Batam | |
---|---|
Batam City Kota Batam | |
Regional transcription(s) | |
• Chinese | 巴淡 |
Nickname(s): Kota Industri ("The Industrial City") | |
Motto: Bandar Dunia Madani | |
Coordinates: 01°07′48″N104°03′11″E / 1.13000°N 104.05306°E | |
Country | Indonesia |
Province | Riau Islands |
Government | |
• Mayor | Muhammad Rudi |
• Vice mayor | Amsakar Achmad |
Area | |
• City | 1,915 km2 (739 sq mi) |
• Land | 1,034.73 km2 (399.51 sq mi) |
• Water | 880 km2 (340 sq mi) |
Population (mid 2022 estimate [1] ) | |
• City | 1,269,820 |
• Density | 660/km2 (1,700/sq mi) |
• Urban | 1,269,820 |
Time zone | UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time) |
Postal code | 29453 |
Area code | (+62) 778 |
Vehicle registration | BP |
Website | batamkota |
Batam is the largest city in the province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. 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 small 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 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. [2] [3] [4]
According to Statistics Indonesia's 2020 census, Batam had a municipal population of 1,196,396, [5] making it the third largest city in the region of Sumatra, after Medan and Palembang. [6] The official estimated population as of mid-2022 was 1,269,413. [1] It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore, at a minimum distance of 5.8 km across the Singapore Strait. During the 2010 national census, Batam was the fastest-growing municipality in Indonesia the decade prior, with a population growth rate of 11% per year. [7] In 2017, the island suffered severe job losses; some 300,000 workers were laid off. [8]
The first recorded inhabitants at Batam Island are Malays known as Orang Laut, from the year 231 AD. [9] The island group once served as the field of struggle of Admiral Hang Nadim, against Portuguese invaders in 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 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 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 and Galang, and east of Bulang Island. The Singapore Strait separates Singapore and Batam, while the Riau Strait separates Batam and Bintan island. Batam Municipality covers 3,869 km2, of which 1,034.73 km2 is land, a figure which includes some land reclamation. However, Barelang Island (not actually one but three, see above) covers roughly 715 km2 of that 1,034.73 km2, and Batam island itself covers only about 410 km2 out of the total. The bulk of the municipal population resides on Batam Island.
Batam has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.
Climate data for Batam (Hang Nadim International Airport, 2000–2020) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.1 (87.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.7 (76.5) | 24.8 (76.6) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.6 (76.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 255.9 (10.07) | 75.3 (2.96) | 151.0 (5.94) | 163.6 (6.44) | 193.8 (7.63) | 177.0 (6.97) | 192.5 (7.58) | 162.1 (6.38) | 156.6 (6.17) | 204.7 (8.06) | 252.9 (9.96) | 286.4 (11.28) | 2,271.8 (89.44) |
Average precipitation days | 9.7 | 5.3 | 8.0 | 11.2 | 13.1 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 12.7 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 136.8 |
Source: Meteomanz [10] |
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. [11]
The Agency for Free Trade Zone and Free Port of Batam, often abbreviated as BP Batam, is 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 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 [12] and 2020 census populations, [5] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022 [1] The table also includes the number of administrative villages within each district, all classed as urban kelurahan, [1] and its postal codes.
Name of District (kecamatan) | Area in km2 | Pop'n Census 2010 | Pop'n Census 2020 | Pop'n estimate mid 2022 | No. of villages | Postal codes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belakang Padang 1 | 68.1 | 18,508 | 22,439 | 22,975 | 6 | 29412, 29413 29414, 29416 |
Bulang 2 | 158.8 | 9,531 | 10,707 | 11,079 | 6 | 29471 - 29476 |
Galang 3 | 350.9 | 14,983 | 16,989 | 17,611 | 8 | 29481 - 29487 |
Sei Beduk (Sungai Beduk) | 106.0 | 80,349 | 96,193 | 100,768 | 4 | 29433 & 29437 |
Sagulung | 55.3 | 149,727 | 209,306 | 226,040 | 6 | 29439 |
Nongsa4 | 114.7 | 49,828 | 81,451 | 90,626 | 4 | 29465 - 29468 |
Batam Kota (Central City) | 38.9 | 162,238 | 198,617 | 208,965 | 6 | 29431 - 29433, 29461, 29464 |
Sekupang 5 | 68.9 | 100,108 | 156,283 | 172,347 | 7 | 29425 - 29428 |
Batu Aji | 40.8 | 127,455 | 139,512 | 143,625 | 4 | 29422, 29424 & 29438 |
Lubuk Baja (Nagoya) | 11.2 | 80,780 | 84,533 | 86,277 | 5 | 29432, 29441, 29443 - 29445 |
Batu Ampar | 11.2 | 58,745 | 60,450 | 61,497 | 4 | 29452 - 29454 |
Bengkong | 14.0 | 92,033 | 119,836 | 127,593 | 4 | 29432 & 29458 |
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.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1971 | 6,000 | — |
1978 | 34,000 | +466.7% |
1988 | 88,000 | +158.8% |
1992 | 123,000 | +39.8% |
1998 | 294,000 | +139.0% |
2005 | 616,088 | +109.6% |
2010 | 944,285 | +53.3% |
2020 | 1,196,396 | +26.7% |
2022 | 1,269,413 | +6.1% |
sources: [13] [14] |
Ethnic groups in Batam, 2000 [15] | |
---|---|
Ethnicity | Percentage |
Malay | 26.78% |
Javanese | 17.61% |
Batak | 14.97% |
Minangkabau | 14.93% |
Chinese | 6.28% |
Buginese | 2.29% |
Banjarese | 0.67% |
Others | 16.47% |
Today, Batam is inhabited by 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. [13] 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, 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, 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 people of Sumatra and migrants from Flores also from East Indonesia. 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.
