South Pagai

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Südpagai ( Indonesian Pagai Selatan ) is part of the Mentawai Islands, a group of islands belonging to Indonesia around 130 kilometers southwest of Sumatra.

Geography

Südpagai is approximately 55 km long and about 20 kilometers wide. In the north, separated by the Strait of Sikakap, is the neighboring island Nordpagai, in the south, much further away, Enggano. For the two Pagai Islands sometimes also the name Pageh used. The highest elevation on the flat - rolling, for the most part covered with virgin forests of the island is 302 m high Gunung Muntai. Some settlements on Südpagai are SEAI to the north, and Simakalo Mapooepooe in the east, the south and TIOP Bulasat and Baleraksok in the West.

Management

Südpagai forms ( with Nordpagai ) the sub-district ( Kecamatan ) Pagai Utara Selatan, which belongs to 1999 formed government district ( kabupaten ) Mentawai islands and the capital Tua Pejat (on Sipora ), which in turn is part of the province of Sumatera Barat ( West Sumatra ).

Population

After the last Ice Age the island were separated by rising sea levels of Sumatra. BC before 1000 Südpagai was colonized from the north via Sipura and Nordpagai. Residents also called Mentawai, distinguished by language and customs of the inhabitants of Sumatra. They have developed complex tattoos that are among the oldest in the world. In North and Südpagai lived together 20 974 inhabitants in 2000. Tourism has a modest but growing extent.

History

Already in the middle of the 18th century is said to have on two small islands in the south of Südpagai an attempt at English settlement given to grow nutmeg or pepper. 1792 John Crisp reached on a ship of the British East India Company the Pagai Islands ( called by him Poggy ). He noted the amazing difference between the Islanders and the inhabitants of the nearby Sumatra. Only in July 1864 Südpagai part of the Dutch East Indies. But until the 20th century there was little efforts to exercise influence on the island by the Dutch.

From the mid- 1990s Australian surfers discovered with the other islands also Nordpagai for surfing.

Earthquake

Already in 1797 and 1833, there were strong earthquake here. After the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the seismic activity beneath the island has greatly increased. After the earthquake on 12 September 2007 set ( cGPS ) stations on Südpagai a displacement of 1.5 meters to the southwest, a rise of 0.6 meters to the west and a reduction of 0.1 meters on the east coast resistant - doing some offshore islands were enlarged and six new islands emerged.

On 11 February 2010, 32 km southwest of Südpagai again earthquake occurred at 5.2 on the Richter scale. Southwest of the island, the epicenter of the earthquake was 25 October 2010, which also triggered a tsunami that penetrated up to 600 meters into the island.

Wildlife ( fauna)

On the island live several endemic species, including the Pagai macaque, whose existence is now under threat.