BANGKA ISLAND - BANGKA BELITUNG

Bangka is an island province together with Belitung Island. Bangka lies just east of Sumatra, separated by the Bangka Strait; to the north lies the South China Sea, to the east, across the Gaspar Strait, is the island of Belitung, and to the south is the Java Sea. The size is about 12,000 km². Most of the geographical faces of the island consists of lower plains, swamps, small hills, beautiful beaches, white pepper fields and tin minings.

The largest town is Pangkalpinang which also serves as the capital of Bangka-Belitung province. Sungailiat is the second largest city in Bangka island. Muntok Mentok is the principal port in the west.

The other important town are Toboali in the southern region, Koba an important tin mining town, also located on the southern part of the island, and Belinyu a town famous for its seafood products. There are 4 sea ports in Bangka; Muntok on the far west, Belinyu on the far north, Sadai on the far south, and Pangkal Balam are the closest one to Pangkalpinang.

The majority of the inhabitants are Malays and Chinese, mostly Hakkas. The population is split between those work on the tin mines, palm oil plantations, rubber plantations, fisherman and those who work on pepper farms.

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TANJUNG PINANG - RIAU ISLANDS

Tanjung Pinang or Tanjungpinang is the capital and second largest city of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands after Batam. A city with about 200,000 residents,[citation needed]) it is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago. Tanjung Pinang is located on Bintan island and has ferry and speedboat connections to Batam, Singapore (40 km away), and Johor Bahru.

Tanjung Pinang was a political center 500 years ago, when the Portuguese won the battle of Malacca and the Sultan Mahmud of Malacca fled to Tanjung Pinang to create a resistance against the Portuguese's very hostile expansion.

Tanjung Pinang has always played a leading role in Malay culture. A few hundred years ago, Tanjung Pinang became a powerful trading port, attracting regional, Western, Indian and Chinese traders.

Migrants including Chinese were also attracted, much in the same way how Malacca had developed into a regional power three centuries earlier.

The Indonesian national hero Raja Haji Fisabililah died during the battle of Malacca against the Dutch in 1784. He was a famous Malayan king and had his palace (istana) on the island Penyengat off Tanjung Pinang.


Landmarks
The cultural center for stage performances of Malay music and dances is located in Tanjung Pinang. The center organizes regularly festivals and other performance. Culture happenings such as music and dance. Renowned Buddhist temples are located outside central Tanjung Pinang in a small town named Senggarang.

Penyengat Island
The old ruler's palace and royal tombs, among them the grave of the respected Raja Ali Haji, who was the creater and author of the first Malay Language grammar book, are one of the many legacies left by the Riau sultanate. Still in use is the old vice-royal mosque, the Mesjid Raya. The site is being considered to be on the World Heritage list of sites which has "outstanding universal value" to the world.

The Raja Haji Fisabillah Monument in Tanjung Pinang.
The 28-metre tall Raja Haji Fisabillah Monument was raised in memory of the national hero Raja Haji who died during the battle of Malacca against the Dutch in 1784. He was a famous Malayan king and had his castle on Penyengat island outside Tanjung Pinang.

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