a group of islands in the South China Sea, between the island of Sumatra and the Malacca Peninsula. Possession of Indonesia. Area, 2, 178 sq km.
The main islands of the archipelago are Singkep (828 sq km) and Lingga (826 sq km). The highest elevation is 1,163 m. The islands are covered with equatorial forests. The island of Singkep has tin deposits. There is fishing; tea, copra, and gambier (tanning extract) are exported.