MAJOR ISLANDS AND REGIONS OF INDONESIA

GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF INDONESIA

Provinces of Indonesia in 2022

Indonesia is divided into about three dozen provinces, each with a distinctive character, culture and people. Most of the land and people are concentrated in a few islands. Java (132,107 square kilometers) and Bali are filled with people, volcanoes and rice terraces. Java alone is home to about 60 percent of Indonesia’s population and the nation’s capital, Jakarta. Java and nearby Bali and Madura make up on 7 percent of Indonesia’s land area but are home to two thirds of the population, Java and Bali contain the most intensive areas of rice production and are the center of the modern tourist industry.

Administrative Divisions: Thirty-three provincial-level units: 31 provinces (“propinsi), autonomous province (Aceh), one special region (“daerah istimewa; Yogyakarta), and one special capital city region (“daerah khusus; Jakarta). Provinces subdivided into districts, called municipalities (“kota) in urban areas and regencies (“kabupaten) in rural areas; below are subdistricts (“kecamatan), with village (“desa) at lowest tier. Indonesia in 2009 had 348 regencies, 91 municipalities, 5,263 subdistricts, and 66,979 villages. [Source: Library of Congress *]

Provinces: Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Jambi, Jawa Barat (West Java), Jawa Tengah (Central Java), Jawa Timur (East Java), Kalimantan Barat (West Kalimantan), Kalimantan Selatan (South Kalimantan), Kalimantan Utara (North Kalimantan), Kalimantan Tengah (Central Kalimantan), Kalimantan Timur (East Kalimantan), Kepulauan Bangka Belitung (Bangka Belitung Islands), Kepulauan Riau (Riau Islands), Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara (North Maluku), Nusa Tenggara Barat (West Nusa Tenggara), Nusa Tenggara Timur (East Nusa Tenggara), Papua, Papua Barat (West Papua), Riau, Sulawesi Barat (West Sulawesi), Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi), Sulawesi Tengah (Central Sulawesi), Sulawesi Tenggara (Southeast Sulawesi), Sulawesi Utara (North Sulawesi), Sumatera Barat (West Sumatra), Sumatera Selatan (South Sumatra) and Sumatera Utara (North Sumatra). [Source: CIA World Factbook]

There are five main islands (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua), two major archipelagos (Nusa Tenggara— also known as the Lesser Sunda Islands—and the Maluku Islands— also called the Moluccas), and 60 smaller archipelagos. Three of the islands are shared with other nations: Kalimantan, the world’s third-largest island—also known as Borneo—is shared with Malaysia and Brunei; Papua and Papua Barat provinces (two provinces carved from what was formerly called West New Guinea or, later, Irian Jaya) share the island of New Guinea with the nation of Papua New Guinea; and the island of Timor is divided between Timor-Leste (former East Timor) and Indonesia’s Nusa Tenggara Timur Province. *

Geographers have conventionally labeled Sumatra, Java (and Madura, a small island near Java’s northeast coast), Kalimantan, and Sulawesi collectively as the Greater Sunda Islands. These islands, except for Sulawesi, lie on the Sunda Shelf, an extension of the Malay Peninsula and the Southeast Asian mainland. Far to the east are Papua and Papua Barat provinces, which take up the western half of the world’s second-largest island, New Guinea, which lies on the Sahul Shelf. Sea depths on the Sunda and Sahul shelves average 200 meters or less. Between these two shelves lie Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, and the Maluku Islands, whose adjacent seas are 4,500 meters deep in some places. The term Outer Islands is used inconsistently by various writers but is usually taken to mean those islands other than Java, Bali, and Madura. *

Jakarta

Map of Greater Jakarta region

Now regarded as the world’s largest city, Jakarta is a big, sprawling, dirty, steamy hot city with crowded slums, monsoon flooded districts, thistle-like skyscrapers, traffic-clogged streets, and shacks and street stalls intermixed with modern buildings built with Western money. There are around 10 million people in the city and another 20 million around it. By some counts Jakarta is the fastest growing major metropolis in the world, expanding at a rate of 4.4 percent a year. Greater Jakarta grew from 2.8 million in 1950 to 15 million in 2000 and is home to around 31 million people today. During the day the number in the city proper increases by 2 or 3 million as commuters make their way to work in the city, and decreases when they go home in the evenings. When it was under Dutch control before World War II, Jakarta was known as Batavia then spelled Djakarta. Indonesia was known as the Dutch East Indies.

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, but in 2019 plans were announced to move the capital of Indonesia to Kalimantan in Borneo because Jakarta is too crowded, sinking and often flooded. But for now Jakarta it is still the seat of the national government as well the home of a large provincial government and Indonesia’s main political scene, with the Presidential Palace, national government offices, Parliament, and the Supreme Court all located in the city center.

