Natuna Regency
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Natuna Regency is an islands
regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
located in the northernmost part of the Province of
Riau Islands The Riau Islands () is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia consisting of a group of islands located in the western part of the country. It was established in 2002 after being separated from the neighboring Riau Province. The capit ...
, Indonesia. It contains at least 154 islands, of which 127 of them are reported as uninhabited. This archipelago, with a land area of 1,978.49 km2 out of a total area of 264,198.37 km2 area, This area is divided into island clusters such as the Natuna Island Cluster and the Serasan Island Cluster. However, several other islands that are not located in the two clusters are spread over a wider area. This division reflects the geographical and administrative location of the district, but there are also other small islands that are outside these two main clusters and are not always included in the grouping. Administratively, this area is divided into 17 districts (''kecamatan'') which function to facilitate management and services for the local community and support the development of the potential of the region which is rich in natural resources and tourism. This regency also plays an important role in maintaining Indonesia's sovereignty in the northern border area. With 69,003 inhabitants at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 81,495 at the 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. most of the population are Malays with 11% of Javanese migrants, Chinese, Minang,
Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...
,
Banjar people The Banjar or Banjarese () are an Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic group native to the Banjar Region, Banjar regions (notably Banjarmasin, Banjarbaru, Banjar Regency, etc.) in the South Kalimantan, southeastern Kalimantan regions of In ...
,
Dayak people The Dayak (; older spelling: Dajak) or Dyak or Dayuh are the native groups of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic groups, located principally in the central and southern interior of Borneo, each with its ...
,
Buginese people The Bugis people, also known as Buginese, are an Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groupthe most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi (the others being Makassar people, Makassarese and Toraja peop ...
,
Sundanese people The Sundanese (; ) are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to Java in Indonesia, primarily West Java. They number approximately 42 million and form Ethnic groups in Indonesia, Indonesia's second most populous ethnic group. T ...
, and tiny percentage of migrants who come from
Sulawesi Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...
,
Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
, and other provinces across Indonesia. The official estimate as at mid 2025 was 86,760 (comprising 44,580 males and 42,180 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Natuna Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103). Some 80% of its inhabitants are of Malay origin, numerous being descended from Terengganuan, Johorean, and Pattanian descent as results of contact established since 1597. The consequence of this is the usage of Terengganuan Malay beside the
Indonesian language Indonesian (; ) is the official language, official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standard language, standardized variety (linguistics), variety of Malay language, Malay, an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that has ...
as the official language and the
Malay language Malay ( , ; , Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language spoken primarily by Malays (ethnic group), Malays in several islands of Maritime Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula on the mainland Asia. The lang ...
as a
lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...
across the Province of Riau Islands. Indonesia's
exclusive economic zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...
(EEZ) off the coast of Natuna is slightly overlapped by China's widely disputed South China Sea claim.The sleepy island Indonesia is guarding from China
BBC News, Karishma Vaswani, 19 October 2014


History


I-Tsing’s Notes

The discovery of the Natuna Islands by I-Tsing (or
Yijing The ''I Ching'' or ''Yijing'' ( ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. The ''I Ching'' was originally a divination manual in ...
) has been disputed by some historians, who point to errors in interpreting his historical records. Although I-Tsing, a Buddhist monk from the Tang Dynasty, recorded his extensive travels through Southeast Asia and India, there is no strong evidence in his records that explicitly mentions the Natuna Islands. Many historians argue that I-Tsing only referred to the ''South Sea'' region in general, specifically
Srivijaya Srivijaya (), also spelled Sri Vijaya, was a Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia) that influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important ...
(now
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
), as a center of Buddhist learning. Most claims that I-Tsing discovered or mentioned Natuna come from misinterpretations of maps and documents related to the voyages of Chinese sailors such as
Zheng He Zheng He (also romanized Cheng Ho; 1371–1433/1435) was a Chinese eunuch, admiral and diplomat from the early Ming dynasty, who is often regarded as the greatest admiral in History of China, Chinese history. Born into a Muslims, Muslim famil ...
who came several centuries later. In his notes, I-Tsing emphasized his journey to India and his life in Srivijaya rather than exploring the sailing routes to specific islands. Therefore, some critics suggest that the interpretation linking I-Tsing with the discovery of the Natuna Islands may be a historical misunderstanding. They point out that the shipping routes and records linking Natuna are more related to Persian ships and other sailors who had passed through the region long before I-Tsing.


