Sebatik Island

Sebatik Island
Aerial view of the entrance to Cowie Bay. In the background Sebatik Island. In the foreground, next to the sea, Tawau City. Taken from airplane, heading west
Sebatik Island
Coordinates: 4°10′02″N 117°47′02″E / 4.16722°N 117.78389°E / 4.16722; 117.78389
Country	Malaysia  Indonesia
State	Sabah
Province of Indonesia	North Kalimantan
Population
• Total	25,000 Malaysian 80,000 Indonesian

The border between Malaysia and Indonesia on Sebatik Island in a Russian map.

Sebatik Island (Pulau Sebatik) is an island off the eastern coast of Borneo, partly within Indonesia and partly within Malaysia. It has an area of approximately 452.2 square kilometres (174.6 sq mi).^[1][2] The minimum distance between Sebatik Island and the mainland of Borneo is about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi).^[3]

Sebatik Island lies between Tawau Bay (Teluk Tawau) to the north and Sebuku Bay (Teluk Sebuku) to the south. The city of Tawau lies in Sabah just to the north. The island is bisected at roughly 4° 10' North by the Indonesia-Malaysia border - the northern part belongs to Sabah, Malaysia (Sebatik Malaysia) while the southern part belongs to North Kalimantan (previously East Kalimantan), Indonesia (Sebatik Indonesia).

Sebatik Malaysia has a population estimated to be approximately 25,000; there are approximately 80,000 people in Sebatik Indonesia.^[4]

The demarcated international border between Malaysia and Indonesia stops at the eastern edge of Sebatik Island, so that the ownership of Unarang Rock and the maritime area located to the east of Sebatik is unclear.^[5] This is one of the reasons why the Ambalat region waters and crude oil deposits east of Sebatik Island have been the center of an active maritime dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia since March 2005. The ambiguity of the border at the eastern edge is sometimes attributed as the reason the two nearby islands of Sipadan and Ligitan were determined to be part of Malaysia, rather than Indonesia.^[5]

While there are border guards on the island, there is no immigration office, no customs house, no barbed wire fence and no walls demarcating the border. Instead, the only evidence of a border are the concrete piles buried every kilometer from east to west.^[6]

Sebatik Island was one of the places in which heavy fighting took place between Indonesian troops and Malaysian troops during the 1963 Indonesia Malaysia Confrontation.

The North Borneo Timbers company operated a logging concession on the island until the 1980s and its mostly expatriate employees lived in a self-contained community in Wallace Bay. Sebatik Malaysia is within the administrative district of Tawau. For electoral purposes, Sebatik falls within the parliamentary constituency of Kalabakan and the state assembly district of Sebatik.

Sitangkai Indonesia (at its closest points) is approximately 175 kilometres (109 mi) to Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines, the second closest point between the two countries after the Miangas island in North Sulawesi.^[7]

