List of islands of Indonesia
The islands of Indonesia, also known as the Indonesian archipelago and formerly known as the Indian archipelago, may refer either to the islands comprising the nation-state of Indonesia or to the geographical groups which include its islands. According to the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, of 17,508 officially listed islands within the territory of the Republic of Indonesia, 16,056 island names have been verified by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) as of July 2017.
Riau Islands
Riau Islands Province was established based on Law No. 25 of 2002 is the 32nd Province in Indonesia covering Tanjungpinang City, Batam City, Bintan Regency, Karimun Regency, Natuna Regency, Lingga Regency and Anambas Regency. Overall the Riau Islands region consists of 5 districts and 2 cities, 42 subdistricts and 256 villages with 2,408 big and small islands where 40% has not been named and populated. The total area is 252.601 Km2, where 95% of it is ocean and only 5% is land area, with boundaries as follows:
With strategic geographical location (between South China Sea, Malacca Strait and Karimata Strait) and supported by an abundance of natural potential, Riau Islands is could possibly become one of the economic growth centers for the Republic of Indonesia in the future. Especially now that in some areas of the Riau Islands (Batam, Bintan and Karimun), a pilot project for the development of Special Economic Zones (KEK) is being pursued through cooperation with the Singapore regime.