Derived from the Malay word bukit, or hill, Phuket was long known to European traders as Junk Ceylon, and a rich source of valuable tin. After an attack by the rival Burmese navy in 1785, which was repulsed by forces commanded by a local widow and her sister, Phuket rose to prominence as a regional administrative center, charged with running the southern provinces of Thailand. Today, Phuket is the largest island in Thailand, and sports fine beaches, constant sunshine, and an enviable proximity to a multitude of attractions and dive sites - among them the Similan Islands, Koh Phi Phi, and the limestone peaks of Phang Nga Bay. While Phuket was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, it has since repaired the damage, and, thanks to its tourism revenue, become the wealthiest province in the country.