Became a Malay Sultanate Area

The most notable history of Natuna Islands followed upon the decision of
Alauddin Riayat Shah III of Johor Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah III was the Sultan of Johor and reigned from 1597 to 1615. He resided at the new capital of Johor at Batu Sawar, but later moved his administration to Pasir Raja around 1609. In 1612, at the instigation of his co-rule ...
and Green Queen of Pattani Kingdom to claim Natuna Islands as part of their condominium. However, before the Sultan of Johor and the Pattani Monarch declared Natuna Islands as their condominium in 1597, its previous King, Alauddin Riayat II, created Datuk Kayas'/
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
s' titles as follows: # Datok Amar Lela for ruler of Jemaja Island # Datok Kaya Dewa Perkasa for ruler of Siantan Island # Datuk Kaya Indra Pahlawan for ruler of Serindit Island, (later known as Great Natuna Island) # Datuk Kaya Timbalan Siamah for ruler of Tambelan Islands. ;Natuna Under the Influence of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate The Natuna Islands, located in the South China Sea, had close ties with the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, especially after the collapse of the
Johor Sultanate The Johor Sultanate ( or ; also called the Sultanate of Johor, Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga, or the Johor Empire) was founded by Sultan of Malacca Mahmud Shah of Malacca, Mahmud Shah's son, Alauddin Riayat Shah II of Johor, Alauddin Riayat Shah ...
in the early 17th century. The Riau-Lingga Sultanate, established in 1718 after the Johor Sultanate collapsed due to Portuguese attacks and internal conflicts, controlled a vast territory, including the islands around the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, including the Natuna Islands. The Riau-Lingga Sultanate played an important role in managing the waters and trade routes in the region. The Natuna Islands were one of the areas controlled by the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, which was centered on Lingga and later in
Riau Riau (Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of the island of Sumatra, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Barisan Mountains to the Malacca Strait, including s ...
. The influence of this kingdom was clearly visible in the political and economic management of the region, including in regulating shipping routes between the Malay Peninsula and the coastal areas of Sumatra and Borneo. During the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, the official administrative name for the Natuna Islands was Natuna Region or ''Pulau Natuna'' (in Malay it is called ''Pulau Natuna'' or ''Daerah Natuna'' ). During the heyday of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, the influence of Malay culture was very pronounced in the Natuna Islands. The Natuna people, who were mostly of Malay ethnicity, had close ties with this kingdom in the social, cultural, and economic fields. In terms of economy, Natuna became a strategic place for the trade of spices, fish, and other seafood. In addition, the Riau-Lingga Sultanate also protected its territories from external threats, such as colonization by European powers, especially the Netherlands. After the end of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate and the Dutch colonial influence in the region, the Natuna Islands remained an important part of Indonesia's maritime history. To this day, the historical and cultural heritage of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate is still very much felt in Natuna. Throughout most of its history since the reigns of Sultanate of Riau-Lingga, the Natuna Islands were part of the Archipelago of Seven Islands/''Pulau-pulau Tudjuh/Tujuh'' which were consisted of the Anambas Islands (currently a separated regency in the province), the Badas Islands (part of Island District of Tambelan in Bintan Regency), Great Natuna/Bunguran Islands, Sejang, Serasan Islands, Subi Islands, and Tambelan Archipelago (part of Bintan Regency). Although government of Kawedanan of Tudjuh Archipelago was dissolved in 1964, its island districts/''kecamatan'' who formed Tudjuh Archipelago still existed until its dissolution in 1999, the sunrise of devolution era government in Indonesia.


