The Bangka Belitung Islands () is a province of Indonesia. Situated off the southeastern coast of Sumatra, the province comprises two main land masses — Bangka and Belitung — and numerous smaller islands. Bangka Belitung is bordered by the Bangka Strait to the west, the Natuna Sea to the north, the Java Sea is to the south and the Karimata Strait to the east. The province's capital and largest city is Pangkalpinang. The province shares maritime borders with South Sumatra to the west, Riau Islands to the north, Banten, the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, West Java, and Central Java to the south, and West Kalimantan to the east. Bangka Belitung covers a land area of and had a population of 1,455,678 according to the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 1,494,621.
Bangka Belitung has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests, which, however, are disappearing due to deforestation. Mount Maras, located on the island of Bangka, is the province's highest point, with a height of . There are several rivers in the province, such as the Sebuku River, Baturusa River and Mendo River. Bangka Belitung is ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse; major ethnic groups including Malays, Chinese and Javanese. Indonesian is the official language, while the local Malay dialect and Hakka serves as the lingua franca of the province.
Historically, Bangka Belitung has been part of the kingdoms of Sriwijaya, Majapahit and Palembang, before becoming a colony of foreign empires (Dutch, British and Japanese). Bangka Belitung was a residency within the Dutch East Indies. Upon the independence of Indonesia, the region was administered as part of the province of Sumatra and subsequently of South Sumatra. Bangka Belitung officially became the 31st province of Indonesia in 2000.
Etymology
The name "Bangka" is derived from the word wangka (वन्च, 'vanca') meaning "tin" in Sanskrit, because this region is indeed rich in tin mining. The name "Wangka" first appeared along with the name "Swarnabhumi" in the Indian literary book Milindrapantha from the 1st Century BC. Swarnabhumi is identified as the island of Sumatra, the strong allegation that the so-called "Wangka" is the island of Bangka. Louis-Charles Damais, in his book Epigraphy and History of the Nusantara, affirms that Bangka comes from the word vowel (vanca).
The name "Belitung" is derived from Billitonite meaning the Black Meteorite in Dutch, which is commonly found in the island of Belitung. This stone itself was discovered at the time of tin mining in Belitung. Later on, Dutch academics writing in East Indies publications began named the island Billitonite or Billiton. Nowadays, Billitonite or Black Meteorite, is a distinct souvenir from Belitung Island.
History
Bangka Belitung is an area that has a unique range of cultures and languages. Just like other provinces in Indonesia, Bangka Belitung were European and Japanese colonies. Prior to the colonial era, Bangka Belitung was part the Sriwijaya and Majapahit kingdoms who settled Bangka Belitung to expand their power.
The first Europeans arrived in Bangka was the British on 20 May 1812. However, with the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the British left Bangka Belitung, and the Dutch took over. Due to the agreement, the Dutch were able to take control of the Pacific Islands. However, there was a coup attempt by local elite through Depati Barin and his son Depati Amir causing a war from 1849 to 1851 to oppose the colonization in Bangka Belitung, the war was won by the Dutch and Depati Amir was exiled to Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara. Depati Amir was memorialized as a national hero and his name was remembered through its regional airport, the Depati Amir Airport.
During WWII, the Empire of Japan briefly occupied the region. Following the surrender of Japan and the end of the war, the islands become part of an independent Indonesia.