Batam facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

Batam

City

City of Batam
Kota Batam

Regional transcription(s)

• Jawi

باتم‎

• Chinese

巴淡
Bā dàn (Pinyin)

From top left to right:
Welcome to Batam signboard, Harbour Bay, Barelang Bridge, Nagoya Hill shopping mall, Batam Great Mosque, Sekupang Ferry terminal, Downtown Batam skyline at night and aerial view of Batam

Coat of arms

Nickname(s):

Kota Industri
("The Industrial City")

Motto(s):

Bandar Dunia Madani

Location within Riau Islands

Batam

Location in Sumatra

Batam

Location in Indonesia

Batam

Location in South China Sea

Region

Area

• City

1,915 km² (739 sq mi)

• Land

1,034.73 km² (399.51 sq mi)

• Water

880 km² (340 sq mi)

Population

(mid 2023 estimate)

• City

1,256,610

• Density

656.19/km² (1,699.5/sq mi)

• Urban

1,256,610

Time zone

UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time)

Postal code

29453

Area code

(+62) 778

Vehicle registration

Nominal GDP

2023

- Total

Rp 216.098 trillion (8th)

US$ 14.178 billion

US$ 45.406 billion (PPP)

- Per capita

Rp 171,968 thousand (7th)

US$ 11,282

US$ 36,133 (PPP)

- Growth

6.0%

HDI (2023)

0.826 (25th) – very high

Batam is a large city in Indonesia. It is part of the Riau Islands province. The city includes three main islands: Batam, Rempang, and Galang. These are often called Barelang. There are also several smaller islands.

Batam Island is the main city area. It has many factories and businesses. Rempang and Galang Islands are more rural. They have fewer people. Bridges connect these islands to Batam Island.

Batam is a fast-growing city. It is a busy place for trade and transport. It is also a free trade zone. This means it's easy to do business there. Batam is only about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Singapore.

In mid-2023, about 1.25 million people lived in Batam. This makes it one of the largest cities in Sumatra. Batam is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore. It is only about 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) away. Batam has grown very quickly over the past decade.

History of Batam

Harbor view with oil tanks from the Shell at Sambu Island, 1936

The first people known to live on Batam Island were the Orang Laut. They were a group of Malays. They lived there as early as 231 AD.

In the 1960s, the Indonesian government used Sambu Island near Batam. It was a base for storing oil.

In the 1970s, Batam Island was chosen to become an industrial area. The government wanted Batam to be like an "Indonesian version of Singapore." The Batam Authority Board was set up to help with this plan.

As Batam grew, it became a city in 1983. This gave it more power to manage itself. Later, in the late 1990s, Batam became an even more independent city. It gained the right to run its own government.

Geography of Batam

Batam is an island shaped roughly like an oval. It has many bays and small islands around it. It is west of Bintan Island and south of Singapore. To its north are Rempang and Galang Islands.

The Singapore Strait separates Batam from Singapore. The Riau Strait is between Batam and Bintan Island. The whole Batam Municipality covers a large area. About 1,034.73 square kilometers (399.51 sq mi) is land. This includes some land that has been added.

The group of islands called Barelang covers about 715 square kilometers (276 sq mi). Batam Island itself is about 410 square kilometers (158 sq mi). Most of the people live on Batam Island.

Batam's Climate

Batam has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it is hot and rainy all year round.

Climate data for Batam (Hang Nadim International Airport, 2000–2020)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30.0 (86.0)	30.7 (87.3)	31.3 (88.3)	31.8 (89.2)	31.8 (89.2)	31.4 (88.5)	31.1 (88.0)	31.1 (88.0)	31.2 (88.2)	31.3 (88.3)	30.8 (87.4)	30.3 (86.5)	31.1 (87.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	24.5 (76.1)	24.7 (76.5)	24.8 (76.6)	25.0 (77.0)	24.9 (76.8)	24.8 (76.6)	24.6 (76.3)	24.6 (76.3)	24.4 (75.9)	24.4 (75.9)	24.3 (75.7)	24.4 (75.9)	24.6 (76.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	255.9 (10.07)	75.3 (2.96)	151.0 (5.94)	163.6 (6.44)	193.8 (7.63)	177.0 (6.97)	192.5 (7.58)	162.1 (6.38)	156.6 (6.17)	204.7 (8.06)	252.9 (9.96)	286.4 (11.28)	2,271.8 (89.44)
Average precipitation days	9.7	5.3	8.0	11.2	13.1	12.0	12.1	11.5	12.0	12.7	15.2	14.0	136.8
Source: Meteomanz

How Batam is Governed

BP Batam logo

Batam has a city government that handles daily tasks. These include things like keeping track of who lives there. They also manage services for the people.

