Pulau Ubin

Pulau Ubin ( Malay German " Granite Island " Pulau Batu Ubin earlier ) is an island in the northeast of Singapore.

Geography

Pulau Ubin is located in the Straits of Johor between Malaysia and Singapore. The island is 8 km long, 1.3 to 1.7 km wide and 10.2 square kilometers. The age of the island is estimated at 200 million years. There are a few small rivers. In the north of the island are the Sungei Besar and Sungei Mamam, south of the Sungei Jelutorg and Sungei Puaka. The highest point is 74 meters high hill Puaka.

The smaller islands of Pulau Pulau Ketam Sekudu and lie southeast or southwest of Pulau Ubin.

Population

In 1970, Pulau Ubin had 2028 inhabitants. 1599 of them were Chinese, 411 Malays and 15 Indians. Since then, the population has greatly decreased due to the closure of the mines and the resettlement program of the government. Today, only about 100 people live on the island. Most of them are still Chinese. A large part of the population is concentrated in the village near the dock of the ships from the main island. Part of the population is scattered all over the island. Many live in single- detached houses or tiny villages.

Economy

There used to Pulau Ubin some granite mines, of which the name " Granite Island " comes from. Around 1970, the mines were abandoned and the government has a resettlement program started to make Pulau Ubin into an attraction for nature lovers. Many residents of the island lend bicycles to tourists, working in restaurants, shrimp farms or fishing.