Sibutu Passage
Encyclopedia
Sibutu Passage is a safe and deep channel some 18 miles (29 km) wide that separates Borneo
from the Sulu Archipelago
. It has a deep sill allowing entry of deep water into the Sulu basin while connecting the Sulu Sea
with the Sulawesi Sea that feeds from the Pacific Ocean
by the Mindanao Current
.
At the last glacial maximum
it was one of only two entrances to the Sulu Sea, along with Mindoro Strait
, while the Sulu Islands and most of the other Philippine Islands were one connected island.
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
from the Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
. It has a deep sill allowing entry of deep water into the Sulu basin while connecting the Sulu Sea
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.Sulu Sea contains a number of...
with the Sulawesi Sea that feeds from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
by the Mindanao Current
Mindanao Current
The Mindanao Current is an ocean current along the eastward side of the southern Philippines. It is a narrow, southward flowing current starting at 14°N with 13Sv increasing in strength to 33Sv at 5.5°N...
.
At the last glacial maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
it was one of only two entrances to the Sulu Sea, along with Mindoro Strait
Mindoro Strait
Mindoro Strait is a strait in the Philippines, separating Mindoro Island from Busuanga Island of Palawan. Located within its waters is the Apo Reef, the largest coral reef system in the Philippines....
, while the Sulu Islands and most of the other Philippine Islands were one connected island.
External links
- Map of Sibutu Passage (channel), Philippines Encarta - MSN
- Malaysia Map - Malaysia Satellite Image - Geology.com