Annexation Period by the Dutch East Indies

In the early 19th century, the Dutch further expanded their colonial power in the Indonesian archipelago, including the Natuna Islands. In The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the two colonial powers divided their territories in Southeast Asia, with the Netherlands controlling the Indonesian archipelago and England controlling the Malay Peninsula. With this agreement, the Netherlands felt they had rights over areas in the Riau Islands, including Natuna. However, due to its remote location and inaccessibility, the Dutch initially did not supervise the Natuna Islands directly. It was not until the mid-19th century that the Dutch East Indies began to explore the Natuna Islands further and officially annexed the islands into their colonial territory. The aim was to strengthen control in strategic waters and secure trade routes. The Dutch colonial government then designated Natuna as part of the Riau Residency under the supervision of the Riau Resident based in Tanjung Pinang. During the Dutch colonial period, life in the Natuna Islands remained largely agrarian and simple. The Dutch did little infrastructure development in the area, although they often patrolled the border to maintain security.


Japanese Occupation Period (1942-1945)

When
Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies The Empire of Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of the war in September 1945. In May 1940, Germany German invasion of the Netherlands, occupied the Netherlands, and ma ...
during World War II in 1942-1945, the Natuna Islands were also under the control of the
Japanese Empire The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From 1910 to ...
. Japan saw Natuna as a strategic location for their military defense because of its location in the South China Sea. Therefore, Japan built several military bases on these islands as part of their defense plan in the Southeast Asia region. The Japanese occupation brought many difficulties to the people of Natuna, because in addition to the heavy Japanese military presence, food was also difficult to obtain. After Japan surrendered in 1945, Indonesia proclaimed independence, but Natuna still had to face a complicated transition period as colonial rule ended.


Becoming Part of Indonesia

After the
proclamation of Indonesian independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 Tokyo Standard Time on Friday 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian Nati ...
on August 17, 1945, the Natuna Islands became part of the newly independent Republic of Indonesia. Initially, Natuna was part of the Central Sumatra Province. However, due to its strategic position and location on the border of the South China Sea, the Indonesian government then decided to move the Natuna administration to Riau Province in 1957. As Indonesia's territory expanded, in 2002 the Natuna Islands became part of the Riau Islands Province, after the province was formed as a separate province from Riau Province. The formation of the Riau Islands Province provided greater autonomy for border areas such as Natuna, as well as greater attention to infrastructure, economic and defense development.


Geography

The Natuna Islands are a 272-island
archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
of
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
, located in the Natuna Sea between
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
to the west and
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
to the east. They extend in a NNW direction for 300 km from Tanjung Api, the northwest extremity of
Kalimantan Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...
/Borneo. The Natuna Sea itself is a section of the South China Sea. The North Group consists of a large island (Pulau Laut), two small islands and several adjacent islets and reefs which lie about 50 km NNW of Natuna Besar Island. Pulau Laut is about 11 km long with a greatest width of 5 km towards the south; it is generally hilly, rising to 273 metres near its north end. The Middle Group consists of Natuna Besar or Bunguran Island, which contains the bulk of the area and population of the archipelago, together with small offshore islets and reefs; the Bodas Islands (''Kepulauan Bodas'') are a group of moderately high wooded islands lying close to the southwest coast of Natuna Besar, and are administratively classed as the districts of Pulau Tiga and Pulau Tiga Barat. The Southern Group (''Kepulauan Natuna Selatan'') consists primarily of two groups of islands separated from the coast of Kalimantan by the Api Passage. The Subi Islands (''Kepulauan Subi'') of which the main islands are Subi Besar, Subi Kecil, Bakau, Panjang and Seraya, lie southeast of Natuna Besar. Serasan Island (''Pulau Serasan'') is the largest of the group of islands lying further to the southeast and nearer to Kalimantan, from which it is separated by the Serasan Strait. A third group - centred on Midai Island - lies to the west of the Subi Islands. The highest point of the Bunguran Islands is Mount Ranai at . The islands had a population of 52,000 inhabitants according to the 2010 census; the estimated population in mid 2023 was about 64,250. The principal settlement is Ranai. The island can be reached by scheduled air services via Ranai Airport.


