General Information About Batam

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 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 in the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle, located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore's south coast and also part of the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle. 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.