It is a beautiful laid back small island off the northern coast of West Papua (the Indonesian part of New Guinea) at the entrance to Cenderawasih (Geelvink) Bay,  only 50 M across and averaging about 18 KM wide. Regular flights from Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar and Jayapura serve the island.

The first European sighting of the group was by the Dutch navigator Willem Corneliszoon Schouten. The chief islands are Biak, Supiori, and Numfor. The town of Biak, on the southern coast of Biak, is the mainsettlement and administrative centre. The islands, particularly Numfor and Biak, are among the most densely populated areas of West Papua (Irian Jaya). This group should not be confused with another island group of the same name, also off the northern coast of New Guinea but belonging to Papua New Guinea.