Belitung (Belitung Malay: Belitong, formerly Billiton) is an island on the east coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in the Java Sea. It covers (including offshore islands such as Mendanau Island), and had a population of 309,097 at the 2020 Census;[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 320,500.[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Provinsi Kepulauan Bangka Belitung Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.19)] Administratively, it forms two regencies (Belitung Regency and East Belitung Regency) within the province of Bangka-Belitung Islands. The island is known for its black pepper and for its tin. It was in the possession of the United Kingdom from 1812 until Britain ceded control of the island to the Netherlands in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Its main town is Tanjung Pandan. The UNESCO has declared 17 tourist attractions in the Belitung Geopark as a world geopark.
Demography
The population was 262,357 at the 2010 Census
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] and 309,097 in the 2020 Census;
the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 320,500.
The population is centered in several small towns; the largest are
Tanjung Pandan in the west and
Manggar in the east, which are the respective capitals of the two Regencies (
Belitung Regency and Belitung Timur) into which the island is administratively divided. While ethnic Bangka
Malay people people make up the largest percentage along with Chinese people, Belitung has significant populations of Bugis, Sundanese, and Javanese people who formerly worked for the Dutch, mining tin. There is also a small population of
Madurese people who were settled there in the
Transmigrasi.
Religion
Belitung is a religiously diverse island.
Sunni Islam is the most widely practiced religion, with sizeable minorities of
Buddhism,
Christianity and
Confucianism.
Transportation
On Belitung island, the only airport is in Belitung Regency; that is, the H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin International Airport maintains a series of connecting flights to Pangkal Pinang Airport, as well as a plane to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. International flights via Singapore's Changi International Airport are through
Garuda Indonesia airlines.
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has four direct flights from Singapore. The Singapore-Tanjung Pandan direct flight operates four times weekly – departing at 5:20 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 5:30 pm on Sundays.
Belitung Island has four ports; three in Belitung Regency and one in East Belitung Regency, serving cargo ships and ferry ships.
Online taxi services (such as Gojek and Grab) are available, as well as standard taxicabs, the taxi bandara (airport taxi) and commonly-hailed street taxis.
Geography
Belitung is a medium-sized island (at about ), also encompassing smaller adjacent islands, of which
Mendanau Island to the west is the largest. Belitung consists of moderately-rugged terrain and several hills. The highest point is
Mount Tajam, with a height of less than . The maritime boundaries of the province include
Bangka Strait to the west,
Karimata Strait to the east,
Natuna Sea to the north, and the
Java Sea to the south. The
Gaspar Strait runs north–south (between the islands of Bangka and Belitung), connecting the Java Sea to the Natuna Sea and, further north, the South China Sea. Its surrounding turquoise blue seas are moderately calm and shallow, making for great
sailing,
snorkeling and
Human swimming. Belitung is popular for its abstract
granite boulders and brilliant, white-sand beaches in
Tanjung Tinggi,
Tanjung Kelayang,
Tanjung Binga and
Lengkuas island.
Economy
Belitung is a source of
tin,
clay,
iron ore and
. The Dutch mining company NV Billiton Maatschappij derives its name from the island's name. Billiton merged with
BHP in 2001 to form BHP Billiton.
The island is also a producer of fishery products, Black pepper, coconut, and palm oil. People work as farmers, fishermen and miners. The island is easily accessible with eight daily 1-hour flights from Jakarta and 2 daily flights, with duration of 30 minutes and 50 minutes each, from Pangkal Pinang.
With white sand beaches and offshore islands as the main drivers, tourism is growing.
Tourist destinations
The main tourist destinations are beaches and offshore islands/islets. The beaches are Tanjung Tinggi Beach and Tanjung Kelayang Beach, both of which have clear blue water, sand, and rocky beaches. The islands/islets are Batu Berlayar Island, which is mostly granite,
Pasir Island, which is a
tidal island made of sand (= pasir in Indonesian), Bird Islet (
Pulau Burong, accessed from Tanjung Binga beach on foot at low tide,
Lengkuas Island, which is the home of a 129-year-old
lighthouse and a good place for
snorkeling, and Babi Island and
Kelayang Islet.
See also
-
Belitung shipwreck
-
Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501
External links
