<Tr> <Th> Settlements </Th> <Td> Malacca </Td> </Tr> <P> 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 Indonesian island of Sumatra . It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1400 and 1511 . </P> <P> The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Strait of Malacca as follows: </P> <Dl> <Dd> <Dl> <Dd> On the West . A line joining Pedropunt, the Northernmost point of Sumatra (5 ° 40 ′ N 95 ° 26 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 5.667 ° N 95.433 ° E ﻿ / 5.667; 95.433) and Lem Voalan the Southern extremity of Goh Puket (Phuket Island) in Siam (Thailand) (7 ° 45 ′ N 98 ° 18 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 7.750 ° N 98.300 ° E ﻿ / 7.750; 98.300). </Dd> </Dl> </Dd> </Dl>

The major port for british control between the indian ocean and the south china sea was