Karimata Strait | |
---|---|
Selat Karimata (Indonesian) | |
Coordinates | 2°05′S108°40′E / 2.083°S 108.667°E |
Type | strait |
Basin countries | Indonesia |
References | Selat Karimata: Indonesia National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, MD, USA |
The Karimata Strait (alternatively, Carimata [1] or Caramata; [2] Indonesian : Selat Karimata) is a wide strait that connects the South China Sea to the Java Sea, separating the Indonesian islands of Belitung to the west and Borneo (Kalimantan) to the east. It is the widest strait between the South China Sea and the Java Sea (other straits include the Bangka and Gaspar straits), but its numerous islands and reefs reduce its navigability. Its weather and current is influenced by the annual southeast and northwest monsoon.
It was used as an invasion route by the British fleet in the 1811 Invasion of Java in the Dutch East Indies. More recently, it was the site of the crash of Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501, and the location of the 2016 edition of Sail Indonesia (dubbed "Sail Karimata Strait").
The strait is about 128 miles (111 nmi; 206 km) wide from the east coast of Belitung (also known as Billiton) to the west coast of Borneo (Kalimantan). [3] The much narrower Gaspar Strait separates Belitung from Bangka Island to the west. [4] Bangka lies close to the east coast of Sumatra, separated from it by the Bangka Strait. [5] To the east of Belitung lie reefs and a group of islets known as the Montaran Islands, extending up to 40 nautical miles (46 mi; 74 km) from Belitung's northeastern coast. [6] The Karimata Islands lie in the eastern part of the Karimata Strait, northeast of Belitung, southwest of Maja Island, and off-shore from the west coast of Borneo. [1] The presence of these islands and reefs reduce the width of the main navigable channel to about 45 nautical miles (52 mi; 83 km). [1] Outside this main fairway, there are multiple navigable channels to the east of Karimata Islands or between the islands. [7]
The Rivers Kapuas, Kendawangan, Pawan, and Sambas (in Borneo), as well as the Rivers Barumun and Musi (in Sumatra) empty to the strait. [8]
The southeast monsoon prevails in the strait from about the end of May, which comes with strong southeast or south-southeast wind, a dry weather, and mist that can obscure visibility. The northwest monsoon comes from the beginning of October, characterized by thunderstorms, rain and squalls alternating with calm days with fair weather. The biggest rainfall occur from November to February. From February, the weather becomes unpredictable because of the changing monsoon, before settling again around the end of May. [9]
The current strength of the strait vary depending on the monsoon wind. At the peak of either monsoon, the current can run up to 6 kilometres per hour (3 nautical miles per hour) When the monsoon is light, "there is little or no current" and the direction may be subject to the tidal stream. [10]
The strait's currents run between the South China Sea to its north and the Java Sea to its south. [11] Since it is relatively shallow, with the depth of 50 metres (160 ft) or less, the volume transported by the current is relatively small. [12] A 2007–2008 study by a group of Indonesian and Chinese researchers found that the transport volume averaged 500,000 m3/second (or 0.5 Sv) with a net southward direction (i.e. to the Java Sea). [13] During the northern hemisphere winter, roughly during the northwest monsoon, water flowed southward averaging 2.7 Sv. [13] The flow was reversed during the northern hemisphere summer, roughly during the southwest monsoon, with an average transport of 1.2 Sv. [13]
It was known to British sailors in the 18th and 19th centuries as the Caramata Passage. The strait was used as a route by the British fleet for its Invasion of Java (1811), sailing from the British base in Malacca to the island of Java, then part of the Dutch East Indies. [2] Initially, the British were unsure of the strait's practicability, and hesitated between taking it or a northeast passage around the north of Borneo and through Makassar Strait. [14] A report by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then a British officer in Malacca, recommended taking the Karimata route, which he considered "less dangerous than tedious" than the northeast passage during that time of year. [15] Raffles estimated that this journey would take the British fleet between a month and six weeks for "the fleet sailing in divisions". [15] The British Governor-General of India The Lord Minto decided to take Raffles's suggestion over the objection of some naval officers. [16] The fleet, numbering about 100 vessels and transporting about 11,000 troops, departed Malacca between 11 and 18 June 1811, [17] and reached the coast of Java on 30 July after a smooth journey, exactly six weeks after Minto and Raffles' departure. [18]
A 1915 publication by the United States Hydrographic Office commented that despite being much wider, the strait did not have as much traffic as the parallel Bangka or Gaspar Straits. The publication said that the advantage of its breadth was often outweighed by the danger posed by shoals in the strait, as well as its more irregular currents. [1]
On 28 December 2014 Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed into the strait, after losing contact over the Java Sea while en route to Singapore from Surabaya, East Java. All 162 passengers and crew aboard the plane perished, however, only 116 were physically recovered by the time search-and-rescue operations concluded in March 2015. [19]
Sail Indonesia (2016), also dubbed "Sail Karimata Strait 2016", was a sailboat competition held within the strait. Four Indonesian provinces—on both sides of the strait (West Kalimantan, Jambi, Bangka Belitung and the Riau Islands, respectively)—hosted the race, with the peak event having taken place on 15 October on Datuk Island, North Kayong Regency, West Kalimantan. [20] [21]
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi.2), including adjacent islands such as the Simeulue, Nias, Mentawai, Enggano, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung and Krakatoa archipelago.
