Alor Archipelago

The Alor archipelago is an Indonesian island group of the Lesser Sunda Islands and the east of the Malay Archipelago. In the year 2010 190.026 people lived on the islands.

Geography

The Alor archipelago is administratively the government district ( kabupaten ) Alor and is part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. Capital is Kalabahi on Alor. The town of about 60,000 inhabitants, is also the economic center of the archipelago.

The islands lie between the Floressee in the Northeast and the Strait of Ombai with the Savu Sea to the southwest. To the west is the Solor Archipelago, in the southern Timor, to the east the East Timorese island of Atauro, and beyond to the Barat Daya Islands belonging Wetar.

The two main islands of the archipelago are Alor ( 210 476 ha ) in the east and the somewhat smaller island pantar ( 68 652 ha) in the west. Between the two lie in the Pantarstraße from north to south, the islands Buaya (formerly Kisu ) Ternate, Kepa, Pura ( 2,753 ha) and Tereweng ( Treweng ). Before the Western coast are the islands Alors Nuba and Sika. North of pantar includes the islands Lapang and Batang to the archipelago. In the Biangmerangbucht, on the north coast Pantars the island Kura is. The westernmost islands of the archipelago are Kambing, Rusa and Kangge (formerly Marisa, 1,368 ha) in the Strait of Alor. The last two islands of the archipelago are Kapas and Tikus. They are just as Kambing, Lapang, Batang, Sika and Nuba uninhabited.

Like the other islands of the Inner Banda arc is the archipelago of volcanic origin. The highest mountains are the Kolan ( 1765 m) and Muna (1440 m) on Alor. The extinct volcano Delaki is 1318 m the highest mountain Pantars. The Sirung ( 862 m) on pantar is an active complex volcano and last erupted in 1970.

Population

Numerous Papuan be on the archipelago, along with two local Austronesian languages ​​that are mainly spoken by a few fishing villages, and the national official language Bahasa Indonesia, spoken. 75 % of the population are Protestants, almost all other Muslims. Few villages are committed to the Catholic faith. Traditional beliefs and rites are nevertheless still widespread.

History

Chinese sandalwood traders visited in the 13th century, the island of Timor, on the neighboring islands give their reports any information. From the middle of the 14th century, the Hindu- Javanese Majapahit Empire is likely to have possessed on the eastern Sunda some small vassal kingdoms, as seen from the Empire Chronicle Nagarakertagama. Accordingly, they made 1357 a campaign only to the island of Sumbawa, the Chronicle results for the year 1365 but a series of islands further east, which are referred to as "dependent". Pantar is not mentioned therein, the name Galiyao could also refer to the island. The spelling variant Galao found in a list of islands that were achieved in 1511 by the Portuguese expedition to the Moluccas were the first Europeans. In Antonio Pigafetta 's diary of the first voyage around the world is mentioned briefly before Malua ( Alor today ) 1522 Island Galiau. Other indicators are ultimately for the equation of Galiyao with pantar.

Alor was considered the home of cannibals who did not want to convert to Catholic Christianity itself. Only later succeeded Calvinists to convert a portion of the population. In the past, Islam has established itself in parts of the island. In Great - Alor ( Alor Besar ) a Quran is preserved from the 12th century, which was brought in 1500 by the Moluccan island of Ternate of five missionaries here. Iang Gogo, one of these brothers, the princess Bui Haki Bunga Bali (on pantar ) is married and settled in Great - Alor, his brothers ending in Tuabang, Baranusa (both on pantar ), Solor and in Kuilerabaing ( Südwestalor ) settled. Descendants Iang Gogos are later settled in small - Alor ( Alor Kecil ), Aimoli, Alila, Ampera, Dulolong and other villages. The Portuguese visited the smaller islands to Timor rarely, but is charged officially claim to sovereignty. As trade goods beeswax, slaves and tortoise shells were used. Important pantar was for the colonial power, because it was regarded as a source of particularly pure sulfur, which was required for the production of gunpowder.

1851 sold the Portuguese governor José Joaquim Lopes de Lima without authorization from Lisbon, the claims of Portugal to the Alor Archipelago and other areas in the Lesser Sunda Islands, which were nominally under Portuguese suzerainty, for 200,000 florins to the Netherlands. Lopes de Lima fell out of favor and was deposed and arrested when Lisbon learned of the contract. On his return to Portugal, he died in Batavia. In 1854, the agreements were renegotiated. The Lisbon Treaty finally the sale was confirmed. The ratification took place in 1859. However, remained far from the old connections between Alor and Portuguese Timor exist. In 1886, the locals Alors were still paying an annual tribute to the Liurai of Liquiçá, in the form of rice, maize, cotton and others.

Economy

The infrastructure is poorly developed. Agriculture, self-catering still dominates the picture. The government is trying to change that with the help of international organizations. Thus, in the village Apui vanilla is grown. In addition, tamarind, almonds and other nuts are grown. In the forests sandalwood is beaten.

Recent studies have discovered minerals, such as gypsum, kaolin, petroleum and natural gas, tin, gold and diamonds. Black pebbles are exported as decorative items since 1980 from Alor and Pantar from. Besides this, craft products, such as bamboo products Ikatstoffe and opportunities for export. Great potential has the fishing.

In Alor Archipelago are some of the best snorkelling and diving areas of Indonesia. However, there are strong currents that make it advisable to dive only with a knowledgeable local accompaniment. The advent of excessive fishing has destroyed but some coral reefs.

The IATA airport code of the airport of Alor is ARD. It is located ten kilometers from Kalabahi. During the dry season Kalabahi is running five times a week from Kupang, the provincial capital, from a Kasa of Merpati Airlines. Since mid- 2003, a flight route Kupang Kalabahi - Kisar - Ambon is offered with return flight the next day.

Ferries depart every week from Kupang (West Timor ) to Kalabahi. The journey takes 20 hours. Twice a week there is a ferry route Larantuka ( Ostflores ) - Lewoleba ( Lembata ) - Baranusa ( pantar ) - Kalabahi in 20 hours. Once a week there is a ferry from Atapupu (West Timor ) to Kalabahi in nine hours. In addition, the Pelni passenger ships Serimau and Awu run weekly on Kalabahi. Due to the strong winds and big waves to connect to Alor is often interrupted during the rainy season.

Freighter usually go from Alor to Surabaya, Makassar and the Moluccas. The main port Alors has a capacity of 600 tons gross tonnage.

Culture

Characteristic of the traditional culture of the Alor archipelago are those built on stilts huts, which are also found in the coat of arms of the government district and the kettle drums ( mokko ).

On the mountain slopes Alors pantar and a red rice is planted, that can grow on dry, rocky ground. It forms the staple food for many inhabitants of the archipelago and is stored in the attic. Also with little rainfall comes from a black rice that is in special events, such as weddings, eaten. It is at the local markets significantly more expensive than other varieties. Fish is either fresh or dried prepared. A storage by cooling comes for locals already as principle of the question. The sweet-tasting, dried fish Ikan tali of the island Pura is considered local delicacy. It is eaten along with jagung Ketama (cooked corn with green peas), known in entire eastern Indonesia. Also of Pura Mawar comes loud, a mixture of various algae and seaweed that is roasted in bamboo along with tamarind and ginger for about an hour. You can drink palm wine ( TUAC). This is made to Pura and parts Pantars. Slightly alcoholic, he often replaced the there rare water as a drink. From the Palm wine also Sopi or arrack is distilled.