Jakarta is the chief port and major financial, commerce and banking center of Indonesia but not its cultural center. Jakarta began as a colonial outpost set up by the Dutch. The cultural centers and traditional home of the Javanese royalty have been in Solo and Yogyakarta in eastern Java. But Jakarta is the center of Indonesia’s popular culture and its modern music, media, film and publishing industries. Jakarta’s attractions include a few interesting museums and some interesting colonial buildings in Kota (Old Jakarta). The city has vibrant nightlife, lots of good place to eat and multicultural scene with Indonesians from all over the archipelago: Ambonese. Madurese, Timorese and Batiks. The main ethnic groups in Jakarta are Sundanese, who predominate in the surrounding province of West Java, and Javanese. There is a substantial Chinese population and tens of thousands of expatriates.

Located on Jakarta Bay on the north coast of western Java, Jakarta covers 590 square kilometers. In the 2010s it was ranked as the world’s 21th largest city but greater Jakarta ranked as the world’s fourth largest metropolitan area. It covers over 1,000 square kilometers (400 square miles). It rivals Bangkok in terms of pollution and traffic congestion but not in terms of things to do and see. Most tourists visiting Indonesia give it a miss. Some that do a layover at Jakarta’s international Airport, chose to sleep in the airport rather than deal with going into the city.

Jakarta is built on a wide flat delta, intersected by 13 rivers. In the Bay of Jakarta are a large number of tiny islands, known as the Thousand Islands or Pulau Seribu, where tourists can snorkel, swim and escape the city. To the south are the towering volcanoes of Gede and Pangrango, where the cool mountain retreats of Bogor, Puncak, Sukabumi and Bandung are situated. Construction in and around the city is booming, and includes hotels shopping malls, apartment complexes To reach the far-flung destination scattered across the sprawling metropolis, the government has built toll roads to ease congestion through and over Jakarta’s busiest centers though these are often clogged like ever other major road in Jakarta, especially during morning and evening hours, which can last three or four hours.

Java

Indonesia provinces 1945-2012 Java is the world's most populous island and the center of Indonesia culture, politics and economic life. Historical events that took place here shaped Indonesia as a whole. Outsiders still seek it out as the place to make one’s name and seek fame and fortune in the archipelago. It is an incredibly rich place, with a rich cultural traditions and places of extraordinary beauty that are not marred by island’s dense masses, noise and traffic. It is about a third the size of California but has more than three times the people.

Altogether, some 150 million people live on Java, about half the population of Indonesia. Of these about two thirds are Javanese. It is surprising that so many people live on Java, which occupies an area smaller than New York State and makes up only 6.9 percent of Indonesia. Some areas of Java have the highest rural densities in the world, with an average density of 4,145 people per square kilometer (1,600 people per square mile) . Some areas it is much higher. Around the rural area of Modjokuto densities of 15,400 to 20,720 people per square kilometer (6,000 to 8,000 people per square mile) were recorded in 1969. Jakarta is now recognized as the world's largest city.

The Javanese, Indonesia's largest ethnic group, make up 40 to 45 percent of the population of Indonesia. Five major languages are spoken in Java: 1) Javanese around Jakarta; 2) Indonesian in northwest and central Java; 3) Sundanese in southwest Java; 4) Madurese in northeast Java and nearby Madura island; and 5) Balinese in eastern Java and Bali. Each group has their culture and is regarded as an ethnic group. Administratively, Java is divided into three provinces. Central and East Java are inhabited mainly by the larger Javanese ethnic group, while the Sundanese form the majority population in West Java.

Because Java is so densely populated the rural areas have a urban quality to them.. Villages are often only a few hundred meters apart and usually no more than eight kilometers separates towns. The only cities with a true urban and industrial character are Jakarta, Surubaja and Semarang. Population growth combined with small and fragmented land holdings produce severe problems such as overcrowding and poverty.

Indonesia has traditionally been ruled from Jakarta, which is located on Java. The Dutch had their headquarters there from 1611 to 1949. It also has become the center of Indonesia's industrial and economic boom. As the administrative and economic hub of Indonesia’s vast archipelago, Java attracts heavy movement from other islands and from abroad. As a result, the people there are long accustomed to living and working alongside diverse peoples, particularly in major urban centers as well as in the metropolitan region surrounding the national capital, Jakarta. [Source: A. J. Abalahin, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009; Kenneth MacLeish, National Geographic, January 1971]

Geography and Geology of Java

Topography map of .

Long and narrow and about the size of Alabama or Britain, Java covers 132,107 square kilometers (50,229 square miles) and extends about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) from east to west and 30 to 200 kilometers (20 to 130 miles) from north to south. It is located between 6̊and 9̊south of the Equator, divided in East Java, Central Java and West Java and encompasses thin, fertile, densely populated coast plains and mountains and volcanos. They are a few remaining tracts of rain forest left but most of the land is cultivated, primarily for rice.. The climate is tropical. The wet season lasts from September to March and the dry season is from March to September. The mountains and plateaus are somewhat cooler than the lowlands.

