ABSTRACT
The geological and geomorphological history of the Straits region has provided conditions under which a range of vegetation, landform and soil types have developed. The presence of important mineral resources-notably tin and hydrocarbons-also reflects geological conditions in the region. This range of resources has been instrumental in shaping the imprint of human settlement in the region. The nature and distribution of both land and marine resources has, together with the impact of technological change, shaped the pattern of development in the Straits. Thus, the presence of hydrocarbons in the sedimentary basins of Aceh and Dumai in eastern Sumatra, important tin ores in the river valleys and coastal plains of the western parts of Peninsular Malaysia and the islands of Banka, Singkep and Billiton in Indonesia, and kaolin and ball clay in the tin areas of Malaysia, especially in Perak, have all left their imprint on the historic and contemporary landscape.
