Lingga Islands.html |
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Not to be confused with "Linga", a common Scottish island name, see Linga (disambiguation)
The Lingga Islands or Lingga Archipelago (Indonesian: Kepulauan Lingga) are a group of islands in Indonesia, located south of Singapore, along both sides of the equator, off the eastern coast of Riau Islands province on Sumatra island. They are south of the populated Riau Archipelago, known for the industrial island of Batam and the tourist-frequented island of Bintan, although the Lingga Islands themselves are rarely visited due to the infrequent local transportation. The equator goes through the northern tip of Lingga, the name of the main island in the archipelago.
The population are mainly Malay, Bugis and Chinese (predominantly Hakka, Teochew and Hokkien).
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Islands
By size and population the most important islands in the archipelago are Lingga and Singkep, then Sebangka and Bakung.
- Lingga with smaller Pulau (P.) Alut.
- P. Selayar of Riau Islands between Lingga and Singkep.
- Singkep with P. Posik to the west, P. Serak to the SW, P. Lalang to the South.
- Sebangka and Bakung NW of Lingga, with town of Limas, islets Senayang, Kapas, Kentar, Mowang.
- P. Lobam and Cempah to the west of Sebangka.
- Temiang and Mesawak in the north.
Transport
Ferry services to the islands from outside the archipelago come from the provincial capital to the north, Tanjung Pinang on Bintan, including from Singapore. These days the main industry is fishing. There are a number of fine beaches with some coral around the Archipelago but there is very little tourism on account of the poor transport links with the outside world.
- Singkep has two ports, Dabo near Dabosingkep and Jago near Sungaibuluh. Service to the port of Muntok on P. Bangka of Sumatera Selatan ceased operating regularly with the demise of the tin mining industry. However, a high-speed ferry continues to connect Tanjung Pinang to Singkep, from where local boats may be chartered to Lingga.
- For Lingga, Diak is the major town and port. It can be reached in a day from Singapore transferring at Tanjung Pinang.
Name
Lingga derives its name from the profile of Mount Daik; Lingam is the Sanskrit word for phallus. This mountain has three sharp teeth as peak, one of them seems to have broken off at its base, and it was immortalized by Malay poets as the symbol of durability.
Nearby are the remains of the fort of Benteng Bukit Cening, overlooking the sea. The cannons are still lined up, as if they were awaiting another enemy attack.
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