The strait takes its name from theSunda Kingdom, which ruled the western portion of Java (an area covering the present dayWest Java,Jakarta,Banten, and some of westernCentral Java) from 669 to around 1579.[1]
The name also alludes to theSundanese people native to West Java and Banten.[1]
Map of the Sunda Strait in 1729 by Pierre van der Aa
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 asoil platforms off the Java coast.[3]
For centuries, the strait was an important shipping route, especially during the period when theDutch East India Company used it as the gateway to theSpice 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 theStrait 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, andPanaitan (Prince's). The1883 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 becameUjung Kulon National Park.
The Krakatoa eruption drastically altered the topography of the strait, with as much as 18–21 km3 ofignimbrite 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, theKrakatoa Archipelago consists of the islands ofLang (Panjang or Rakata Kecil),Verlaten (Sertung), and most recently,Anak Krakatau, which emerged in 1927 from the original Krakatoa's shattered remains.
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 andPrajurit to create a four-partsuspension 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, the1915 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 withChina Railway Construction Corporation for an $11 billion road and double track rail bridge.[7] However, in November 2014 the incoming government of PresidentJoko Widodo shelved plans to build the bridge.[8]
^ab"Sunda Islands". Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names.John Everett-Heath. Oxford University Press 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.
^Visser, Jan (1999–2000)."The Sunda Strait Battle".Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942. Archived fromthe original on 2014-12-03.
