ABSTRACT
The Province of Riau Islands (Kepulauan Riau—often abbreviated to Kepri) is one of the newest Indonesian provinces; legislation approving its formation was adopted by the national parliament in 2002. The formal establishment of the new province took place on 1 July 2004. The region was formerly part of the province of Riau. Riau Islands lies strewn across the Natuna Sea, bordered to the north by the main South China Sea and Borneo to the east (the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan—Kalimantan Barat). Immediately north of the Riau Islands proper, which cluster at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, are Singapore and Malaysia. The Malacca (Melaka) Strait runs north-west from the islands, with Sumatra forming the western shore. The Berhala Strait runs south from the Malacca Strait, separating the province—the Riau and Lingga Islands—from the Sumatran mainland (Riau and Jambi provinces). Further south is another insular province, Bangka-Belitung Islands, which forms the southern boundary of the Natuna Sea, the northern bounds of which are defined by the Anambas and, in the far north-east of Riau Islands province, the Natuna Islands. The Tambelan Islands lie in the centre of the Natuna Sea.
