Waigeo

Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / image missing

Waigeo (also Amberi or Waigiu ) is the largest of the four main islands of Raja Ampat archipelago off West New Guinea (Indonesia).

The other three are Salawati Batanta and Misool. Waigeo is located about 65 km north- west of the bird's head peninsula. It has an area of ​​3155 km ², the highest elevation is about 1000 m high. In the east-west direction the island through measures about 125 km, from north to south about 55 km. Through a bay, which is only accessible by a narrow strait Mayalibit Bay, Waigeo is divided into a western and an eastern half. The city Wasai (also Waisai ) in the south of the western part of the island is the capital of the district of Raja Ampat.

The few inhabitants, in 1667 people settle only on the shores of the bay and some of the small islands in Mayalibit Bay. The interior of the island is covered by mostly virgin rainforest, with a high biodiversity. The inhabitants have largely retained their traditional lifestyle. They feed on locally caught fish and wild pigs, grown or collected from the forest cocoa, fruits, herbs and spices. Often the Papua win from the pith of the sago palm starch as a staple food.

More than 250,000 acres of rainforest are found officially in the two " Wildlife Reserves " of Western and Eastern Waigeo under protection.

The Portuguese explorer Jorge de Meneses landed in 1526 became the first European to Waigeo. The island Waigeo and surrounding waters were in the 19th century by French expeditions explored, including the ships L' Uranie ( 1818-1819 ), La Coquille (1823 ) and L' Astrolabe (1826 ). Here, about 70 species of fish were found.