Indonesia's newest province Babel, is underpopulated and hard to find. Its wealth lies under the ground in tin, bauxite and other minerals. White pepper is the main commercial crop and it looks great as the bushes stand several metres high in well tended rows. Date plantations are also found in this area. The sea provides another source of wealth. There are approximately 55 Chinese or Buddist temples on Bangka alone which are still in use. The Chinese make up at least 20% of the population of Babel. The majority of the Chinese are direct descendants of the coolies who worked the tin mines. The oldest temple is in Batu Rusa, a village along the road from ¼angkalpinang to Sungai Liat. A beautifully decorated temple is found near Tayu in the north of Bangka island. The name Bangka is derived from the word "WANGKA", which means tin. This word was also written in a Sriwijaya stone inscription dated 686AD and discovered near the town of Kota Kapur in West Banka. Today this inscription is kept in the Nayional Museum in Jakarta. Bangka is the main tin producer in Indonesia and is also well-known for its white pepper. The islands support a population of less than 1 million people. Air and sea transportation are the main means which link the islands together. The province has many seaports and an airport which supports F 28 aircraft. Good roads on the islands provide easy access to the often remote places of interest. A variety of endemic plant and animal species are found in the rain forest pockets on the islands. Various brilliantly-colored lorikeets and parrots are included amongst the abundant bird life. The new province lies east of South Sumatra. Separated by the Bangka straights from the main island of Sumatra it is served by regular daily jetfoil ferry services from Palembang There are two seasons that are suitable for sailing to these islands: February-March and October-November, when the wind and the waves are low.

Bahar Root The Bahar root is a kind of coral which can only be found on the seabed. Craftsmen cdan shape the Bahar roots into various kinds of ornaments such as rings, bracelets, and smoking pipes. These are souveeniers which are only available in Babel. Bangka Island The name Bangka is derived from the word "WANGKA", which means tin. This word was also written in a Sriwijaya stone inscription dated 686AD and discovered near the town of Kota Kapur in West Banka. Today this inscription is kept in the Nayional Museum in Jakarta. Bangka is the main tin producer in Indonesia and is also well-known for its white pepper. The largest island in the province, Bangka has a total land area of 11,615 square kilometres. The group of islands making up the Babel province are almost l.ocated on the equator with lattirude of 1 degree 30 to 3 degree 07 and a longitude of 105 to 107 degrees east. The province is surrounded by the South China Sea, the Bangka straights and the Java sea. The marine environment around these islands is colourful. Blitung Island This island is smaller than Bangka and located to the east. There is a daily jetfoil service from Pangkal Tinang's local port to the main city on Blitung, Tandjungpandan. The population of the island is about 400.000 Chinese Temples There are many Chinese and Bhuddist temples in this province. These temples are still in use today and they are used by the large Chinese population who are descended from the coolies who worked the Tin mines in the past. There are approximately 55 Chinese or Buddist temples on Bangka alone which are still in use. The Chinese make up at least 20% of the population of Babel. The majority of the Chinese are direct descendants of the coolies who worked the tin mines. The oldest temple is in Batu Rusa, a village along the road from ¼angkalpinang to Sungai Liat. A beautifully decorated temple is found near Tayu in the north of Bangka island. Harbours This island has a number of harbours which ahve various types of facility. Mentok which is an hours drive from Pankal Pinang is the harbour for the arrival of the Jetfoil boats from Palembang in South Sumatra. Other harbours include Belinyu (1 1/2 hours from Pangkal Pinang) which is the harbour for the Pelni Liners. Kayu Arang and finally Pangkal Balam which is the harbour for the jetfoils to Blitung and to Jakarta (12 to 18 hours). Matras and Parai Tenggiri Beaches An easily accessible beach beach can be found in the northeast of Bangka, 48 k.m. from Pangkal Pinang and 12 km from Sungai Liat. The beach is about 3 kilometers long and its width is almost 30 metres. Parai, a beach set between rocky capes is an ideal location for relaxing and swimming. Local fishermen moor their vessels here after a day of fishing, giving the beach the picturesque feel of a fishing village. Mount Menumbung Mount Menumbung (355 M.) a rather high hill in the neighbourhood of Mentok (North West Banka) stands as a memorial to the history of the Indonesian nation. A guest house which was built here by the Dutch in 1932 was used to house the former President Soekarno and Vice-President Hatta during their imprisonment from February to July 1949. At that time Foreign delegations travelled to this remote area in order to negotiate with Indonesia's future political leaders. Many Indonesians still like to visit this place of pilogrimage and see the well kept personal belongings of the two former leadrs which are still in the compound. Pewter items Because this is Indonesia's main tin mining area Pewter articles which are derived from tim are readily available as souveniers. People,History and Culture Apart from a few original inhabitants the Babel Islands were inhabited in the 7th century by Hindus from Siantan and others from Jahor, MaMataram and Malaysia. During colonial times the Dutch and the British also ruled the islands. During World War II Babel was occupied by the Japanese. The people of Babel have a motto that depicts their charactrer "Sepintu Sedulang" (which means one door - one service tray) and represents their habit of helping each other in one large community. If anyone in a village wants to celebrate an occasion the whole community will participate in it. On such occasions all participants brign food to share and traditional dances are performed. Suych an occasion may co-incide withthe harvesting of the pepper crop or a wedding. In somje areas mass weddings with up to 20 couples occur. The Sepintu Sedulang dance is probably more modern in its influences. Older dance forms can be seen with the Gending Sriwijaya "welcoming" dance which is used to greet VIPs and others. Good beaches are to be found at Bastion, Ngade, Sulamadaha and Tobololo. Ternate Bay is popular for fishing and motorboats can be hired to take you to the best fishing grounds. Remodong Beach Remodong Beach in North Banka is located near Belinyu and it begins the long stretch opf beaches which cling to the coast around to Sungai Liat. This idyllic location is a favourite place to enjoy the sunset as the beach faces the west. Tourist facilities are also available on this beach. See the archipelaGo tours for more information.