Batam 5.07

Batam is the largest city (kota) of Riau Islands Province of Indonesia as well the name of an island. The city of Batam administrative area covers of several islands: Batam Island is the core urban and industrial zone. Both Galang Island and Rempang Island are connected to Batam Island by short bridges, the 3 islands are collectively called Barelang. These latter two islands maintain their rural character, as does nearby Bulan Island, also administered as part of the municipality (kota). Batam is an industrial boomtown, an emerging transport hub, and part of a free trade zone the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle, located 20km off Singapore's south coast.The Batam municipality has a population of 1.164.352 in the 2015 intercensal survey. It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore, at a minimum land distance of 5.8 km. 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. In 2017 it has been reported the island suffered from severe job losses, some 300,000 workers have been laid off.GeographyBatam 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 Bulan Island. The Riau Strait separates Batam and Bintan. Batam Municipality covers 3,990 km2, of which 1,040km2 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 1,040 km2, and Batam island itself covers only about 410 km2 out of the total. The bulk of the Municipal population resides on Batam island.