Location Penang Basin countries Malaysia | Part of Strait of Malacca | |
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Primary inflows Max. width 3 km (1.9 mi) - 11.265 km (7.000 mi) Islands Aman Island, Gedung Island, Jerejak Island Bridges Penang Bridge, Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge | ||
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland halve of the state of Penang, is to the east. The northern and southern ends of the channel join the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest maritime routes.The strait provides deepwater passage to the Port of Penang, which is located in Butterworth in Seberang Perai. In addition, Swettenham Pier in George Town, Penang's capital city that is situated on Penang Island, is a popular destination for cruise ships, serving as one of the major entry points into Penang. Since the foundation of Penang as a trading outpost of the British Empire in 1786, the Penang Strait has historically been a busy shipping route.
Contents
Geography
The Penang Strait separates Penang Island from the Malay Peninsula to the east. It connects with the Strait of Malacca to the north and south.
The strait can also be further divided into the North Channel and the South Channel. The North Channel refers to the body of water north of the northeastern promontory of Penang Island, where George Town is situated, whereas the South Channel covers the body of water south of that promontory.
Tributaries
The rivers that flow into the Penang Strait are listed as follows.
Penang Island:
Seberang Perai
Islands
A handful of islands and islets lie within the South Channel of the Penang Strait. The largest of all is Jerejak Island, located off the southeatern coast of Penang Island. The largely forested island was once the site of a leper asylum, which was then converted into a maximum security prison before its eventual closure in 1993.
The islands within the strait are Aman Island and Gedung Island, both of which are located off the southern coast of Seberang Perai. Man-made islets were also created during the construction of the Penang Bridge in the 1980s.
History
Ever since the establishment of George Town in 1786, the Penang Strait has served as an important shipping route within the state of Penang. Up until the 1970s, the main harbour facilities were situated at Weld Quay in George Town. The reclamation of Weld Quay in the late 19th century allowed larger ships to dock off the city's waterfront, as the depth of the seas off Weld Quay was deeper.
In 1974, the Port of Penang's cargo facilities were shifted to Butterworth across the strait. Thus, cargo and container shipping are mainly handled in Butterworth, while Swettenham Pier in George Town continues to receive cruise ships to this day. In 2015 alone, Swettenham Pier recorded 145 port calls, the highest in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Butterworth's port facilities handled more than 1.2 million TEU of cargo in 2013, making it one of the busiest harbours in the country.
The Penang Strait was also the scene where the initial shots of the Battle of Penang were fired on 28 October 1914. The Imperial German Navy cruiser, SMS Emden, sailed into the strait disguised as a British ship before shelling and torpedoing the Imperial Russian Navy cruiser, Zhemchug. SMS Emden then sailed northwest towards the Malacca Straits, sinking another French warship along the way.
Towards the end of World War II, the Penang Strait was also mined by the Allied forces, using air-dropped mines to impede Japanese merchant shipping.
Bridges
Two bridges now traverse the Penang Strait - the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. The Penang Bridge, completed in 1985, connects Perai on the mainland with the suburb of Gelugor on Penang Island.
In 2014, the Second Penang Bridge further south was opened for public use, thereby substituting the Penang Bridge as the longest bridge in Southeast Asia. The Second Penang Bridge runs between Batu Kawan on the mainland and Batu Maung on the island.
Ferry
In addition to the two bridges, the Penang Ferry Service is another transportation link between Penang Island and the mainland. Unlike the two bridges, the ferry service operates out of a terminal within the heart of George Town, offering a direct link into the city centre for those entering from the mainland.