The Riau Archipelago is a geographic term (as opposed to administrative region) for the core group of islands within the Riau Islands Province in Indonesia , and located south of Singapore and east of Riau on Sumatra. Before the province of Riau Islands was formed, there was no ambiguity in term; however, in Indonesian language, both the archipelago and administrative province are referred to simply as "Kepulauan Riau". The province may have the word "Provinsi" preceding it for clarity. Additionally, the term BBK for Batam Bintan Karimun may refer to the archipelago.
47-683: The name of this archipelago predates the creation of the Indonesian province, and historically did not include the Lingga Islands or Natuna Islands , which now belong to that province. On the other hand, Singapore was considered a part of the islands, at least in the Islamic eras. From 650 CE–1377 CE are accepted dates for the Srivijaya empire, when the area seemed to be well within the bounds of their control. The Jambi Kingdom sacked
94-399: A tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round. The Batam city government takes care of all population administration and civil registration as well as human resources. The current mayor is Muhammad Rudi who has served since 2016, accompanied by Amsakar Ahmad as deputy mayor. The Agency for Free Trade Zone and Free Port of Batam, often abbreviated as BP Batam, is
141-481: A capacity of eight million passengers. The airport has 4 paired jetbridges and 2 single jetbridges . Hang Nadim International Airport is a hub for Lion Air , Batik Air and Citilink . BP Batam, which operates Hang Nadim International Airport , will build a new terminal with a capacity of eight million passengers per year for each terminal (16 million passengers per year in total for two terminals) in late 2016. BP Batam intends to build eight paired jetbridges in
188-576: A ferry, 'Sea Prince', hit floating object(s) while en route to Singapore from Batam and began leaking. A total of 97 passengers were rescued on life rafts. Signs showing a picture of a raised finger over a pair of lips have been placed in August 2014 at the Batam Centre International Ferry Terminal to request silence while queuing for immigration to hear names being called and clearly hear instructions given by
235-452: A framework signed in June 2006, Batam, along with parts of neighbouring Bintan and Karimun , are a part of a Special Economic Zone with Singapore ; this zone eliminates tariffs and value-added taxes for goods shipped between Batam and Singapore . In 2007, Law No. 44 was enacted to supplement Law No. 36/2000 in establishing Batam as a free trade zone for 70 years. BP Batam still manages
282-589: A government nonstructural body under the Chairmanship of the Board of Regions (DK) Batam Central Government, which is chaired by a Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs . BP Batam plays a role in land governance and investment in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Batam. Batam city is divided into twelve districts ( kecamatan ) – which include several adjacent islands such as Bulang to
329-602: A group of Singaporeans were forcibly evicted after their 30-year property leases expired in Sekupang. Ferries connect Batam to Singapore , Bintan , and Johor Bahru ( Malaysia ). Five ferry terminals are on the island : Batam Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal , Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Sekupang, Waterfront City and Batam Center Ferry Terminal . Connections to Singapore are by way of Harbourfront and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminals run by Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC). The most recent incident happened on 29 November 2015 when
376-464: A heterogeneous mixture of people due to labor migration and desire to be close to Singapore ; it is very diverse, two-thirds of the population are migrants. The predominant ethnicities are Malays , Javanese , Batak , Minangkabau and Chinese . As a municipality it exemplifies the national motto of " Bhinneka Tunggal Ika " (Unity in Diversity). The location of Batam, which is close to Singapore ,
423-695: A minority of Chinese Indonesians and internal migrant Indian Indonesians from Medan, North Sumatra . The majority of the Chinese population practises Buddhism . A number of Viharas are located in Batam, of which Vihara Duta Maitreya is one of the most frequented, and is the largest Vihara in Southeast Asia with an area of 4.5 hectares. In addition, Hinduism in practiced by a quarter of its small ethnic Indian Indonesian minority as well as by its Balinese emigrant minority ethnic populace who migrated from
470-551: A municipal population of 1,196,396, making it the third largest city in the region of Sumatra , after Medan and Palembang . It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore , at a minimum distance of 5.8 km across the Singapore Strait . Batam was the fastest-growing municipality in Indonesia during the decade prior to 2010, with a population growth rate of 11% per year; however, there were setbacks during
517-420: Is Rp2,000 for students and Rp4,000 for the public. Trans Batam operates from 05:30 to 19:00. Trans Batam serves eight corridors of route: Taxis in Batam are available almost anywhere at ferry terminals, the airport , shopping malls , hotels , etc. More than 3000 taxis are in Batam. In the early 2000s, Batam commonly had Toyota Corolla taxis. Starting in late 2013, more than 95% of taxis are brand new using
