Native name: Pulau Bidong ڤولاو بيدوڠ Pula Bidong | |
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Geography | |
Location | South China Sea |
Coordinates | 5°37′N 103°4′E / 5.617°N 103.067°E |
Administration | |
State | Terengganu |
Bidong Island (Malay: Pulau Bidong, Terengganuan Pula Bidong) is an island 260 ha (640 acres) in area[1] in Kuala Nerus District, Terengganu, Malaysia in the South China Sea. Bidong Island is accessible from the coastal town of Merang in Setiu district. From 1978 until 2005 Bidong Island was a refugee camp with a population reaching at its peak as many as 40,000 Vietnamese refugees. A total of about 250,000 refugees were residents of the camp during the period of its operation. Most stayed on Bidong a few months or longer and were resettled abroad in third countries, especially the United States.