Natural resources

Natuna has large reserves of natural gas (estimated at 1.3 billion m3) that is exported to neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. Matak Island located in Anambas now functions as an offshore exploitation base.


Ecology

The Natuna Islands are part of the Borneo lowland rain forests ecoregion. The Natuna Islands have a remarkable
avifauna Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight ...
with 71 species of bird registered, including the near-threatened lesser fish eagle, the Natuna serpent-eagle. Other endangered species include the green iora, the brown fulvetta or the green broadbill. The Natuna Islands is home to three
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of non-human
primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...
s: the slow
loris Loris is the common name for the strepsirrhine mammals of the subfamily Lorinae (sometimes spelled Lorisinae) in the family Lorisidae. ''Loris'' is one genus in this subfamily and includes the slender lorises, ''Nycticebus'' is the genus cont ...
('' Nycticebus coucang''), the long-tailed
macaque The macaques () constitute a genus (''Macaca'') of gregarious Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. The 23 species of macaques inhabit ranges throughout Asia, North Africa, and Europe (in Gibraltar). Macaques are principally f ...
(''
Macaca fascicularis The crab-eating macaque (''Macaca fascicularis''), also known as the long-tailed macaque or cynomolgus macaque, is a Cercopithecinae, cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. As a Synanthrope, synanthropic species, the crab-eating macaqu ...
''), and the Natuna leaf monkey (a.k.a. Natuna pale-thighed surili, '' Presbytis natunae''). A small number of wild goats live on the island as well as sea birds. Over 360 species of bird have been recorded on the island. Colourful coral reefs are found in the neighbouring waters. The Natuna banded leaf monkey, '' Presbytis natunae'', is among the 25 most endangered primates on Earth.


Government and politics


Administrative districts

As of 2010, the Regency was divided into twelve
districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
(''kecamatan''), but on 10 December 2014 three additional districts were created by dividing existing districts, and two further districts have subsequently been created by similar division. The seventeen districts are tabulated below from north to south with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. The table also includes the location of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (70 rural ''desa'' and 7 urban ''kelurahan'') within each district and its postcodes. Notes: (a) the populations of the new Pulau Seluan District are included in the figures for Bunguran Utara District, from which it was split off in 2022.
(b) comprising 4 ''kelurahan'' (Bandarsyah, Batu Hitam, Ranai Darat and Ranai Kota) and 3 ''desa''. (c) the 2010 population of the new Bunguran Batubi District is included in the figure for Bunguran Barat District, from which it was split off in 2014.
(d) the 2010 population of the new Pulau Tiga Barat District is included in the figure for Pulau Tiga District, from which it was split off in 2014.
(e) the 2010 population of the new Suak Midai District is included in the figure for Midai District, from which it was split off in 2014.
(f) the populations of the new Pulau Panjang District are included in the figures for Subi District, from which it was split off in 2022.


Maritime administration and Chinese claim

Indonesia's
EEZ An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...
extends 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shores (as per the 1982 UNCLOS), which, around Natuna, means it is slightly intersected by China's
nine-dash line The nine-dash line, also referred to as the eleven-dash line by Taiwan, is a set of line segments on various maps that accompanied the claims of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC, "Mainland China") and the Taiwan, Republic of China (RO ...
, defining its widely disputed claim to most of the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
. In 2014–2015, the presence of the
Indonesian National Armed Forces The Indonesian National Armed Forces (; abbreviated as TNI) are the military forces of the Republic of Indonesia. It consists of the Indonesian Army, Army (''TNI-AD''), Indonesian Navy, Navy (''TNI-AL''), and Indonesian Air Force, Air Force ('' ...
on the islands was reinforced, which the Indonesian government hoped would reduce the chance of any conflict. Then from late 2019, Chinese fishing vessels increased illegal activity within the EEZ, escorted by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. Indonesia responded with a formal diplomatic protest to Beijing and then deployed to the region a further 600 troops and eight
navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
warships, along with aerial support. The naval presence included Ahmad Yani-class
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s, Bung Tomo-class
corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...
s, and Kapitan Pattimura-class ASW corvettes, while aerial support came from
Naval aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...
CN-235 MPA aircraft, four
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...
F-16s and a Boeing 737-2x9, with BAE
Hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This ...
aircraft nearby on alert. A visit to the area by President Joko Widodo in early January 2020 reinforced Indonesia's resolve not to tolerate such incursions. During a November 2024 state visit by Indonesian President Probowo Subianto to China, Indonesia and China signed a memorandum of understanding for "joint maritime development" in the area of the two countries "overlapping claims" near the Natuna Islands. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry subsequently issued a statement that the memorandum did not impact Indonesia's sovereignty or rights in the area and stating that in Indonesia's view the Chinese claims do not have a legal basis. Critics of the memorandum who were quoted by the
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...
contended that the wording could support China's position regarding the South China Sea claims.


