The Strait of Malacca (Malay: Selat Melaka, Indonesian: Selat Malaka; Jawi: سلت ملاک) or Straits of Malacca is a narrow, 550 mi (890 km) stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) and the Indonesianisland of Sumatra.[1] It is named after the Malacca sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1400 and 1511.