Riau Archipelago

Bintan was a staging ground in the Malay Annals for the foundation of a state at Temasek (Singapore).

A number of studies and books have detailed the growing violence and concern about identity and social change in the archipelago.

[1][2] As the Malay, who were once the dominant ethnic group in the islands, have been reduced to about a third of the population, primarily as a result of immigration from elsewhere in Indonesia, they feel that their traditional rights are threatened.

[4] The main islands are Batam, Rempang, Galang, Bintan, Combol, Kundur, and Karimun.

Tanjung Pinang located in the south of Bintan Island is the provincial capital.