Batam is an island, municipality (an Indonesian kotamadya), and the largest city (on the island) in Riau Islands Province within Indonesia. Batam is a free trade zone, part of the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle, located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore's south coast. The 715 km² (276 miles²) island, almost identical in size to Singapore, is the core part of the municipality.

The municipality (1,010.88 km²) has a population of 1,153,860 (Civil Registry Survey April 2012). As per the 2010 Census it was the fastest growing municipality in the nation, with a growth rate of 11% per year. Though the municipality covers adjacent islands, nearly all the people reside on Batam island.