Q1. Between India and East Asia, the navigation-time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following?
1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
2. Opening a new canal across the Kra isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
2. Opening a new canal across the Kra isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The broadening (not Deepening) of the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia will reduce the navigation time and distance. The Malacca Strait is situated between Malaysia and Indonesia and is one of the main shipping lanes. The narrow waterway creates a chokepoint between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Statement 2 is correct: Opening a new canal across the Kra isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and the Andaman Sea can reduce the navigation time and distance. Kra isthmus is the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula. It is bordered to the west by the Andaman Sea and to the east by the Gulf of Thailand.