Maumere

Geographical unit

Maumere is the commercial center and the largest city of the Indonesian island of Flores. The city has 70,000 inhabitants ( 1992).

Geography

Maumere is located on the north coast of the island on the Floressee and is the main town of the district of Sikka.

Traffic

The port is located in the northwestern part of the city. The Wai Oti Airport is served by Merpati Nusantara Airlines and Pelita Air Service.

History

The Portuguese established a foothold here, which soon, however, was only nominally under their control. In fact, had the Sica control, a Portuguese- native mixed population, who built a small empire here. Some of them settled in 1851 through to Timor, where they formed an important part of the Portuguese colonial forces.

1851 sold the Portuguese governor José Joaquim Lopes de Lima without authorization from Lisbon Maumere and other areas of the Lesser Sunda Islands, which were under Portuguese suzerainty, for 200,000 florins to the Netherlands. Lisbon did not recognize the sale and let Lopes arrest. He died on the return trip to Europe. In 1854, the agreements were renegotiated. The Treaty of Lisbon, the sale was finally confirmed. The ratification took place in 1859. According to the contract, the population was able to keep their Catholic faith. But the Dutch never took control of the inner kingdom. Until the end of the 19th century continued the local Rajas even the Portuguese flag. Dom Sentia da Silva, the last Catholic Raja of Sikka was only with the independence of Indonesia on his political power.

1992, an earthquake destroyed 90 % of buildings in the city.

On 14 December 2005, the Catholic Diocese of Maumere was founded.

Environment

The reefs around Maumere (Gulf of Maumere ) were once one of the most beautiful dive sites in the world. But in 2007 it was reported that 75 % of the corals were significantly damaged. This was due to dynamite fishing, fishing with poison and earthquakes.