Narrow passage of the west-central Pacific Ocean, Indonesia.
Located between Borneo and Celebes (Sulawesi), it connects the Celebes Sea to the Java Sea. It is 500 mi (800 km) long and 80–230 mi (130–370 km) wide. It contains numerous islands, the largest of which are Laut and Sebuku. In 1942, during World War II, it was the scene of naval and air battles as the Allies tried to prevent the Japanese from occupying Borneo.