Balabac Strait

The Balabac Strait (Filipino: Kipot ng Balabak; Malay: Selat Balabak)^[1] is one of the straits that connects the South China Sea with the Sulu Sea. It separates Balabac Island (Palawan province), Philippines, from Balambangan and the Banggi Islands north of Borneo that are a part of Malaysia's Sabah state.^[2]

Balabac Strait
Balabac Strait sunset on Winter Solstice
Balabac Strait Location within the Philippines and Malaysia
Location	Palawan, Philippines Sabah, Malaysia
Coordinates	7°40′N 117°00′E
Type	Strait

The strait is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) wide with a maximum depth of around 100 metres (330 ft).^[3] It was therefore likely to have been below sea level before the last ice age and archaelogica; records indicate that there was an exchange of flora and fauna such as the Bornean tiger#Archaeological records between Borneo and the Palawans.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

See also

• Malaysia–Philippines border – the border between the two countries.
• Mindoro Strait – another strait connecting the South China Sea with the Sulu Sea.

References

1. Hanizah Hj. Idris (2006). Perdagangan pelabuhan di Borneo [Trade port in Borneo] (in Malay). Penerbit Universiti Malaya. p. 3.
2. "Balabac Strait: Philippines". Geographical Names. Geographic.org. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
3. Pinxian Wang; Qianyu Li (27 May 2009). The South China Sea: Paleoceanography and Sedimentology. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-4020-9745-4.
4. Rohling, E. G.; Fenton, M.; Jorissen, F. G.; Bertrand, P.; Ganssen, G.; Caulet, J. P. (1998). "Magnitudes of sea-level lowstands of the past 500,000 years". Nature. 394 (6689): 162–165. Bibcode:1998Natur.394..162R. doi:10.1038/28134. S2CID 4421184.
5. Waelbroeck, C.; Labeyrie, L.; Michel, E.; Duplessy, J. C.; McManus, J. F.; Lambeck, K.; Balbon, E.; Labracherie, M. (2002). "Sea-level and deep water temperature changes derived from benthic foraminifera isotopic records". Quaternary Science Reviews. 21 (1): 295–305. Bibcode:2002QSRv...21..295W. doi:10.1016/S0277-3791(01)00101-9.
6. Bintanja, R.; Van de Wal, R.S.W.; Oerlemans, J. (2006). "Modelled atmospheric temperatures and global sea levels over the past million years". Nature. 437 (7055): 125–128. doi:10.1038/nature03975. PMID 16136140. S2CID 4347450.
7. Piper, P. J.; Ochoa, J.; Lewis, H.; Paz, V.; Ronquillo, W. P. (2008). "The first evidence for the past presence of the tiger Panthera tigris (L.) on the island of Palawan, Philippines: extinction in an island population". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 264 (1–2): 123–127. Bibcode:2008PPP...264..123P. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.04.003.
8. Piper, Philip J.; Ochoa, Janine; Robles, Emil C.; Lewis, Helen; Paz, Victor (15 March 2011). "Palaeozoology of Palawan Island, Philippines". Quaternary International. 233 (2). Elsevier: 142–158. Bibcode:2011QuInt.233..142P. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.07.009.