Lingga Regency

The Lingga Regency (Indonesian: Kabupaten Lingga) is a group of 600 islands in Indonesia, located south of Singapore and along both sides of the equator, off the eastern coast of Riau Province on Sumatra island. They are due south of the populated Riau Archipelago, known for the industrial island of Batam and the tourist-frequented island of Bintan, although the Lingga Islands themselves are rarely visited due to the infrequent local transportation. The equator goes through the northern tip of Lingga Island, the main island in the archipelago.

Administratively they form a Regency of the Riau Islands Province with a land area of 2,250.45 km² and a population of 86,244 people at the 2010 census and 98,633 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 102,474. The regency seat lies at Daik on Lingga Island.

The population are mainly Malay, Bugis and Chinese (predominantly Hakka, Teochew and Hokkien).

Lingga derives its name from the profile of Mount Daik [id] which is shaped like the Hindu lingam, often interpreted as a phallic symbol. This mountain has three sharp teeth at its peak; one of them seems to have broken off at its base, and it was immortalised by Malay poets as the symbol of durability. The poem is

Pulau Pandan jauh ke tengah,
Gunung Daik bercabang tiga,
Hancur badan dikandung tanah,
Budi yang baik dikenang juga. By nuar

Nearby are the remains of the fort of Benteng Bukit Cening, overlooking the sea. The cannons are still lined up, as if they were awaiting another enemy attack.

By size and population the most important islands in the archipelago are Lingga and Singkep, then Sebangka and Bakung.

At the time of the 2010 census, the regency was divided into five districts (kecamatan) - Singkep, Lingga, Senayang, Singkep Barat and Lingga Utara - but four additional districts were created in 2012 (Singkep Selatan and Singkep Pesisir from parts of Singkep District, and Selayar and Lingga Timur from parts of Lingga District), another in 2018 (Kepulauan Posek - from part of Singkep Selatan District) and three more in 2019 (Bakung Serumpun, Temiang Pesisir and Katang Bidare - all out of Senayang District).