Batam is an island and also a city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located 20 km (12.5 miles) off Singapore's south coast. The 715 km² (160 miles²) island has a population of 908.882 in Desember 2008, most of whom are Malays (85%) and Chinese (14%). A few indigenous Orang Laut tribes also live on the island.
