The Malays are the largest ethnic group with a composition of 35.60% of the entire population of the Riau Islands. They are the native people of the Riau Archipelago. From the ancient times, the Riau Archipelago is considered the hub of Malay cultures. In the past, several Malay kingdoms and sultanates existed in the archipelago, the most notably being the Riau-Lingga Sultanate. A major sub-group of the Malay inhabiting the province is the "Orang laut" (sea people). The "Orang laut" are Malays who are Nomadic in nature and have a rich marine culture. Presently, many "Orang laut" have settled in coastal areas of the province. The "Orang laut" are encompasses of numerous tribes and groups inhabiting the islands and estuaries in the Riau-Lingga Archipelagos, the Tudjuh Archipelago, the Batam Archipelago, and the coasts and offshore islands of eastern Sumatra, southern Malaysia Peninsula and Singapore. The geographical condition of the Riau Islands, which has almost 99% of its area as water, has made quite a number of "Orang Laut" groups living in this area. In the Riau Islands, the "Orang laut" are usually found in islands and river mouths. The "Orang laut" are boat-dwelling tribe with main livelihoods as fish finders and other marine animals, such as "tripang" (sea cucumber). This subsystem economic model is the characteristic of their culture. Since the implementation of the policy of relocation of settlements by the Indonesian Government in the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the customs of the "Orang laut" are gradually disappearing.