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#1732765211037564-510: Is a group of 600 islands in Indonesia , located south of Singapore and along both sides of the equator , off the eastern coast of Riau Province on Sumatra island. They are due south of the populated Riau Archipelago , known for the industrial island of Batam and the tourist-frequented island of Bintan , although the Lingga Islands themselves are rarely visited due to the infrequent local transportation. The equator goes through
611-694: Is an anchorage in the Lingga Islands, south of Lingga Island and northeast of Singkep. During World War II , Lingga Roads was used as a fleet anchorage by major units of the Imperial Japanese Navy , in order that these ships be near a source of fuel. It was from Lingga Roads that the main Japanese southern striking force deployed for the Battle of Leyte Gulf . 0°16′S 104°29′E / 0.267°S 104.483°E / -0.267; 104.483 Batam Batam , officially
658-540: Is an important symbol of Islamic religious life in Batam. Christianity is also widely embraced by the people of Batam, especially those from the Batak and Nias people of North Sumatra (Protestantism) and migrants from Flores island in Nusa Tenggara Timur province, East Indonesia (Roman Catholicism) as well as Javanese Catholics from Yogyakarta and Central Java who emigrated to this province along with
705-424: Is conducive to the development of economic , sociopolitical , and cultural aspects of the local community . Islam is the majority religion in Batam, followed by Christianity , Buddhism and Hinduism . Most of those who follow Islam are Javanese , Malays and Minangkabaus . The Great Mosque of Batam, located in the city center adjacent to the main square, the mayor's office and the provincial Parliament,
752-715: The City of Batam ( Indonesian : Kota Batam , not to be confused with Batam Kota , a district within this city), is the largest city in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands . The city administrative area covers three main islands of Batam, Rempang and Galang (collectively called Barelang ), as well as Bulang to the west and several smaller islands. Batam Island is the core urban and industrial zone , while both Rempang Island and Galang Island maintain their rural character and low-density population ; they are connected to Batam Island by short bridges. Bulang Island and
799-442: The Indonesian state oil company, settled there with only 6,000 inhabitants. Shipbuilding and electronics manufacturing are important industries on the island. Being located close to the ports of Singapore, the speed of goods shipping and product distribution is increased, benefiting the island's economy . With lower labor costs and special government incentives, it is the site of many factories operated by foreign companies. Under
846-597: The Indonesian Reformation era in the late 1990s, with Act No. 53/1999, the Batam administrative municipality changed its status to an autonomous region, namely Batam City Government to carry out governmental and developmental functions by involving BP Batam . Batam is a roughly oval island with many bays, islets, and peninsulas, located west of Bintan Island , south of Singapore, north of Rempang Island and Galang Island, and east of Bulang Island. The Singapore Strait separates Singapore and Batam, while
893-511: The Riau Strait separates Batam and Bintan island. Batam Municipality covers 3,869 km , of which 1,034.73 km is land, a figure which includes some land reclamation . However, Barelang Island (not actually one but three, see above) covers roughly 715 km of that 1,034.73 km , and Batam island itself covers only about 410 km out of the total. The bulk of the municipal population resides on Batam Island. Batam has
940-588: The Toyota Limo and Chevrolet Lova . Hang Nadim International Airport is Batam island's main airport , and has the longest runway of all airports in Indonesia . The airport was the largest airport in the Sumatra region from 1995 to 2012 with a capacity of six million passengers annually, and is now the second-largest in the Sumatra region after Kuala Namu International Airport in Medan , which has
987-535: The 16th century, and was utilised by the Indonesian government in the 1960s, who maintained a petroleum logistics base on Sambu Island , one of the minor islands in the Batam group of islands. In the 1970s, according to Presidential Decree No. 41/1973, Batam Island was designated as a working environment of an industrial area supported by Batam Island Industrial Development Authority or better known as Batam Authority Board ( BOB , now Batam Development Board ( Indonesian : Badan Pengusahan Batam or BP Batam ) as
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#17327652110371034-481: The 2010 census and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. The table also includes the location of the district administrative centres, the number of villages in each district (totaling 75 rural desa and 9 urban kelurahan ), and their post codes. Altogether the archipelago contains 509some 600 islands. Notes: (a) Singkep Barat District comprises 47 islands. (b) including one kelurahan (the district centre). (c) The 2010 population of
1081-564: The Dutch sector of influence. Henceforth, Singapore was no longer co-administered. The remaining archipelago became a part of the Residency of Riau and Dependencies (Residentie Riouw en Onderhoorigheden Riouw). A number of studies and books have detailed the growing violence and concern about identity and social change in the archipelago. As the Malay , who were once the dominant ethnic group in
