ABSTRACT

RIAU ‘Riau’ is officially recognized by the Indonesian government as one of Indonesia’s twenty-seven provinces. It comprises Riau daratan (mainland) in the central part of the east coast of Sumatra, and Riau kepulauan (island) which stretches from the Strait of Malacca in the

west to the South China Sea and Borneo in the east. Together, mainland and island Riau cover 94,562 square kilometres. Occupying Riau is a diverse population of 2,842,955 comprising Malays, Javanese, Bawenese, Minangkabau, Buton, Buginese, Flores, Chinese, and aboriginal groups such as the Orang Laut, Orang Dalam, and Orang Akit (Pemerintah Daerah Tingkat I Riau, 1994:5).