Riau-Lingga Archipelago

Two island groups of Riau province, Indonesia, in the South China Sea south of Singapore; area 5,905 sq km/2,280 sq mi. Riau-Lingga is comprised of 3,214 islands, of which about 700 are uninhabited. The largest islands are Bintan and Batam, with others including Rempang and Galang. The main town is Tanjung Pinang on Bintan Island. Tin and bauxite are the major exports of the area, and there is some cultivation of pepper and rubber.

Riau province also includes the Karimun Islands, (Karimun and Tebingtinggi), the Lingga Islands (including Lingga, Singkep, Bakung, Sebangka, and Mesanak), the North Natuna Islands, the South Natuna Islands, the Anambas Islands, the Tambelan Islands and the Dadas Islands.

For centuries Riau's significance lay in its location immediately south of the major sea route passing Singapore. The Riau Islands were under the Bugis-influenced Johor sultanate in the 16th century, and during the 18th and 19th centuries were a centre of conflict between Muslim rulers and Dutch and British forces. The Riau dialect is believed by some to be the basis of literary Indonesian.