Java is also one most geologically active places on earth. It formed million of years ago where the Indo-Australian plate meets Asia's continental shelf. The collision of these plates folded Java along two parallel lines of east-west plateaus and hills. A series of well-spaced volcanoes broke through the intervening trough, and their peaks gradually slope down to broad plains that are ideal for rice terraces. Of the 60 volcanos in Indonesia designated as dangerous enough to warrant having observation posts 30 are in Java. Smoke still emanates from 17 active volcanos on the island and Anuk Krakatau (son of Krakatau) about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Java. Some 20 peaks on Java rise above 10,000 feet, the highest being 12,060-foot Mount Semeru.

The volcanoes have enriched Java with volcanic ash soil, which with the abundant rain found in most Java yields a wide variety of plant life and crops such as cloves, pepper, figs, jasmine and rattan palms. Wild animals found on Java include crocodiles, hornbills, eagles, cobras, pythons, leopards and wild pigs. Loss of habitat has led to the extinction of tigers and other animals on Java. Only a handful of Javanese rhinos remain. About 63 percent of Java is cultivated, compared to 10–20 percent of other Indonesian islands. Twenty-five percent of Java's surface is devoted to wet rice paddies. The northern coastal plain is fragmented into rice fields that give way to fishponds and salt pans, and it is dotted with ports. This plain faces the shallow and busy Java Sea. In contrast, along the southern shore, plateaus fall sharply down to the deep, desolate Indian Ocean. ^

Central Java

Central Java is located not only in the heart of Java but is also more or less in the middle of Indonesia. Its central location has meant that it was shaped by influences from the outside. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity all played a part in Central Java's evolution, as reflected by the region’s wonderful ancient cities and historical monuments—namely Borubudur and Prahmadana.

Central Java’s central location has also meant that its culture has radiated outward. Javanese culture has its origins in the city of Surakarta (better known as Solo) and Yogyakarta, both in Central Java. Descendants of the two royal families which ruled Java for centuries, still live in these two cities and are still considered the leaders of Javanese culture and traditions. And it is these Javanese, through conquest, coercion, and cooperation with their former Dutch rulers that created the nation of Indonesia. Most of the other islands have their own ethnic identity, but it is the Javanese who have the political power and Central Java is their homeland.

Central Java covers 33,800 square kilometers and is home to around 35 million people. It has some mountainous areas, some plateaus and some flat coastal plains and is dominated by volcanoes. Towering over the whole province is Mount Merapi, a very active volcano. The ash and lava from these volcanos has nourished soil fertile enough to support all those people.

East Java

lights of East Java from space, NASA 2019

East Java is the least densely populated part of Java but still home to around 40 million people. It has a variety of attractions: temples, beautiful beaches, highland lakes, coral reefs, volcanos and wildlife reserves. When the power of Central Java waned in the 10th century the vacuum was filled by East Javanese kings who estabished the Majapahit Kingdom that at its height in the 13th century included all of present-day Indonesia as well as the Malay peninsula and the Philippines. Under the Dutch, East Java was turned into a major plantation area, with coffee, cacao and rubber being the major cash crops. Many Madurese have settled in East Java, particularly on the north coast and have given the whole province a rougher, earthier character as opposed to refined Central Java.

East Java has plenty to see. The capital of East Java province, Surabaya is a cosmopolitan city with lots of good places to eat and comfortable hotels. Within a short trip are a adventures such climbing Mt. Bromo, a very active, often smoking and erupting volcano also accessible from Central Java. You can also try to conquer Mount Semeru, the highest mountain in Java at 3676 meters. Madura island, off the northeastern corner of Java and nearly connected to it, is famous its people, the Madurese, who have a distinct and notorious culture, and enjoy bull races called karapan sapi, usually held in August and September every year.

The Majapahit Dynasty, based in and around East Java, was the first Javan or Indonesia power that was able to dominate the entire Indonesian archipelago — as well as the Malay Peninsula and part of the Philippines — for hundreds of years. It conducted profitable trade relations with China, Cambodia, Siam, Burma and Vietnam. During the reign of King Erlangga, both East Java and Bali enjoyed lucrative trade with the surrounding islands, and made great artistic and intellectual advances. Part of the Hindu epic Mahabarata was translated and re-interpreted to conform to East Javanese philosophy and view of life, and it was from this area that East Java inherited most of its temple art.

West Java

West Java in an Indonesian province covers 46,229 square kilometers (17,850 square miles) and stretches from the Sundai Strait in the west to the central part of the island. The province is home to about 47 million people, more than most countries in the world, and is primarily mountainous, with rich green valleys hugging lofty volcanic peaks, many of which surround the capital of the province, Bandung. A mountain range of smoldering volcanoes runs from east to west. Upon the misty foothills of this range lovely tea plantations and ancient kingdoms can be found. Along the coast are unspoiled beaches and wildlife preserves. The area receives quite a bit if rain and is very green and lush.

map of Java from 1719

West Java is densely populated and includes a substantial rural population. West Java is also called Sunda and the people there are called the Sudanese (See Below). They are regarded as friendly folks who value tradition. In some big cities, like Bandung, the capital of West Java, other ethnic groups begin to dominate as well. About 50 million people make their home in West Java. Islam is very strong here. The climate is tropical. The wet season lasts from September to March and the dry season is from March to September. The mountains and plateaus are somewhat cooler than the lowlands.West Java’s tropical climate, with an average of about 125 rainy days each year, Java’s productive soil has helped make it one of the densely populated places on earth. The climate is tropical, with a dry season from March to September and a wet season from September to March. The mountains and plateaus are cooler than the lowlands.

