Anambas Islands

The Anambas Islands ( Indonesian: Kepulauan Anambas ) are an Indonesian island group in the South China Sea.

They belong to the province and archipelago of the Riau islands and are located between Borneo and Malaysia, southwest of the Natuna Islands. They form - together with the Natuna, Badas and Tambelan Islands - the Tujuh archipelago. The islands are located between 5 ° 27 ' 15 " and 2 ° 50' 13" north latitude and 106 ° 13 ' 14 " and 105 ° 38 ' 4" east longitude. Their surface area is approximately 670 km ².

The islands are sparsely populated, mainly by buginesische fishermen, descendants of a once powerful seafaring people. Most important sources of income are fishing and coconuts. For divers, the islands - because coral reefs and wrecks off - very popular.

The largest islands are Jemaja in the west and Matak and Siantan with capital Terempa in the northeast of the island group. Other islands are Jemaja and Kiabu ( Airabu ) in the south, Telaga in the middle and Bajau and Mubur in the Northeast - plus other small islands. Matak, also called wholesale Anamba, has an airport (IATA: MWK - ICAO: WIOM ) as well as port and is used by oil companies as a starting point for the search for oil.

History

In the 19th and 20th centuries included the islands of the Dutch colonial empire. Were held here in 1942 naval battles between the Japanese and U.S. fleet in September.