Which Southeast Asian entrepôt controlled the straits between India and China?

• A. Malacca
• B. Silk Road
• C. Carthage
• D. Tyrus

Answer: (A)

Maritime trade chokepoints and entrepôts shaped how goods moved between distant regions. The Strait of Malacca sits between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra and forms the shortest sea route between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. An entrepôt grew up around the port of Malacca, allowing merchants from India, China, and across between to exchange goods, pay duties, and reorient cargo. Because control of this strait meant access to a vast portion of world trade, Malacca became the dominant hub for traffic between India and China, making it the best answer.

The Silk Road was an overland route linking China to the West, not a Southeast Asian maritime hub; Carthage and Tyre were ancient Mediterranean cities far from Southeast Asia and did not control this strait.