Belitung, formerly known as Billiton, is an island on the east coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in the Java Sea. The island is known for its pepper and for its tin. It was in the possession of the British from 1812 until the British ceded control of the island to the Dutch in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Its main town is Tanjungpandan. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... The Java Sea (Jawa Sea) is a large (310,000 km²), shallow sea in the southern Pacific Ocean. ... Binomial name Piper nigrum L. Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. ... General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London (one of several), was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in London on March 17, 1824. ...

Geography

It is a small island, moderately rugged terrain with several hills. The highest one is Mt. Tajam (in local dialect called Gunung Tajam). Even though it's called a mountain, its height is not more than 1000 m.

Being surrounded by straits, its sea is moderately calm and shallow. Belitung is popular with its granite boulder white stones beach in Tanjung Tinggi, Tanjung Kelayang, Tanjung Binga dan Lengkuas island. The photos of Belitung beaches and visitor guide can be found at http://www.belitungisland.com

Demography

The population is centered in several small town, populated by approximately 100,000 inhabitants.

Economy

Belitung is producer of tin, clay and silica sands. It also main producer of fishery products, pepper, and palm oil. People work as farmer, fisherman and labor of mining fields.

History