The northern coast of West Java is largely flat, the southern coast more rugged and hilly, and the interior mountainous, dominated by dramatic volcanic landscapes. One of the most catastrophic volcanic events in history occurred in 1883, when the eruption of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra devastated the northwestern coast of Java. The eruption sent massive amounts of debris into the atmosphere and generated tsunamis that killed tens of thousands of people along nearby shores. This varied ecology supports the cultivation of many crops, including rice, tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber, cloves, and vegetables, and makes West Java an important center of biodiversity. Ujung Kulon National Park, at the westernmost tip of Java, protects a rich range of plant and animal life and is home to more than fifty Javan rhinoceros, one of the world’s most critically endangered mammals. [Source: A. J. Abalahin, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009 ^^]

Sumatra

Sumatra is a huge Indonesian island southwest of Southeast Asia and east of Java. Situated just a few kilometers across the important Straits of Malacca from Singapore and Malaysia, it is covered by mountains and plateaus in the west and wide, flat, swampy lowlands and brown meandering rivers in the east. Sumatra remains a wild place with some stunning scenery and beautiful places despite undergoing rapid development in recent decades. Even though vast tracts of lowland forest have been cleared, large areas of forests till remain in the highlands. Some of the highest concentrations of large animals in Asia are found in Sumatra's mountain parks. Offshore are islands with some of the world’s best surfing spots. [Source: Harvey Arden, National Geographic, March 1981]

Sumatra is Indonesia’s second most populous province. It is home to 61 million people (2020s), about 20 percent of Indonesia’s population, but is much less densely populated than Java or Bali. Although its is almost four times the size of Java it has less than a quarter of its population, The highest concentration of people are west of Medan on the northeast coast. Important ethnic groups include the Acehnese and Gayo-Alas, who live in the northern part of Sumatra; the Batak who live around Lake Toba; the Minangkabau, who live in western Sumatra; Malays, who dominate the east, across the Straits of Malacca from Malaysia. The Ogan-Besemah live in the south.

Sumatra is the world’s sixth largest island, covering 482,287 square kilometers (182,812 square miles).. Nearly bisected by the equator, it is 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) long and accounts for 24.7 percent of Indonesia's land area. A long chain of mountains—the Bukit Barisan—run northwest-southeast and parallel to the west coast of the island. There are around 100 volcanos on the island, with 15 or so of them active ones. Many are over 3000 meters. The highest mountain in Indonesia outside Papua is the 3805-meter-high Sumatran volcano Gunung Kerinci.

The equator crosses central Sumatra.The Indian Ocean borders Sumatra’s northwestern, western, and southwestern coasts, with the islands of Simeulue, Nias, Mentawai, and Enggano lying offshore. To the northeast, the Strait of Malacca separates Sumatra from the Malay Peninsula, while to the southeast the Sunda Strait, which includes the Krakatoa archipelago, divides it from Java. Sumatra’s northern tip lies close to the Andaman Islands, and its southeastern waters include Bangka and Belitung, the Karimata Strait, and the Java Sea. The Bukit Barisan mountain range, dotted with active volcanoes, runs the length of the island, while the northeast consists largely of lowlands, swamps, mangrove forests, and extensive river systems

Bali

Bali (east of Java, about 1 hour and 20 minutes by air from Jakarta) is known as a place where traditions of art and culture predominate, where the village way of life based on their strong religious beliefs is still in place. But, it is also a place where modern sports such as diving, sailing, rafting and above all surfing have taken hold and a place where the ultimate luxuries of life: fine dining, spas and massage have reached the peak of perfection. Behind all of this is a single unseen premise; none of these practices, pursuits and pleasures are created as tourist industries in Bali, but are based on the talents, dedication and skills of the Balinese people in their normal course of life.

Bali is the best known prime tourist destination in Indonesia. Culturally and historically it is very different from the rest of Indonesia, especially in regard to its unique Hindu-animist religion. Inscriptions from the ninth and tenth centuries A.D. document the rise of Balinese kingdoms that later fell under Javanese control. In the sixteenth century, King Batu Renggong of Gelgel unified Bali. The social and religious order established during this time period continues to this day. More recently, tourist money has made Bali one of Indonesia's wealthiest regions but has also distorted its traditional culture. [Source: A. J. Abalahin,“Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009]

Bali is home to beautiful beaches, striking volcanic scenery, terraced rice fields and 4.4 million people. Even after decades of popularity, Bali continues to amaze and attract a variety of visitors from around the globe: from those who come to surf the waves of Kuta, Uluwatu and Dreamland, to others who love the panoramic beauty of mountains and lakes at Batur, Kintamani, or Lake Beratan at Bedugul, to those who love shopping or spend endless days on the beach, to those enjoy the artistic, New Age scene amid lush surroundings around Ubud. Bali has some good diving spots and has hosted some big raves and surfing competitions.