The Mayor of Batam

The current mayor of Batam is Muhammad Rudi. He has been mayor since 2016. Amsakar Ahmad is the vice mayor.

Batam Development Board (BP Batam)

There is a special government group called BP Batam. It helps manage land and investments in Batam. It works to make Batam a good place for businesses. BP Batam is important for the city's growth.

Batam's Districts

The whole Batam view from the air

Panoramic view of Batam Centre

Batam city is divided into twelve areas called districts (kecamatan). These districts include Batam Island itself. They also include nearby islands like Bulang, Rempang, and Galang. The table below shows these districts. It also lists their size and how many people live there.

Name of District (kecamatan)	Area in km²	Pop'n Census 2010	Pop'n Census 2020	Pop'n estimate mid 2023	No. of villages	Postal codes
Belakang Padang ^(a)	68.1	18,508	22,439	23,180	6	29412, 29413 29414, 29416
Bulang^(b)	158.8	9,531	10,707	10,850	6	29471 - 29476
Galang^(c)	350.9	14,983	16,989	17,220	8	29481 - 29487
Sei Beduk (Sungai Beduk)	106.0	80,349	96,193	99,020	4	29433 & 29437
Sagulung	55.3	149,727	209,306	225,490	6	29439
Nongsa^(d)	114.7	49,828	81,451	91,780	4	29465 - 29468
Batam Kota (Central City)	38.9	162,238	198,617	205,780	6	29431 - 29433, 29461, 29464
Sekupang ^(e)	68.9	100,108	156,283	173,760	7	29425 - 29428
Batu Aji	40.8	127,455	139,512	139,930	4	29422, 29424 & 29438
Lubuk Baja (Nagoya)	11.2	80,780	84,533	83,680	5	29432, 29441, 29443 - 29445
Batu Ampar	11.2	58,745	60,450	59,550	4	29452 - 29454
Bengkong	14.0	92,033	119,836	126,400	4	29432 & 29458

Notes:

(a) includes 116 islands west of Batam Island.
(b) includes 70 islands southwest of Batam Island.
(c) includes 82 islands south of Batam Island, like Galang Island and Rempang Island.
(d) covers the east part of Batam Island. It also includes 23 islands off the eastern shore.
(e) includes 14 islands off the coast of Batam Island.

People of Batam

In 2020, Batam had almost 1.2 million people. The number of people living in Batam has grown very quickly.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1971	6,000	—
1978	34,000	+466.7%
1988	88,000	+158.8%
1992	123,000	+39.8%
1998	294,000	+139.0%
2005	616,088	+109.6%
2010	944,285	+53.3%
2020	1,196,396	+26.7%
2023	1,256,610	+5.0%
sources:

Different Cultures

Ethnic groups in Batam, 2000
Ethnicity	Percentage
Malay	26.78%
Javanese	17.61%
Batak	14.97%
Minangkabau	14.93%
Chinese	6.28%
Buginese	2.29%
Banjarese	0.67%	Others	16.47%

Batam is home to many different groups of people. Many people have moved there for work. They also want to be close to Singapore. Because of this, Batam is very diverse. About two-thirds of the people are from other places.

The main groups are Malays, Javanese, Batak, Minangkabau, and Chinese. Batam shows Indonesia's motto: "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika". This means "Unity in Diversity."

Religions in Batam

Religion in Batam (2023)
religion			percent
Islam			72.16%
Christianity			21.144%
Buddhism			6.522%
Confucianism			0.092%
Hinduism			0.058%
Others			0.024%

Most people in Batam follow Islam. Other religions include Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Many Muslims in Batam are Javanese, Malays, and Minangkabaus. The Great Mosque of Batam is a very important building. It is in the city center.

