Batam

Batam
City
Motto(s):  " Batam , Menuju Bandar Dunia yang Madani " (Batam, towards a civil global city)
File:Batam.png
Country	Indonesia
Province	Riau Islands
Government
• Mayor	Drs. H.Ahmad Dahlan
Area
• Total	415 km2 (160 sq mi)
Population  (April 2012)
• Total	1,153,860
• Density	2,800/km2 (7,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+7 (WIB)
Postal code	29453
Website	http://batamkota.go.id/

Batam is both an island, municipality, and largest city (on the island) in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia. It is a Free Trade Zone, as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, and is located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore's south coast. The 715 km² (276 miles²) municipality, almost identical in size to Singapore, has a population of 1,153,860 (Civil Registry Survey April 2012).

Geography

Batam is located west of Bintan Island, south of Singapore, north of Rempang and east of Bulan Island. The Riau Strait (Selat Riau) separates Batam and Bintan. Batam has Tropical rainforest climate with average temperatures between 26-32°C. Humidity in the region ranges from 73% to 96%. The region has a wet season from November to April and a dry season from May to October. Average annual rainfall is around 2,600 mm.

Administration

The local governmental offices are in Batam Centre. The largest community on the island is Lubuk Baja (formerly known as Nagoya). Other residential area include Baloi Garden, Sekupang, Nongsapura (Nongsa), Waterfront City (Teluk Senimba), Batu Ampar, Jodoh.

Batam City is divided into 12 sub-districts (kecamatan) - which include several adjacents islands such as Bulan, Rempang and Galang as well as Batam Island itself.

• Batam Kota (central city)
• Lubuk Baja
• Nongsa
• Sekupang
• Batu Ampar
• Belakang Padang
• Bulang
• Sagulung
• Galang
• Sungai Beduk
• Batu Aji
• Bengkong

Economy

Beginning in the 1970s, the island underwent a significant transformation from a largely forested area into a major harbor and industrial zone. Shipbuilding and electronics manufacturing are important industries on the island. Being close to ports of Singapore increases the speed for goods shipping and product distribution which benefits the island's economy, with lower labour costs and special government incentives, it is the site of many factories operated by foreign companies.

Under a framework signed in June 2006, Batam, along with parts of neighboring 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.

Most foreign tourists, including those from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, enter the island by ferries from HarbourFront Centre in Singapore. In 2010, approximately 58 percent of foreign tourists came from Singapore, and 13 percent from Malaysia. Batam has many brothels and is known for its seedy nightlife. Batam has recently been exposed as a major facilitator of the controversial ivory trade.

Transport

Batam Centre harbour from a ferry to Singapore.

The local ferry terminal ports connect to nearby Singapore and Bintan, and provides routes to Johor Bahru (Malaysia). There are five ferry terminals on the island: Harbourbay, Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Sekupang, Waterfront City and Batam Centre International Ferry Terminal.

Hang Nadim Airport is the island's main airport, and has the longest runway in Indonesia. Domestic flight include Pekanbaru, Palembang, Kalimantan, and Jakarta.

Batam Botanical Garden

In October 2009, a memorandum of understanding has been signed by Batam Authority and Bogor Botanical Garden Director. In 2013, 84 hectares land in Nongsa has been appointed for Batam Botanical Garden location. It will be shore plant conservation area with 80 endemic plants, especially bintangor which useful for medicine.

Neighbour Cities/Country

• Johor Baharu
• Singapore
• Pekanbaru

External links

• Official Website
• Batam travel guide from Wikivoyage