Bali is located eight degrees south of the equator. The westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, it is situated between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is an Indonesian province with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. Bali is a relatively small, diamond-shaped island. It covers only 5,580 square kilometers (2.155 square miles) — making it slightly larger than the state of Delaware — and measures 140 kilometers (85 miles) across from east to west, and 80 kilometers (50 miles) from north to south. No part of the island is more than 30 kilometers from the sea. The inhabited areas are mostly in the south and east. The landscape includes large volcanos and dense forests in the north and a coastal plain in the south. In between are steep ridges and ravines covered with "cascades of rice terraces" and rimmed by coconut palms, bamboo and banana trees. Most of the western part of the island is forest, where tigers used to live. Bali’s central mountains chain contains several peaks over 2000 meters and many active volcanoes. Mt. Agung volcano dominates the north part of the island. The volcanos produce nourishing volcanic soil and the mountains block clouds, bringing lots of rain.

Narrow straits separate Bali from Java to the west and Lombok to the east. A series of valleys, carved by swiftly flowing rivers, stretch south to the Indian Ocean. The island's southernmost tip is an arid limestone peninsula. The axis between the mountains and the sea dominates the Balinese sense of orientation. For example, tradition dictates that one should sleep with one's head facing kaja (the direction of the divine mountains) and one's feet facing kelod (the direction of the demonic sea). The soles of the feet should never face a person who deserves respect (in this case, the mountains). Depending on the location, kaja can mean "north" or "south."[Source: A. J. Abalahin,“Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009 *]

Kalimantan

Kalimantan occupies the southern two thirds or so of Borneo and covers an area of 539,000 square kilometers (208,285 square miles). It is an Indonesian region. Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak, and the independent country of Brunei occupy the northern part of Borneo. Kalimantan is divided into five provinces: North Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. In August 2019, the Indonesian government announced a plan to move Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to a location near Balikpapan and Samarinda in East Kalimantan

Kalimantan is a vast, thinly settled region, covered mostly by large wildernesses with marshy coastal plains and jungle covered mountains in the interior. It is a land of rain forests where wild orangutans can still be found and former headhunters welcome tourists into their longhouses. It also suffers from heavy deforestation. Logging companies are quickly exploiting the timber resources and palm oil companies are burning down the forest create plantations. It is also ravaged by fires.At the end of drought in 1982, a fire raged in East Kalimantan for almost year, destroying 33,700 square kilometers (13,000 square miles) of forest. It was the largest fire ever recorded.

The name Kalimantan, which is sometimes spelled Klemantan, was derived from the Sanskrit word Kalamanthana, which means "burning weather island", or island with a very hot temperature, to describe its hot and humid tropical climate. It consists of the two words kal (time, season, period) and manthan (boiling, churning, burning). The word Kalamanthana is spelled Kalmantan, and then the indigenous people fixed it into Klemantan. It has been said that Kalimantan is a word that means "river of diamonds" in Malay. That is not true.

Kalimantan occupies the southern two thirds of Borneo. Borneo is the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea. Straddling the equator, it covers 748,168 square kilometers (288,869 square miles), more than twice the area of the British Isles or more than Texas and Louisiana combined, and measures about (1290 kilometers (800 miles) from north to south and 800 kilometers (500 miles) from east to west. Located at the geographic center of Maritime Southeast Asia, Borneo is part of an archipelago called the Greater Sunda Islands.

Borneo

Borneo is thinly populated and covered by mountains, rain forests and increasingly palm oil plantations. Most of the cities and towns are along the coast. The soil is poor. Large areas of the coast are made up of marshes and mangrove swamps. Most of the interior consists of rugged mountains interspersed with deep gorges. This area is laced with clear and whiskey-colored streams.

Borneo contains extensive river systems and wetlands. The longest river is the Kapuas in West Kalimantan, which flows for about one thousand one hundred forty three kilometres. Other major rivers include the Mahakam in East Kalimantan, the Barito, Kahayan, and Mendawai in South Kalimantan, the Rajang in Sarawak, and the Kinabatangan in Sabah. Lake Sentarum, located in Kapuas Hulu Regency in West Kalimantan, forms part of an important inland wetland system that supports rich wildlife and seasonal flooding forests.

