RIOUW', a Netherlands residency or government in the eastern archipelago, slave Sink and dependencies were taken from it, consists of the peninsula of Tandjong Pir.ang,, the Lingga-Riouw archipelago, a part of the coast of Sumatra, n. of Djambi, and the adjoining kingdom of Indragiri; also the Tambilan, Anambas, and Natuna islands. Area, about 3,000 sq. miles. Pop. '73, of the residency, 69,386, including 144 Europeans, 27,782 Chinese (25,678 being males), and 41,303 natives.
The islands of the archipelago are mountainous, the peak of Lingga rising to 3,712 feet. Many of them are covered with heavy timber and a dense underwood, through width it is difficult to force a way. As far as is known, the prevailing rocks are granitic and sandstone. Gold is found in Lingga, and tin was formerly extensively wrought; but the richer mines of Sinkep and the Carimon islands, in the southern entrance of the strait of Malacca, now yield the largest amount of that ore. Coal is also found in the Riouw-Lingga islands.
The climate is not considered unhealthy, though at times the heat is intolerable. The chief products are sago, pepper, darner resin, gambir, gutta-percha, rattans, cotton, fruits. and many varieties of fine timber. Edible nests are found in abundance, and the
waters swarm with fish. Agar-agar, tripang or beche-de-mer, and shell-fish are largely collected. The native Malays chiefly gain a living by fishing, and the Chinese have extensive uncario, (iambic and pepper gardens. 1872, £372,422; exports, £369.213.
The industries are manufacturing gambir, distilling arrack, weaving silks, ship building, wood-cutting, tile and brick making, together with ,extensive fisheries. The original inhabitants are Mnlays.who arc More numerous in Lingua than the other islands. The st t-angers are Europeans in the pay of the Netherlands colonial ,government, Chinese, Buginese, and Javans. The town is at the n.w. end of Tandjong Pinang, 54' 4' u. lat., and 104°25' 30' e. long., in a beautiful bay where there is sale anchorage. Pop. 8,609. —See Journal of the Ind. At-chip. vol. i.; Crawford's Descriptive Dict.; DeResideniie Riouw door J. J. de Hollander; and colonial reports of 1875-76.