Flores

Infobox Islands
name = Flores

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image caption = Topography of Flores

locator

native name =
native name link =
location = South East Asia
coordinates= coord|8|37|S|121|08|E|type:isle
archipelago = Lesser Sunda Islands
total islands =
major islands =
area = 13,540 km²cite book |last=Monk |first=K.A. |coauthors=Fretes, Y., Reksodiharjo-Lilley, G. |title=The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku |publisher=Periplus Editions Ltd. |date=1996 |page=page 7|location=Hong Kong |id=ISBN 962-593-076-0]
rank = 60th
highest mount = Poco Mandasawu
elevation = 2,370 m
country = Indonesia
country admin divisions title = Province
country admin divisions = East Nusa Tenggara
country largest city = Maumere
country largest city population =
population = 1,600,000
population as of = 2003
density = 112/km²
ethnic groups =

Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population is estimated to be around 1.5 million [ [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0129_030129_komodo_2.html "Trapping Komodo Dragons for Conservation"] National Geographic - 28 Jan 2003] , and the largest town is Maumere.

Flores is located east of Sumbawa and Komodo and west of Lembata and the Alor Archipelago. To the southeast is Timor. To the south, across the Sumba strait, is Sumba and to the north, beyond the Flores Sea, is Sulawesi.

On December 12 1992, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale occurred, killing 2,500 people near the island of Flores.

Administration

Flores is part of the East Nusa Tenggara province. The island is split into seven regencies (local government districts); from west to east these are: West Manggarai, Central Manggarai, Ngada, Nagekeo , Ende, Sikka and Flores Timur.

Flora and fauna

The west coast of Flores is one of the few places, aside from the island of Komodo itself, where the Komodo dragon can be found in the wild. The Flores Giant Rat is also endemic to the Island.

In September 2003, at Liang Bua Cave in western Flores, paleoanthropologists discovered skeletons of a previously unknown hominid species. "Homo floresiensis", affectionately termed "hobbits" after the small characters in the Lord of the Rings, appear to be miniaturized versions of "Homo erectus" standing about one metre tall. They may have existed until as recently as 11,000 BC. Local reports of elf-like people, the Ebu Gogo, or the Orang Pendek of Sumatra, have caused speculation that Flores man may have survived into the historical period, or even to the present. The discovery has been published in the October 28, 2004, issue of "Nature" magazine and the April 2005 issue of the National Geographic Magazine. [ [http://www.nature.com/news/specials/flores/index.html Flores Special] , "Nature"] Flores was also a habitat of the extinct Stegodon dwarf elephant until approximately 18,000 years ago. It also was the habitat of species of giant rodents. It is speculated by scientists that limited resources drove the few species that lived upon the island to gigantism and dwarfism. [ [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060821-hobbits.html "Hobbits" Were Pygmy Ancestors, Not New Species, Study Says] National Geographic - 21 Aug 2006]

Culture

There are many languages spoken on the island of Flores, all of them belonging to the Austronesian family. In the centre of the island in the districts of Ngada, Nagekeo, and Ende there is what is variously called the Central Flores Dialect Chain or the Central Flores Linkage. Within this area there are slight linguistic differences in almost every village. At least six separate languages are identifiable. These are from west to east: Ngadha, Nage, Keo, Ende, Lio and Palu'e, which is spoken on the island with the same name of the north coast of Flores. Locals would probably also add So'a and Bajawa to this list, which anthropologists have labeled dialects of Ngadha.

Portuguese traders and missionaries came to Flores in the 16th century, mainly to Larantuka and Sikka. Their influence is still discernible in Sikka's language and culture. In fact, the island's name, Flores, means "flowers" in Portuguese.

Flores is almost entirely Catholic and represents one of the "religious borders" created by the Catholic expansion in the Pacific and the spread of Islam from the west across Indonesia. In other places in Indonesia, such as in the Malukus and Sulawesi, the divide is more rigid and has been the source of bloody sectarian clashes.

Tourism

The most famous tourist attraction in Flores is Kelimutu; three coloured lakes in the district of Ende and close to the town of Moni. These crater lakes are in the caldera of a volcano, and fed by a volcanic gas source, resulting in highly acid water. The coloured lakes change colours on an irregular basis, depending on the oxidation state of the lake (see Pasternack, [http://pasternack.ucdavis.edu/kelimutu.htm Keli Mutu Volcanic Lakes] ), from bright red through green and blue. The latest colours (late 2004) were said to be turquoise, brown and black.

There is good snorkelling and diving on several locations along the north coast of Flores, most notably Maumere and Riung. However, due to the destructive practice of local fishermen using bombs to fish, and locals selling shells to tourists, combined with the after effects of a devastating tsunami in 1992, the reefs have slowly been destroyed.

Labuanbajo (on the western tip of Flores) is a town often used by tourists, from where they can visit Komodo and Rinca. Labuanbajo also attracts scuba divers, as whale sharks inhabit the waters around Labuanbajo.

Tourists can visit Luba and Bena villages to see traditional houses in Flores. Larantuka, on the isle's eastern end, is known for its Holy Week festivals.

In addition to tourism, the main economic activities on Flores are agriculture, fishing and seaweed production. The primary food crops being grown on Flores are rice, maize sweet potato and cassava, while the main cash crops are coffee, coconut, candle nut and cashew. [Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: [http://www.kadin-indonesia.or.id/en/doc/reg_info/reg_info_EastNusaTenggara.pdf] , Retrieved on 2008-08-08] Flores is one of the newest origins for Indonesian coffee. Previously, most Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) from Flores was blended with other origins. Now, demand is growing for this coffee because of its heavy body and sweet chocolate, floral and woody notes. [Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia: [http://www.sca-indo.org/arabica-regions/index.cfm?rid=5] , Retrieved on 2008-08-08]

Gallery

ee also

* Dutch Empire
* Nage tribe
* Portuguese Empire
* Simon Milward

References

External links

* [http://www.nature.com/news/specials/flores/index.html Flores Man special at Nature.com]