1128-651: The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Temple, shopping malls (including Grand Batam Mall, Mega Mall Batam Centre, Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre, etc), Jabal Arafah Mosque and the Barelang Bridge . In the first semester of 2023, the value of foreign investment reached US$ 1.2 billion, while domestic investment was recorded at US$ 168 million. Most of the foreign investment came from Singapore . Foreigners are allowed to buy apartments with limited leases but not landed homes in Indonesia . In 2021,
1175-539: The Riau Archipelago, along with Temasek (now Singapore). The islands then became part of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate , created after the succession dispute following the death of Mahmud III of Johor, when Abdul Rahman was crowned as the first Sultan of Riau-Lingga in 1812. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 established the border between Dutch and British interests and awarded the islands to
1222-728: The Srivijaya capital in 1088, allowing that empire to grow and spread Malay (language) as a lingua franca , ostensibly as a successor or part of the Srivijaya empire itself. The Pamalayu expedition force of the Singhasari empire in 1275 sacked the Jambi/Srivijaya forces. Bintan was a staging ground in the Malay Annals for the foundation of a state at Temasek (Singapore). The Kingdom of Singapura dated from 1299 to 1398 but it not known how much influence it wielded on
1269-599: The city's ethnolinguistic diversity in addition to the dominant ethnic Malay populace. The usage of Mandarin and English are trending due to Singaporean influence, especially by expatriates living in Batam. Based on Presidential Decree No. 41/1973, the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BP Batam) was established to manage 415 square kilometers of industrial complex in Batam City for heavy industry. Previously only Pertamina ,
1316-482: The driving force for the development of Batam, with the initial aim of making Batam the "Indonesian version of Singapore". With the rapid development of the island, based on Government Regulation No. 34/1983, the Batam District (which is part of Riau Islands Regency) was upgraded to municipality status which has the duties to run government administration and society and support the development of BP Batam . In
1363-426: The figure for Senayang District, from which they were cut out in 2019. Islam is the dominant religion in the Lingga Islands regency, with 91.40% of the total population identifying themselves as Muslim. Other religions are Buddhism, which forms 5.89% of the total population, Christianity, which forms 2.63% of the total population, Hinduism, which forms 0.02% of the total population and Confucianism, which forms 0.03% of
1410-429: The immigration officer. Some visitors have been sent back immediately on the first ferry available for flouting this rule. The signs are also applicable at other terminals, but are not strictly enforced. Trans Batam is the most reliable and the cheapest public transportation in Batam. It began to operate in 2005. Trans Batam is the second BRT system in Indonesia , after Jakarta's TransJakarta . The price for one ride
1457-658: The industrial complex. And in 2016, the responsibility of industrial complex changed from the governor of Riau Islands Province to the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister as per Presidential Decree No. 8/2016. Over 1.5 million tourists visited the city in 2015. Batam is the third-busiest entry port to Indonesia next to Bali and Jakarta . In 2014, around 58.8% of foreign tourists came from Singapore , 12.8% from Malaysia and 4.2% from South Korea . Popular tourism spots in Batam include
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1504-499: The islands to its north forming Belakang Padang District lie to the west of Batam Island but are also administratively within the city. Batam is an industrial boomtown , an emerging transport hub and part of a free trade zone in the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle , located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore 's south coast. According to Statistics Indonesia 's 2020 census, Batam had
1551-550: The islands, have been reduced to about a third of the population, primarily as a result of immigration from elsewhere in Indonesia, they feel that their traditional rights are threatened. Similarly, the immigrants have felt politically and financially suppressed. Both of these causes have led to increased violence. Piracy in the archipelago is also an issue. The main islands are Batam , Rempang , Galang , Bintan , Combol , Kundur , and Karimun . Tanjung Pinang located in
1598-665: The nearby Riau archipelago. When exactly control passed to the Malacca Sultanate is unknown, but that sultanate dates from 1400 until 1511, when the Portuguese conquered and sacked Malacca (Melaka). Some time after, the Johor Sultanate , once itself part of the Malacca Sultanate, took control of the area until Sultan Mahmud III's death in 1811, and Singapore's purchase in 1819 , the islands of
1645-600: The new Kepulauan Posek District is included with the figure for Singkep Barat District, from which it was cut out in 2018. (d) Singkep District comprises 32 islands. (e) comprising 3 kelurahan (Dabo, Dabo Lama and Sungailumpur) and 3 desa . (f) The 2010 populations of the new Singkep Selatan District and Singkep Pesisir District are included with the figure for Singkep District, from which they were cut out in 2012. (g) including one kelurahan (Berlian). (h) Lingga District comprises 71 islands. (i) including 2 kelurahan - Daik and Daik Sepincan. (j) The 2010 populations of
