| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Belitung |
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(b l ´t ng) (KEY) , island (1990 pop. 192,972), 1,866 sq mi (4,833 sq km), Indonesia, in the Java Sea midway between Sumatra and Borneo. It has valuable tin mines (government-owned), worked chiefly by Chinese labor. Belitung is also known for its pepper. Ceded to the British by the sultan of Palembang in 1812, it later became a Dutch possession. The chief town and port is Tandjungpandan. It was formerly called Billiton. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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