Location of Malay Peninsula on World Map
Malay Peninsula is located in southeast Asia. Malay Peninsula is itself a smaller part of Indo-China peninsula. Malay peninsula consists of smaller portion (southern tip) of Myanmar, southern protruding Thailand and complete Malaysia. This is strategically the most important peninsula of world as it controls the shipping trade from European countries to Southeast Asian countries. This peninsula is bounded by Andaman sea in northwest, Malacca strait in west, South China sea in east and Gulf of Thailand in northeast.
Geography of Malay Peninsula
Kra isthmus is the narrowest part of Malay peninsula. This also forms the northern frontier of Malay peninsula. The thin sandwiched portion of sea between southern Malay Peninsula (peninsular Malaysia) and Sumatra island of Indonesia is better known as Strait of Malacca. This strait is one of the busiest straits of world and controls major sea trade of South Asia. Strait of Johor in south separates Singapore island from mainland Malaysia. Strait of Johor also forms the southern frontier of this peninsula. One other important geographic feature of this region is Malay archipelago (group of islands). This archipelago consists of more than 25,000 islands and is counted as 5th largest archipelago of world.
Countries that are part of Malay Peninsula
There are three countries that form this Peninsula. These three countries from south to north are Malaysia (fully), Thailand (southern portion), and smaller portion of southern Myanmar. This is to note that Singapore is not a part of Malay Peninsula as it is separated by strait of Johor.