Economy

Natuna Regency has great economic potential, especially in the marine, fisheries, and marine tourism sectors which are rich in natural beauty, such as beaches, coral reefs, and marine biodiversity. This potential can be the main source of regional income and create jobs for the local community. However, economic development in Natuna Regency faces challenges in infrastructure and inter-island connectivity as well as accessibility to other regions, which are still limited and affect the distribution of goods and public services. Therefore, the development of infrastructure such as ports, small airports, and adequate transportation routes is urgently needed to improve connectivity and accelerate regional economic development. In addition, to reduce dependence on natural resources and maintain long-term economic stability, diversification efforts into more sustainable sectors are needed. Increasing human resource capacity through training in the fisheries, tourism, and marine product processing sectors is also an important step to increase regional competitiveness and support the welfare of the Natuna community in a sustainable manner.


Demographics


Peoples

According to the 2010 census returns (released in 2011), the population of the islands stood at 69,003 people. 85.27% of the inhabitants were Malays, with the remainder consisting of Javanese,
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
ns and Chinese. By the 2020 census, this had grown to 81,495, and by mid 2023 it had grown to 83,668.


Religion

Islam is the dominant religion in the islands, with 96.97% of the total population identify themselves as Muslim. Other religions are Christianity, which forms 1.66% of the total population, Buddhism, which forms 1.23% of the total population, and Confucianism, which forms 0.14% of the total population. The largest mosque is located in the north-east corner of the islands. The Masjid Agung Natuna was built over two years from 2007 to 2009, and is visited by at least 10,000 people every day.


Transportation


Harbors and airports

The military harbour was headquartered on Teuku Umar for Navy ships tasked on the Natuna Sea. Ranai-Natuna Airport is located at Ranai, the capital city of Natuna Regency. The airport is also a Type B airbase of the
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...
. Other than that, the airport also serves civilian flights. The airport also accommodates large military aircraft. A new passenger terminal opened in October 2016, inaugurated by President
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...
. The airport resides at an elevation of above
mean sea level A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...
. It has one
runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
designated 18/36 with an
asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...
surface measuring 2,560 m x 32 m (8,399 ft × 105 ft). The runway is planned to be widened to 80 m in 2020. Moreover, the airport has an apron measuring 120 m x 60 m and a taxiway measuring 50 m x 32 m. The recently built terminal at the airport has an area of 3,868 m2, many times larger than the old terminal which only had an area of 243 m2. The new terminal can accommodate around 13,850 passengers daily. The parking lot has been expanded to 5,020 m2 and can now cater to around 3,940 cars and 750 motorcycles. Other facilities inside the airport are the Aviation Accidents Rescue and Fire Fighting building, a generator and the pump house.


See also

* Anambas Islands * Badas Islands * Tambelan archipelago


References


Further reading

* National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (2005
"Borneo: Northwest Coast and Kepulauan Tudjuh"
''Sailing directions (enroute): Borneo, Jawa, Sulawesi, and Nusa Tenggara'' United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency


External links

{{Authority control States and territories established in 1999 Populated places in Indonesia Islands of Indonesia