the Java coast. It has been an important shipping route for centuries, especially during the period when the Dutch East India Company used it as the gateway to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. The strait's narrowness, shallowness and lack of accurate charting make it unsuitable for many modern large ships, most of which use the Strait of Malacca instead.^[1]

The strait is dotted by a number of small islands, including Sangiang (Thwart-the-Way), Sebesi, Sebuku, Panaitan (Prince's) and most notably, the Krakatoa Islands: Lang (Panjang or Rakata Kecil), Verlaten (Sertung), Krakatoa, and Anak Krakatoa. The islands in the strait and the nearby surrounding regions of Java and Sumatra were devastated by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, primarily due to intense pumice fall and huge tsunamis caused by the collapse of the volcano. The 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. Some areas have never been resettled (such as the coastal region of Java now incorporated into the Ujung Kulon National Park), but much of the coastline is now very densely populated.

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 Batavia (now Jakarta) commanded by Rear Admiral Kenzaburo Hara, which included aircraft carriers, battleships, three cruisers and ten destroyers. The two Allied cruisers were sunk but a Japanese minesweeper and a transport vessel were sunk by friendly fire. ^[1]

In the 1960's proposals were made for a bridge across the Sunda Strait, and in the 1990's further suggestions arose. In October 2007 the proposal to bridge the strait was made again and apparent construction and completion dates have been announced. The islands of Ular, Sangian and Prajurit will be utilised, and it will be 70 metres above sea level to facilitate ease of passage for all shipping ^[2]

1. ^ ^{a b} Donald B. Freeman, The Straits of Malacca: Gateway Or Gauntlet?. McGill-Queen's Press, 2006.
2. ^ http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/bridge-plan-to-link-java-and-sumatra/2007/10/04/1191091279251.html

• Malaccamax
• Kra Canal
• Lombok Strait
• Makassar Strait

Coordinates: 5°55′14″S, 105°53′09″E