See also

• List of divided islands

References

v t e Sabah topics History Empire of Brunei Brunei Civil War North Borneo Madrid Protocol Japanese occupation Borneo campaign Sandakan Death Marches Battle of North Borneo Malaysia Agreement Cobbold Commission 20-point agreement Proclamation of Malaysia 1986 Sabah riots 2013 Lahad Datu standoff Symbols Coats of arms Flag Politics Constitution Governor Chief Minister Cabinet Legislative Judiciary Elections Law Demographics Main ethnic groups Bajau Bruneian Malay Bisaya Kedayan Kadazan-Dusun Dusun Kadazan Kwijau Lotud Mangka'ak Maragang Murut Rungus Other ethnic groups Bugis Dumpas Ida'an Illanun Lun Bawang Minokok Orang Cocos Orang Sungai Rumanau Tambanuo Tausug/Suluk Tidong Administrative divisions Divisions Interior Division Kudat Division Sandakan Division Tawau Division West Coast Division Cities Kota Kinabalu (capital) Sandakan Tawau Districts and major towns Beaufort Beluran Keningau Kinabatangan Kota Kinabatangan Kota Belud Kota Marudu Kuala Penyu Kudat Kunak Lahad Datu Nabawan Papar Pitas Penampang Putatan Ranau Semporna Sipitang Tambunan Tenom Tongod Tuaran Sub-district and small towns Inanam Membakut Menggatal Menumbok Sepanggar Tanjung Aru Tamparuli Other towns Bingkor Bongawan Donggongon Kalabakan Kimanis Kinarut Kundasang Pensiangan Sapulut Sindumin Sook Telipok Telupid Weston Notable villages Kandawayon Titingan Geography Islands Adal Ampak-Ampak Bai Baik Bait Bakau-Bakau Bakubang Bakungan Bakungan Kecil Balak Balambangan Balangkasan Balundangan Kecil Balungang Besar Balusuan Bangan-Bangan Banggi Bankawan Bangkuruan Batawan Batik Batik Kulambu Batu Laya-Laya Berhala Bilangan Billean Bingkulan Bisa Bodgaya Bohayan Boheydulang Bonting Bum Bum Bush Buwaning Daisy Danawan Daunan Delconte Dewa Dinawan Di Tg. Batai Di Tg. Pendaras Engot Evans Gaya Gatahan Guhuan Utara Gulisan Gusong Gusungan Hutan Rimba Jambongan Kabili Kahamkamman Kalampunian Kalampunian Besar Kalampunian Damit Kalangaan Kalapuan Kalumpang Kalungan Kalung Kalungan Kanawi Kaniogan Kapalai Kawan Kelautan Keramuk Keremat Kukuban Laila Lakatan Landayang Lankayan Langaan Lambidan Larapan Latoan Leonan Libaran Ligitan Lihak-Lihak Lihiman Limau Limauan Linkabo Lingisan Lungisan Lubukan Mabahok Mabul Maganting Maiga Majinkil Malawali Maliangin Besar Maliangin Kecil Malundangan Mamutik Mandag-Mandag Mandidarah Mangkalai Darat Mangkalai Laut Mantabuan Mantanani Manukan Mataking Mataking Kecil Mata Pahi Mati Menampilek Mengalum Merigi Modom Montokud Musa Nunuyan Darat Nunuyan Laut Nusa Kuya Nusa Tengah Omadal Pababag Pagassan Pakil Palak Pandan-Pandan Pandanan Pandawan Panimbawan Panukaran Papahan Pasir Patanunam Peduk Penampangan Plompong Pom Pom Puno Puno Puru Puru Sabangkat Saddle Saga Sakar Salakan Sandy Sangai Sapi Sarangga Sebangkat Sebatik Sedam Selangan Selingan Sepanggar Si Amil Sibuon Sikarindingan Silawa Silogong Silumpat Silungun Simandalan Simial Sinamgil Sinjataan Sipadan Sipanggau Sipindung Sisipan Straggler Sulug Sulok Sungor Tabawan Tabilian Tabun Tagabua Tagujawan Tambisan Tambulian Tanah Tango Tanjung Tanjung Tiga Papan Tatagan-Tatagan Tegipil Tetagan Torongohok Terumbu Eberett Tetabuan Tibakan Tiga Tigabu Tigowis Tikus Timba Timba Timbang Timbun Mata Timur Tiong Kecil Tree Rock Udar Kecil Udar Besar Usukan Dispute Spratly Islands Ardasier Dallas Erica Investigator Layang Layang Louisa Mariveles Bays Agal Cowie Darvel Kimanis Labuk Marchesa Marudu Padas Paitan Sandakan Sepanggar Schomburgk Tambak Rivers Abai Apas Bandau Betotan Binsuluk Bode Besar Bongawan Bongaya Bongon Brantian Bukau Burong River Gum Gum Besar Inanam Jeragan Bistari Kaindangan Kalabakan Kalumpang Kanibongan Kimanis Kinabatangan K. Klagan Klias Kolopis Kretam Besar Labuk Lakutan Langkon Liwagu Mamahat Manalunan Maruap Mengalong Mengkabong Membakut Merotai Mulau Monyog Mumiang Padas Papar Paitan Pegagau Pimpin Sabahan Sahabat Samawang Sapagaya Segaliud Segama Sekong Besar Sengarong Sepagaya Serudong Sibunga Silabukan Simandalan Sinsilog SuanLamba Besar Sugut Sulaman Tandek Tanjung Labian Tatulit Tawau Tegupi Telaga Tempasuk Tingkayu Tiram Tuaran Ulu Tungku Umas Umas Mountains and Mountain range Kinabalu Danum Crocker Volcanic field Bombalai Hill Others Nunuk Ragang Commons Wikisource Category Portal

v t e Regencies and cities of North Kalimantan Capital: Tanjung Selor Regencies Bulungan Malinau Nunukan Tana Tidung Cities Tarakan See also: List of regencies and cities of Indonesia

Coordinates: 4°10′02″N 117°47′02″E / 4.16722°N 117.78389°E / 4.16722; 117.78389