Wallace Line

The Wallace Line marks a point of transition between the flora and fauna of Western and Eastern Indonesia and acts as the western boundary of West Nusa Tenggara, which includes the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa. After all these centuries, the wildlife remains nearly unchanged.In Indonesia the Wallace Line runs between Bali and Lombok, continuing north between Kalimantan and Sulawesi. West of the Line, vegetation and wildlife are Asian in nature, whereas east of the Line, these resemble those of Australia. The animals of Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Java west of the Wallace Line are similar to those found on Peninsular Malaysia.In Sulawesi, the Maluku Islands, and Timor, east of the Wallace Line, Australian types begin to occur. Bandicoot, a marsupial, is found in Timor. [Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007; Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia]

Indonesia’s, Asia's and Oceania's flora and fauna is divided by the “Wallace Line”, an invisible biological barrier described by and named after the 19th-century British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace. Running along the water between the Indonesia islands of Bali and Lombok and between Borneo and Sulawesi, it separates the species found in Australia, New Guinea and the eastern islands of Indonesia from those found in western Indonesia, the Philippines and the Southeast Asia.

Nusa Tenggara

Map of Sunda and Sahul (marked by 125-meter depth contour) and the Wallace Line, the Weber Line and the Lydekker Line.

Nusa Tenggara is a string of islands that extend to the east of Bali and continues in a southeast curve towards Australia. The main islands are (from west to east) Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, Sumba, and Timor. Nusa Tenggara consists of two strings of islands stretching eastward from Bali toward Papua. The inner arc of Nusa Tenggara is a continuation of the chain of mountains and volcanoes extending from Sumatra through Java, Bali, and Flores, and trailing off in the Banda Islands. The outer arc of Nusa Tenggara is a geological extension of the chain of islands west of Sumatra that includes Nias, Mentawai, and Enggano. This chain resurfaces in Nusa Tenggara in the ruggedly mountainous islands of Sumba and Timor.[Source: Library of Congress]

Also known as the Lesser Sundas or Lesser Sunda Islands, Nusa Tengarra is the driest part of Indonesia. Parts of the islands have been denuded by slash and burn agriculture and brush fires. As one travels eastwards the climate get drier and drier and some land areas are covered by open savannah. The 300-meter-deep channel that runs between Bali and Lombok extends northwards and divides Kalimantan and Sulawesi and marks the Wallace Line, with different species of animals living on each side.

The largest islands in Nusa Tengarra are Sumba, Flores and Timor. Bali and Nusa Tenggara account for 4.6 percent of Indonesia’s land and 5.3 percent of its population. The region is poorer than other parts of Indonesia. Corn and taro are grown in the dryer areas rather than rice. Many ethic groups live in the region, particularly on Flores and Alor. Many of the people are Christians. As one travels eastwards the climate get drier and drier and some land areas are covered by open savannah.

The northern parts of some of the islands are mountainous and lush with tall trees and shrubs. The south, on the other hand is arid and covered by savannas. Large Asian mammals are absent and replaced in some cases by marsupials, lizards, cockatoos and parrots. The difference becomes more pronounced as one moves further east, where dry seasons are more prolonged and corn and sago are staple food, instead of rice.

The islands of Nusa Tenggara are divided into several regions with distinct languages and traditions. Predominantly Catholic and heavily influenced by the Portuguese, eastern Nusa Tenggara displays remnants of its strong European cultural heritage, like the Easter procession held in Larantuka and royal regalia of the former king in Maumere. As of mid-2024, East Nusa Tenggara has an estimated population of approximately 5.72 million people, ranking 12th among Indonesian provinces. With a population density of about 121 people per square kilometer, it is relatively sparsely populated compared to many other regions of Indonesia. The highest elevation in the province is Mount Mutis, which rises to 2,427 meters (7,962 feet) above sea level.

West Nusa Tenggara

Nusa Tengarra and Timor

West Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia located in the western part of the Lesser Sunda Islands. The province covers an area of 19,890 square kilometers (7,680 square miles) and consists primarily of two major islands—Lombok and Sumbawa—along with several smaller islands. Lombok, situated in the west, is smaller in size but significantly more densely populated, while Sumbawa, to the east, is much larger in area yet more sparsely populated. The provincial capital and largest city is Mataram, located on Lombok Island. West Nusa Tenggara shares maritime borders with Bali to the west and East Nusa Tenggara to the east. Nusa Tenggara. [Source: Wikipedia]

Geographically, West Nusa Tenggara province is characterized by a combination of coastal lowlands and mountainous terrain. Flat coastal areas dominate much of western and southern Lombok, while the island’s interior is marked by rugged highlands, including Mount Rinjani, the province’s highest peak at 3,726 meters (12,224 feet). Mount Rinjani is an active volcano and one of Indonesia’s most prominent natural landmarks and tourist attractions. On Sumbawa Island, the landscape is more varied, featuring steep hills, mountain ranges, and extensive dry grasslands, particularly in the eastern regions.

The natural environment of West Nusa Tenggara is one of its major attractions. The province is renowned for its beaches, including Kuta Beach in Lombok and Lakey Beach in Sumbawa, both internationally recognized surfing destinations. Off the northwest coast of Lombok lie the Gili Islands—Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno—which are among Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations, celebrated for their clear waters, coral reefs, and marine biodiversity. In addition to coastal tourism, West Nusa Tenggara is rich in cultural and historical heritage. Notable sites include Sade Village in Lombok, where traditional Sasak architecture and ways of life are still maintained, and historical palaces associated with the former Bima Sultanate on Sumbawa Island. These cultural landscapes, together with the province’s natural features, contribute to West Nusa Tenggara’s significance as both a cultural and ecological region of Indonesia.

