The Belitung live on the island of Belitung (Biliton) in the province of Bangka- Belitung. This island is in the South China Sea, on the east of Sumatera to the southwest of Bangka Island. The Belitung people call themselves Urang Belitong (Belitung people). The island is mostly lowlands with some hills, such as Tajam Laki and Tajam Bini. In some areas there are small rivers, and some small lakes can be found in old tin quarries on the island. The islands are considered important for their tin mines.
Many earn their livelihood from mining tin and kaolin, a fine white clay. Other occupations include trade, fishing, boat building, iron working and general office work. Only a small part of the land is suitable for rice cultivation. Other crops include rubber, pepper, cloves, coconut, sweet potatoes and bananas. Handicraft industries developed by the Belitung include porcelain ceramics and woven rattan. The traditional Belitung house is built on a raised platform with bark walls and roofs of sago palm leaves.
The ancestry of the Belitung can be traced through either the line of the father or the mother. A village is formed by a group of families, termed a keleka. The keleka, led by a traditional chief along with his assistants, has its own rules and accepted boundaries.
The religious leader is a dukun (shaman/healer/occultist) whose duty is to lead the ceremonies of the community. The Belitung adhere to Islam which came to the area around the 17th century. Nevertheless, traditional animistic beliefs still flourish among the community. This can be seen in their ceremonies for working the rice fields (maras taun), fishing (buang jong), and weddings (gawai pengantin). They still believe in magical forces that inhabit sacred spaces.
The Belitung people need the spiritual hunger it will take for them to forsake all other gods and embrace the King of kings.
Pray for the spiritual hunger it takes to embrace Jesus Christ despite public pressures.
Pray for loving and dedicated workers.
Scripture Prayers for the Belitung in Indonesia.
Used by permission © 2001 PJRN Indonesia
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Belitung |
People Name in Country | Belitung |
Pronunciation |
BELL-i-tung
|
Alternate Names | Pesisir, Southern; Southern Pesisir |
Population this Country | 116,000 |
Population all Countries | 116,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 14374 |
ROP3 Code | 107995 |
ROP25 Code | 301053 |
ROP25 Name | Belitung |
Country | Indonesia | ||
Region | Asia, Southeast | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 42 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Widespread in Peninsular Malaysia; also in Sarawak state: Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, and Betong districts. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Country | Indonesia |
Region | Asia, Southeast |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 42 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Widespread in Peninsular Malaysia; also in Sarawak state: Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, and Betong districts.. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.03 %) |
0.05 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
99.95 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Malay (116,000 speakers) |
Language Code | zlm Ethnologue Listing |
Primary Dialect | Belitung |
Dialect Code | 13440 Global Recordings Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Malay (116,000 speakers) |
Language Code | zlm Ethnologue Listing |
Primary Dialect | Belitung |
Dialect Code | 13440 Global Recordings Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Malay |
Primary Language: Malay
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1629-1932) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1668-1974) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (2015) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Wallpaper Flare Creative Commons |
Map Source | People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |