Macassar Strait: the mechanism of its formation, its significance in history

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Between the islands of Borneo (Kalimantan) and Sulawesi in Indonesia is the Strait of Makassar, where a naval battle took place in 1942. In the north it is connected to the Celebes Sea, and in the south - to the Java Sea. The Mahakam River flows through Borneo and flows into the strait. Along it are the ports of Balikpapan, Makassar and Palu. The city of Samarinda lies 48 km (30 miles) up Mahakam. The strait is a common shipping route for ocean-going ships too big to pass through the Straits of Malacca.

Shaping mechanism

The location of the Makassar Strait in the "land of a thousand islands" is still a big controversy. Scientists have proposed several hypotheses to explain its evolution. The only agreement between these theories is that both islands once lay close to each other, and that it was theirthe separation is associated with the emergence of the Makassar Strait. However, the mechanism of movement and the age of this process are still poorly understood.

On the western side, the strait separates the stable part of the Eurasian Plate from the very active region of the junction of three large plates in the east. The width is approximately 100-300 km, and the length is 710 km. The region is conditionally divided into the Northern and Southern Makassar basins, separated by a geological fault. The history of this geographical object is being studied using computer reconstruction of seismic processes and models of plate movement, as well as the collection of geological information. The basin is known to contain large successive layers of relatively intact Neogene and probably Paleogene deposits.

The version of the emergence of the strait due to the split is also discussed. Recent studies show that the Makassar Strait was formed by the vertical subsidence of an undersea oceanic plate east of western Sulawesi. This subsidence was driven by the expansion and fracture of the continental crust above the subduction zone at the previous impact site, which led to its occurrence.

Strength and boundaries

The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defines the Makassar Strait as lying in the East Indian archipelagic waters. The limits of the strait are called the channel between the west coast of Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes, and the east coast of Borneo. In the north, the border runs along the line connecting Tanjong Mangkalihat (TanjungMangkalihat) and the Cape River, also known as Stroomen Kaap, in Celebes. The strait is bounded by a similar line in the south.

Meaning in history

The Strait of Makassar entered history in the nineteenth century, when Wallace (1864) placed the Wallace Line along the strait. This feature is the boundary of biodiversity between Asian fauna in the west and Australian fauna in the east and southeast.

The Makassar Strait is a deep waterway that lies between a large number of islands, including Sebuku and Lauth. Balikpapan is the main settlement of Borneo along the coast, and the island of Makassar, also known as Ujungpandang, is the largest one found along the strait in Celebes.

In 1942, in the waters of the basin, a Japanese naval expedition fought the combined forces of the United States and the Dutch armed forces. The war continued for five days, but the Allies were unable to prevent the Japanese landing at Balikpapan.

Battle of the Flores Sea

The Battle of Makassar Strait took place during World War II. It is known by other names: the Battle of the Flores Sea or the action of the Madura Strait. By the end of January 1942, Japanese forces had seized control of the western and northern coasts of Borneo and large areas of Muluku. On the east coast of Borneo, military forces occupied the ports and oil facilities of Tarakan and Balikpapan; on the side of Celebes, the cities of Kendari and Menado were captured. However, for complete control over the Makassar Strait, the cities of Benjarmasin and Makassar remained.

February 1, 1942, the allied forces received a message about the invasion of Balikpapan by a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. The Japanese had three cruisers, 10 destroyers and 20 transport ships ready to sail. The consequences of this battle between the United States and its allies (Holland) with the enemy was the retreat of the strike force. The Japanese seized control of the Makassar Strait, thereby strengthening their position in the western region of the Dutch East Indies.