East Nusa Tenggara

East Nusa Tenggara is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It occupies the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Flores Sea to the north. The province covers a total land area of 47,238 square kilometers (18,240 square miles) and consists of more than 500 islands. The largest among these are Sumba, Flores, and the western part of Timor, the latter sharing a land border with the independent nation of East Timor (Timor-Leste). Administratively, East Nusa Tenggara is divided into twenty-one regencies and one regency-level city, Kupang, which serves as both the capital and the largest urban center.

East Nusa Tenggara embraces over 550 islands, but it's dominated by three main islands, Flores, Sumba and Timor. The arid landscape of eastern and southeastern Nusa Tenggara is the result of hot, dry winds blasting in from Australian continent. In many coastal areas little rain falls during most of the year. The islands between Sumbawa and Timor are crowded with volcanoes and mountains. Mt Sirung in East Nusa Tenggara erupted in May 2004. Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate their homes. Plantations at the base of the mountain were said to have dried up.

East Nusa Tenggarais renowned for its striking natural landscapes and protected areas. Notable destinations include Komodo National Park, home to the Komodo dragon; the coastal town of Labuan Bajo; Lake Kelimutu with its tri-colored volcanic crater lakes; and numerous beaches scattered across the islands. East Nusa Tenggara is also culturally rich, characterized by a wide diversity of ethnic groups, languages, and traditions. Distinctive cultural expressions include ikat weaving practiced across many islands and ritual ceremonies such as Pasola in Sumba.

Sulawesi

Sulawesi is a huge funny-shaped sland east of Borneo and Kalimantan, south of the Philippines, west of the Moluccas and north of Flores. According to the BBC Sulawesi sprawls like a drunken starfish in the western Pacific Ocean, its four emerald limbs reaching into the Celebes, Molucca and Flores seas. Formerly known as Celebes, it is about the size of Nebraska and consists of four large peninsulas fringed by coral reefs and covered by large wildernesses areas with marshy coastal plains and jungle covered mountains in the interior. There are also smoking volcanoes and large agricultural areas. Off the coast in some places are distinctive Sulawesi fishing platforms.

Sulawesi is the world's 11th-largest island. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, it is situated in Indonesia west of the Maluku Islands, north of Flores and Timor, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines. Within Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra are more populous. Sulawesi covers an area of 186,216 square kilometers (71,898 square miles) (including minor islands administered as part of Sulawesi). The interior of Sulawesi is dominated by rugged mountain ranges, which have historically isolated the island’s peninsulas from one another. As a result, communication and travel between regions were traditionally easier by sea than by land.

Sulawesi is home to about 21 million people (2025). It accounts for about 10 percent of Indonesia's area and 7 percent of its population. It has lost 90 percent of its rich lowland forests to logging and agriculture. Many of the highland forests are still in good condition. Most people tend to live on or near the coast. The interior is generally sparsely inhabited. The major ethnic groups in the south are the Bugis and the Makassarese. The Toraja occupy the southern highlands. A mosaic of other groups are scattered across the island.

Three large bays divide the island from north to south: the Gulf of Tomini, the Tolo Gulf, and the Gulf of Boni. These gulfs separate the Minahasa (Northern) Peninsula, the East Peninsula, the Southeast Peninsula, and the South Peninsula. The Strait of Makassar runs along the island’s western coast, separating Sulawesi from Borneo. The island’s highest peak is Mount Latimojong, which rises to 3,478 meters (11,411 feet).

Sulawesi rises from deep surrounding seas to a rugged, largely non-volcanic mountainous interior, with active volcanoes concentrated on the northern Minahasa Peninsula and extending toward the Sangihe Islands. The island formed through complex tectonic collisions involving fragments from the Asian, Australian, and Pacific plates, leaving it heavily faulted and prone to earthquakes. Off its eastern coast, tectonic processes created the North Banda Sea and thick carbonate platforms during the Miocene. Unlike most islands in Wallacea, Sulawesi is a composite landmass shaped by plate collisions and later fragmentation, rather than a purely oceanic island.