1692-424: The new Selayar District and Lingga Timur District are included with the figure for Lingga District, from which they were cut out in 2012. (k) Lingga Utara District comprises 12 islands. (l) Senayang District (including the three new districts cut from it in 2019) comprises 324 islands. (m) The 2010 populations of the new Bakung Serumpun District, Tamiang Pesisir District and Katang Bidare District are included with
1739-423: The new terminal. Domestic destinations include Pekanbaru , Palembang , Medan , Jakarta , Padang , Surabaya , Bandung , Bandar Lampung , Balikpapan , Yogyakarta , Makassar , and many more. International flights currently include Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (operated by Batik Air Malaysia ). Due to piling works for touristic activity, sand mining, and logging for charcoal business, only 4.2% of Batam Island
1786-585: The northern tip of Lingga Island , the main island in the archipelago. Administratively they form a Regency of the Riau Islands Province with a land area of 2,250.45 km and a population of 86,244 people at the 2010 census and 98,633 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 102,474. The regency seat lies at Daik on Lingga Island. The population are mainly Malay , Bugis and Chinese (predominantly Hakka , Teochew and Hokkien ). Lingga derives its name from
1833-410: The number of administrative villages within each district , all classed as urban kelurahan , and its postal codes. 29443 - 29445 Notes: At the 2020 census, Batam had a population of 1,196,396 inhabitants. The population was increasing rapidly, with a population growth rate of more than 8% per year between 2001 and 2012, but the increase has subsequently slowed. Today, Batam is inhabited by
1880-505: The profile of Mount Daik [ id ] which is shaped like the Hindu lingam , often interpreted as a phallic symbol. This mountain has three sharp teeth at its peak; one of them seems to have broken off at its base, and it was immortalised by Malay poets as the symbol of durability. The poem is Pulau Pandan jauh ke tengah, Gunung Daik bercabang dua, Hancur badan dikandung tanah, Budi yang baik dikenang juga. By nuar Nearby are
1927-905: The remains of the fort of Benteng Bukit Cening, overlooking the sea. The cannons are still lined up, as if they were awaiting another enemy attack. By size and population the most important islands in the archipelago are Lingga and Singkep , then Sebangka and Bakung. At the time of the 2010 census, the regency was divided into five districts ( kecamatan ) - Singkep , Lingga , Senayang , Singkep Barat and Lingga Utara - but four additional districts were created in 2012 ( Singkep Selatan and Singkep Pesisir from parts of Singkep District, and Selayar and Lingga Timur from parts of Lingga District), another in 2018 ( Kepulauan Posek - from part of Singkep Selatan District) and three more in 2019 ( Bakung Serumpun , Temiang Pesisir and Katang Bidare - all out of Senayang District). The thirteen districts are tabulated below with their areas and their populations at
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1974-428: The rest of Indonesia whilst the latter is a trade language and widely spoken by Malaysian Malay expatriates from Johor , Malaysia as well as Malay Singaporeans from Singapore who reside for business purposes and also for historical purposes . Other ethnic minority languages such as Minangkabau , Batak , Javanese and Chinese ethnic dialects like Hokkien , Cantonese and Teochew are also widely used owing to
2021-433: The south of Bintan Island is the provincial capital. Tanjung Balai Karimun is an international port along with Tanjung Pinang. High speed ferry services exist to the archipelago of the south, the Lingga Islands (Kepulauan Lingga). 0°54′00″N 104°27′00″E / 0.900°N 104.450°E / 0.900; 104.450 Lingga Islands The Lingga Regency ( Indonesian : Kabupaten Lingga )
2068-437: The subsequent decade. In 2017, the island suffered severe job losses; some 300,000 workers were laid off. The official estimated population as of mid-2023 was 1,256,610 (comprising 636,280 males and 620,340 females). The first recorded inhabitants at Batam Island are Malays known as Orang Laut , from the year 231 AD. The island group once served as the field of struggle of Admiral Hang Nadim , against Portuguese invaders in
2115-476: The total population. Ferry services to the islands from outside the archipelago come from the provincial capital to the north, Tanjung Pinang on Bintan , including from Singapore . These days the main industry is fishing. There are a number of fine beaches with some coral around the Archipelago but there is very little tourism on account of the poor transport links with the outside world. Lingga Roads
2162-460: The tourist island of Bali and are resident for business purposes in this city. Indonesian is the common lingua franca of Batam in daily use. Other languages such as local Malay (similar to the Malaysian standard as spoken in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore ) since both varieties coexist with each other as the former is the official and national language widely spoken and used like in
2209-403: The west, and Rempang and Galang to the south, as well as Batam Island itself. Batam Island is connected by bridges to Rempang and Galang , and this group is thus often known by the abbreviation of Barelang . The districts are tabulated below with their areas, 2010 census populations and 2020 census populations, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. The table also includes
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