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), Minangkabau, Batak, Javanese, and Chinese ethnic dialects like Hokkien and Teochew are also used. 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, the Indonesian state oil company, settled there with only 6,000 inhabitants. [17] 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. [18]
Under 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. [19] 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 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. [17]
Over 1.5 million tourists visited the city in 2015. [20] Batam is the third-busiest entry port to Indonesia next to Bali and Jakarta. [21] In 2014, around 58.8% of foreign tourists came from Singapore, 12.8% from Malaysia and 4.2% from South Korea. [22] [23] Popular tourism spots in Batam include 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. [24] Foreigners are allowed to buy apartments with limited leases but not landed homes in Indonesia. [25] In 2021, a group of Singaporeans were forcibly evicted after their 30-year property leases expired in Sekupang. [26]
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 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. [27] [28]
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 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. [29]
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 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:
Corridor | Origin & destination |
---|---|
1 | Sekupang–Batam Centre |
2 | Tanjung Uncang–Batam Centre |
3 | Sekupang–Jodoh |
4 | Sagulung–Sekupang |
5 | Jodoh–Batam Centre |
6 | Tanjung Piayu–Batam Centre |
7 | Nongsa–Batam Centre |
8 | Punggur–Jodoh |
Source: Batam City Government Transportation Agency [30] |
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 the Toyota Limo and Chevrolet Lova.
Hang Nadim International Airport is the 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 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 the new terminal. [31] 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 is covered in mangrove forests, a great decrease from 24% in 1970. [32] Originally, Batam Island had 41,500 hectares of mangrove forests. [33]
The Riau Islands is a province of Indonesia - not to be confused with neighbouring Riau Province from which the islands were separated in 2002. The capital of the province is Tanjung Pinang and the largest city is Batam. It shares a maritime border with Riau and Jambi to the east, Bangka Belitung Islands to the south, Singapore to the northeast, Malaysia and West Kalimantan to the west, and Vietnam and Cambodia to the north. It comprises a total of 1,796 islands scattered between Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and Borneo including the Riau Archipelago. Situated on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes along the Malacca Strait and the Natuna Sea, the province shares water borders with neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei. The Riau Islands also have relatively large potential mineral resources and energy, as well as marine resources.
Natuna Regency is an islands regency located in the northernmost part of the Province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. It contains at least 154 islands, of which 127 of them are reported as uninhabited. This archipelago, with a land area of 1,978.31 km2 out of a total area of 264,198.37 km2 area, contains 15 districts, including the island district of Pulau Laut, Bunguran/Greater Natuna Island, the island district of Pulau Tiga, the island district of Midai, the island district of Subi, and the island district of Serasan.
The Riau Archipelago is a geographic term 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.
Pekanbaru is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic centre on the eastern side of Sumatra Island with its name derived from the Malay words for 'new market' . It has an area of 632.26 km2 (244.12 sq mi), with a population of 897,767 at the 2010 Census, and 983,356 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 1,007,540. It is located on the banks of the Siak River, which flows into the Strait of Malacca, Pekanbaru has direct access to the busy strait and has long been known as a trading port.
Bintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community.
The Lingga Regency is a group of islands in Indonesia, located south of Singapore, along both sides of the equator, off the eastern coast of Riau Province on Sumatra island. They are 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 the northern tip of Lingga Island, the main island in the archipelago.