Moluccas

The Moluccas are an island group and province in eastern Indonesia. Perhaps better known as the Spice Islands, they are located in the northeast sector of Indonesia and spread out over a large area between Sulawesi to the west, New Guinea to the southeast and the Philippines to the north.. The capital is Ambon. Originally explored by Ferdinand Magellan in the early 16th century, these isslands were later settled by the Portuguese. The Dutch took the islands in the 17th century and monopolized the spice trade. After Indonesia gained independence, the Moluccas were the focus of secessionist forces. The region's products include spices, copra, timber, and sago. [Source: World Encyclopedia, Oxford University Press, 2005]

The Moluccas are known as Maluku in Indonesian and Molukken in Dutch. They are geologically among the most complex of the Indonesian islands. The largest of these islands include Halmahera, Seram, and Buru, all of which rise steeply out of very deep seas. This abrupt relief pattern from sea to high mountains means that there are very few level coastal plains. [Source: Library of Congress]

The Moluccas were the islands that Columbus was looking for and were visited by Chinese, Indian and Arab mariners, who traded there, before Europeans arrived. It has been said that The Moluccas are named after mollusks (sea shells) but that is not true. The name derives from an indigenous word "Molo'uku" that has been mentioned in the 14th century Majapahit eulogy 'Nagarakretagama' and it's said to mean "the head of a bull" or "the head of something large." Before this finding, the most commonly accepted etymology of the name Maluku was the name the Arab traders gave to the islands "Jazirat Al-Mulukh" which means 'Islands of kings' in Arabic. South Moluccan people are known as Orang Maluku (Tenggara). North Moluccans are known as Orang Maluku (Utara).

The population of the Moluccas is 3,131,860 (2020), up from 1,977,570 in 2020 and 1.86 million in 1990. Most of the travelers who go the Moluccas today go there to enjoy the excellent diving and snorkeling and climbing active volcanoes. The area is not very developed for tourism. Few people speak English; the pace and service is very slow; and transportation—namely planes and boats—can be a problem. Schedules are hard to come and not always adhered to. Seafood is widely consumed. Try grilled or baked fish and Nasi ikan (rice and fish meal). The main gateway into Maluku is through the provincial capital Ambon, which is served by regular flights to most parts of the archipelago. Air and sea transportation connect the islands with 79 seaports and 25 airports. Roads on many of the islands provide access to the more remote places of interest.

The Moluccan region cover 850,000 square kilometers (328,186 square miles) , of which 90 percent is water and 10 percent of islands. The total land area is roughly 78,897 square kilometers (30,462 square miles ). The highest elevation is 3,027 meters (9931 feet). By one count one there are 1027 islands. The region is divided into two provinces: 1) predominately Muslim North Maluku Province, which stretches from Morotai to Sula, with the capital in Ternate, and 2) Maluku Province, which is roughly evenly divided between Muslims and Christians and encompasses the whole area from Buri to Seram to Wetar.

The Maluku Islands were a single province from Indonesian independence until 1999 when they were split into North Maluku and Maluku. North Maluku province includes Ternate (the former site of the provincial capital), Tidore, Bacan and Halmahera (the largest of the Maluku Islands). Coffee and fruit are important cash crops. Fish and other sea products are Maluku’s major sources of revenue, but nickel, oil, manganese and various kinds of timber also contribute to the province’s wealth. The Moluccas are the original home of nutmeg and cloves, and remain an important producer of spices, along with copra and forest products. Sago is the staple food of the region.

Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, the Moluccas and Papua and all the ethnic groups there

The Moluccas accounts for 3.9 percent of Indonesia's area but only 1 percent of the population Formed largely by volcanic activity, they are mountainous, fertile, and humid. The region lies on a very volatile volcanic belt where there have been over 70 major eruptions in the last 400 years. The geology of the Moluccas shares similar history, characteristics, and processes with the neighbouring Nusa Tenggara region. They comprise some of the most geologically complex and active regions in the world as a result of their position at the meeting point of four geological plates and two continental blocks.

Papua

Papua is the common name that refers to the western half of the Island of New Guinea (Indonesian New Guinea). Papua is the official name for the region as a whole and the name of at least one of the current provinces within it. Western New Guinea is a descriptive name for the western half of the island of New Guinea, with the country of Papua New Guinea occupying the eastern half. West Papua is also commonly used, particularly by those who refer to the region as a whole. The region was previously known as Netherlands New Guinea, West Irian, and Irian Jaya.

After Indonesia took control of the territory in 1969, it was called Irian Barat (West Irian). After it was integrated into Indonesia as the its 26th province in 1973 West Irian was renamed Irian Jaya. Irian means hot land" in the Biak language of northern Papua. Jaya means "victorious” in Bahasa Indonesian. It was a name given to the area by Suharto (president of Indonesia from 1967 to 1998). Irian is also an acronym for “Ikut Republik Indonesia Anti-Nederland” (To Follow the Anti-Netherlands Republic of Indonesia). Local people prefer the name West Papua.

Indonesia’s The national parliament changed the name back to its original name of Papua in October 2001. In 2003, Indonesian President Megawati set in motion a tortuous three-year process by which the northwestern portion was split off to form the new province of Irian Jaya Barat (West Irian Jaya), with the eastern two-thirds retaining the name Papua. Irian Jaya Barat was renamed West Papua (Papua Barat) in 2007. Further division of Papua was blocked at the time. In 2022, the Indonesian parliament voted to create four new provinces in the Papua region by splitting the original Papua province into Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua. Separately, the West Papua province was split into West Papua and Southwest Papua provinces.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006; National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, Indonesia Tourism website (indonesia.travel), Indonesia government websites, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated June 2026