The Bangka Belitung Islands is a province of Indonesia. Situated off the southeastern coast of Sumatra, the province comprises two main land masses — the islands of Bangka and Belitung — and numerous smaller islands. Bangka Belitung is bordered by the Bangka Strait to the west, the Natuna Sea to the north, the Java Sea is to the south and the Karimata Strait to the east; the two principal islands are separated by the Gaspar Strait, within which lie lesser islands such as Lepar, Pongok and Mendanau.
The Java Sea is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South China Sea. It is a part of the western Pacific Ocean.
Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat Peninsula. The strait is an important regional shipping route in Southeast Asia.
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is administered under the province of the Bangka Belitung Islands, being one of its namesakes alongside the smaller island of Belitung across the Gaspar Strait. The 9th largest island in Indonesia, it had a population of 1,146,581 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 1,191,300. It is the location of the provincial capital of Pangkal Pinang, and is administratively divided into four regencies and a city. The island itself and the surrounding sea suffers considerable environmental damage from its thriving tin mining industry which operates on- and offshore.
Belitung is an island on the east coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in the Java Sea. It covers 4,859 km2 (1,876.1 sq mi), and had a population of 309,097 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 320,500. Administratively, it forms two regencies within the province of Bangka-Belitung Islands. The island is known for its pepper and for its tin. It was in the possession of the United Kingdom from 1812 until Britain ceded control of the island to the Netherlands in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Its main town is Tanjung Pandan. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has declared 17 tourist attractions in the Belitung Geopark as world geoparks.
Pangkalpinang, colloquially written as Pangkal Pinang, also known as Pin-kong in Hakka, is the capital and largest city of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province in Indonesia. It is located on Bangka Island's east coast, the city is divided into seven districts (kecamatan) and has 42 wards (kelurahan).
The Gaspar Strait is a strait separating the Indonesian islands Belitung and Bangka. It connects the Java Sea with the South China Sea.
Tambelan archipelago is a group of 68 islands off the west coast of West Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia, just north of the equator. The archipelago is located on the north opening of Karimata Strait which separates Borneo and Belitung island. Geographically it is part of the Tudjuh Archipelago, and administratively forms a district (kecamatan) of Bintan Regency within the Riau Islands Province. It covers a land area of 90.4 km2 and had a population of 4,960 in mid 2022. Major islands include Big Tambelan, Mendarik, Uwi, Benua, and Pejantan. The islands are divided into eight administrative villages (kelurahan) - Batu Lepuk, Kampung Hilir, Kampung Melayu, Kukup, Pengikik, Pulau Mentebung, Pulau Pinang and Teluk Sekuni. As a historical side note; It was the first Dutch territory captured by the Japanese in World War 2.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Indonesia:
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the Republic of Indonesia.
The French and British interregnum in the Dutch East Indies of the Dutch East Indies took place between 1806 and 1816. The French ruled between 1806 and 1811, while the British took over for 1811 to 1816 and transferred its control back to the Dutch in 1816.
The Australasian Mediterranean Sea is a mediterranean sea located in the area between Southeast Asia and Australasia. It connects the Indian and Pacific oceans. It has a maximum depth of 7,440 m and a surface area of 9.08 mil. km².
The Natuna Sea is an extensive shallow sea located around the Natuna Regency, extending south of the Riau Islands, east of the Lingga Regency and west of Borneo, to the Bangka Belitung Islands. The islands of the Badas and Tambelan Archipelago are located at its center. Mostly located within Indonesian territorial waters, it is the southernmost portion of the South China Sea, and geologically part of Sunda Shelf. It communicates with the Java Sea to its southeast via the Karimata and Gaspar Strait east and west of Belitung, and with the Strait of Malacca to the west via the Berhala and Singapore Strait.
Naval Base Borneo and Naval Base Dutch East Indies was a number of United States Navy Advance Bases and bases of the Australian Armed Forces in Borneo and Dutch East Indies during World War II. At the start of the war, the island was divided in two: British Borneo and Dutch East Indies. Both fell to the Empire of Japan, Japan occupied British Borneo and the Dutch East Indies in 1942 until 1945.