Galang is an island of 80 km2 located 25 mi (40 km) southeast of Batam, belonging to a group of three islands called Barelang. Part of the Riau Archipelago, Indonesia, Galang is located just south of Batam and Rempang which themselves are just south of Singapore and Johor. Administratively, all three islands form part of the city of Batam; the nearest other city to Galang is Tanjungpinang on Bintan island, about a 30-minute boat ride away. The island is connected by the Barelang Bridge to Rempang and Batam.
Galang Refugee Camp accommodated Indochinese refugees from 1979 to 1996 on Galang Island in the Riau Islands of Indonesia. It is estimated that around 250,000 refugees passed through Galang during this period.
The Sijori was established in 1994 between three countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, to strengthen economic links in the region and optimise the complementarity between the three countries. It started off as the SIJORI Growth Triangle in 1989, which includes Singapore, Johor, and a part of Riau Islands Province, specifically the Riau Archipelago.
Tanjungpinang, also colloquially written as Tanjung Pinang, is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands. It covers a land area of 144.56 km2, mainly on the southern Bintan Island, as well as other smaller islands such as Dompak Island and Penyengat Island. With a population of 227,663 at the 2020 Census, it is the second largest city of the province, after Batam; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 239,854. Tanjungpinang is a historic city of the Malay culture, having served as the capital of both Johor Sultanate and Riau-Lingga Sultanate.
Hang Nadim International Airport is an international airport located in Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia. It is named after Laksamana Hang Nadim Pahlawan Kechik, a legendary warrior from the region. The airport is the primary method of transport to and from Batam, alongside ferries to neighboring islands, including the sovereign city-state Singapore in the north.
Bintan Regency is an administrative area in the Riau Islands Province of Indonesia. Bintan Regency includes all of Bintan Island and also includes many outlying islands including the Tambelan Archipelago and Badas Islands situated between Bintan and West Kalimantan.
Barelang Bridge is a chain of 6 bridges of various types that connected the Barelang island group of Riau Archipelago built in 1997. The smaller islands of Tonton, Nipah, and Setotok connect Batam and Rempang, while a further small island - Galang Baru - is connected at the southern end of the chain. The entire Barelang region covers 715 square kilometres (276 sq mi).
Rempang Island is an Indonesian island, located 2.5 km southeast of the neighbouring Batam Island, with the total land mass size of 165.83 km2. Rempang Island belongs to the three-interconnected islands group of Riau Archipelago known as Barelang, and administratively part of the Riau Islands Province. The nearest urban city to Rempang Island is the Tanjung Pinang City, located on neighbouring Bintan Island.
The Indonesia–Singapore border is a maritime boundary in the Straits of Singapore between Indonesia's Riau Islands which lie to the south of the border, and the islands of Singapore which lie to the north. The Straits of Singapore is one of the region's busiest waterways as it is the main channel for Singapore's ports.
Kundur Island is an island within the Riau Archipelago, part of the Riau Islands Province of Indonesia. It lies at about 80 kilometres southwest of Singapore, 76 kilometres (47 mi) southwest of Batam, 32 kilometres (20 mi) south of Great Karimun Island, 172 kilometres (107 mi) northwest of Lingga Islands and 120 kilometres (75 mi) west of Tanjung Pinang. It has an area of about 304 square kilometres (117 sq mi), not including Buru District. According to the 2010 Census population, the population of Kundur Island was 67,090. As Kundur does not have an airport, all visitors arrive by ferry.
The Singapore Strait crossing is a proposed tunnel, bridge or combination of the two spanning the Singapore Strait and linking Singapore with the Riau archipelago of Indonesia, most likely with the island of Batam. In the early 1990s the Riau Islands experienced a major economic boom in response to the development of an industrial estate on Batam, located 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Singapore. Singapore and Batam currently are connected only by ferry service.
Indonesia and Singapore established diplomatic relations on 7 September 1967, a month after the formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 8 August 1967. Indonesia and Singapore are two of the five founding members of ASEAN. Both nations are also members of the Non-Aligned Movement and APEC.
The Batam-Bintan Bridge, also known as the Babin Bridge is a proposed series of cable-stayed bridges crossing the Riau Strait between the islands of Batam and Bintan in the Riau Islands of Indonesia, near Singapore. The cost is estimated at 13.66 trillion rupiah, which is planned to be provided under a joint government-enterprises financing scheme. As of 2021 it was targeted to be finished at 2024, but this plan seems to be unrealistic. As of 2023, soil investigation is in progress but construction work has not commenced.