Many people in Batam also follow Christianity. This is especially true for people from the Batak group. Most of the Chinese people in Batam practice Buddhism. There are several Buddhist temples in Batam. The Vihara Duta Maitreya is one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

Languages Spoken

Indonesian is the main language used every day in Batam. People also speak other languages. These include local Malay, Minangkabau, Batak, and Javanese.

Some Chinese ethnic dialects are also used. These include Hokkien and Teochew. More people are also learning Mandarin and English. This is because Batam is close to Singapore.

Batam's Economy

Industrial area in Batam

Batam has a large industrial area. It was set up in 1973. At first, only Pertamina, Indonesia's state oil company, was there.

Building ships and making electronics are big industries in Batam. Batam is close to Singapore's ports. This makes it easy to ship goods quickly. This helps Batam's economy. Many foreign companies have factories here. This is because labor costs are lower. The government also offers special help to businesses.

In 2006, Batam became part of a Special Economic Zone with Singapore. This means there are no extra taxes on goods traded between Batam and Singapore. This helps businesses grow.

Tourism in Batam

Tengku Fisabilillah Bridge, the iconic part of Barelang Bridge

Many tourists visit Batam. In 2015, over 1.5 million people came to the city. Batam is one of the busiest entry points to Indonesia. Only Bali and Jakarta have more visitors.

Most foreign tourists come from Singapore and Malaysia. Some also come from South Korea.

Popular places to visit in Batam include:

The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Temple.
Many shopping malls, like Grand Batam Mall and Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre.
The Jabal Arafah Mosque.
The famous Barelang Bridge.

Foreign Investments

Batam gets a lot of money from foreign investments. In the first half of 2023, foreign investment was about US$1.2 billion. Most of this money came from Singapore.

Foreigners can buy apartments in Batam. However, they cannot buy landed homes in Indonesia.

Getting Around Batam

Ferry Travel

Sekupang International Ferry Terminal

Horizon Fast Ferry

Ferries connect Batam to Singapore, Bintan, and Johor Bahru in Malaysia. There are five ferry terminals on Batam. These include Batam Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal and Batam Center Ferry Terminal.

Ferries to Singapore go to Harbourfront and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminals.

Sometimes, rules are in place at ferry terminals. For example, at Batam Centre International Ferry Terminal, signs ask people to be quiet. This helps everyone hear important announcements.

Harbour Bay International Ferry Terminal

Harbour Bay Terminal

Trans Batam Buses

Trans Batam interior

Trans Batam buses

Trans Batam is a public bus system. It is a reliable and cheap way to travel in Batam. It started in 2005. Trans Batam was the second bus rapid transit system in Indonesia.

A ride costs Rp2,000 for students and Rp4,000 for others. The buses run from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM.

Trans Batam has eight different bus routes:

Corridor	Origin & destination
1	Sekupang–Batam Centre
2	Tanjung Uncang–Batam Centre
3	Sekupang–Jodoh
4	Sagulung–Sekupang
5	Jodoh–Batam Centre
6	Tanjung Piayu–Batam Centre
7	Nongsa–Batam Centre
8	Punggur–Jodoh
Source: Batam City Government Transportation Agency

Taxis

Blue Bird taxi

Taxis are easy to find in Batam. You can find them at ferry terminals, the airport, and shopping malls. There are over 3,000 taxis in Batam. Many of the newer taxis are Toyota Limo and Chevrolet Lova models.

Batam's Airport

Hang Nadim International Airport is Batam's main airport. It has the longest runway in all of Indonesia. From 1995 to 2012, it was the largest airport in the Sumatra region. Now, it is the second largest.

The airport has many gates for planes. It is a main hub for airlines like Lion Air, Batik Air, and Citilink. BP Batam plans to build a new terminal. This will help the airport serve even more passengers.

You can fly to many cities in Indonesia from Hang Nadim Airport. There are also international flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Batam's Environment

Batam Island used to have many mangrove forests. In 1970, about 24% of the island was covered in mangroves. However, due to building work and other activities, this has greatly decreased. Now, only about 4.2% of Batam Island has mangrove forests.