Yapen

Yapen (also Pulau Yapen ) is an island in the Cenderawasih Bay in Indonesia. To the northwest of the island are the Schouten Islands, east of Yapen is the island Kurudu. Here is just 24 km Yapen of the main island of the province, New Guinea. Administratively Yapen part of the administrative district Japen, which in turn is located in the Indonesian province of Papua. The main town of the administrative district, Serui, located on Yapen.

Geography

The island is about 160 km long Yapen, has a surface area of ​​2,278 km ², and its highest point is 1,496 m above sea level. Yapen is of volcanic origin and therefore very fertile. Much of the island is covered with tropical rainforest, also is on the island of plantation agriculture ( especially cocoa and coconut trees ) operate. Yapen has a unique animal and plant life on, with species sometimes found only in New Guinea, or only on Yapen. Especially numerous are different species of pigeons. Here, for example, comes before the white crown pigeon. Since 1995, therefore, is about one- third of the island as a reserve under protection. Still living here are endangered by human activity (eg, deforestation and the growing population ) in their existence.

Population

The inhabitants Yapens are ethnically non-homogeneous and both spring from various locals (see Papua ( ethnic group ) ) and, from the main areas of Indonesia, immigrant peoples. While the majority of the inhabitants of a Christian faith (often combined with elements from nature religions) appending the immigrant residents Yapens are mostly Muslim. A majority of the residents focused on the island's capital Serui in the south Yapens, with about 25,000 inhabitants.