Atauro Island

Atauro Island (also Pulau Atauro, Ataúro) is a small island situated 25km north of Dili, East Timor, on the extinct Wetar segment of the volcanic Inner Banda Arc, between the Indonesian islands of Alor and Wetar. Politically it comprises one of the subdistricts of the Dili District of East Timor. It is about 25 km long and 9 km wide, about 105 km² in area, and is inhabited by about 8000 people.

Name

The name means 'goat' in the local language, and it is also known as "Kambing Island" ("Pulau Kambing") by the Indonesians ("Kambing" means 'goat' in Indonesian). It was so named because of the large number of goats kept there.

Geography

The island is separated into 5 districts, each surrounding a village: Bikeli and Beloi in the north, Macadade (formerly Anartutu) in the southwest, and Makili and Vila (formerly Maumeta) in the southeast. The largest town is Vila. Other major towns include Pala, Uaroana, Arlo, Adara, and Berau. One bitumen road connects Vila to Pala, with walking paths to the other villages on the island. There is an airstrip (IATA designation: AUT (WPAT)).

Mt. Manucoco is the highest point at 995m above sea level. The ocean strait between Atauro and Timor drops 3500m below sea level; conversely, it is much shallower along the ridge leading to Wetar. Geologists from Melbourne University are working together with the East Timor Energy Minerals and Resources Directorate (EMRD) and the Polytechnical Institute of Dili to make the first geological map of the island, in part to improve the infrastructure of the island. [http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_2387.html]

Atauro is a small and unstable island with a rugged landscape, frequented by landslides and a shortage of fresh water, especially during the drier months. Fresh water springs are present approximately 2km north of Berau, with minor reservoirs around Macadade, and the eastern slopes of Mt. Manucoco. Wells along the coast provide water of poor quality to most coastal townships. Lisbon is funding a new project to improve the availability of water and its distribution infrastructure. [http://www.etan.org/et2004/november/22/23lisbon.htm]

Atauro has two distinct seasons - wet and dry. Vegetation consists of open "Eucalyptus" sp. woodland, representative of its Australasian affinities, on open slopes and hillsides commonly where limestones outcrop. Rainforest is present within valleys. The island has suffered from extensive clearing since Portuguese settlement in the early 16th century.

A ferry connects the island to the capital Dili, which takes about two hours. It can also be reached by fisherman's boats. Atauro is also being considered as a destination for eco-tourism, and its coral reefs are becoming known to scuba enthusiasts. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia/Ethical-tourism-on-an-untouched-island/2005/04/16/1113509964786.html]

Culture

Atauro is unusual in East Timor because many of the northern inhabitants are Protestants, not Catholics. They were evangelized by a Dutch Calvinist mission from Alor in the early 20th century. There are also some Protestants among the southern population, as well.

The people of Atauro speak three dialects of Wetarese, which is mainly spoken on Wetar and Liran in Indonesia.

History

:"See also: History of East Timor"

Atauro was colonized along with East Timor by Portugal in the 16th century. It was used as a prison island soon after the settlement of the Portuguese.

In Portuguese Timor, Atauro was organized as part of the Dili municipality, coinciding with modern Dili District. When East Timor became independent, there was a proposal to reorganize the districts and split off Atauro as an autonomous area. However, that has not been put into effect, and it remains a subdistrict of Dili District.

On August 11, 1975, when the UDT mounted a coup in a bid to halt the increasing popularity of Fretilin, the Portuguese Governor Mário Lemos Pires fled to Atauro, from where he later attempted to broker an agreement between the two groups. He was urged by Fretilin to return and resume the decolonisation process, but he insisted that he was awaiting instructions from the government in Lisbon, then increasingly uninterested. The chaos ultimately led to the Indonesian occupation. The island became part of independent East Timor on May 20, 2002.

External links

* [http://www.insideindonesia.org/edit57/gabriel.htm Australian editorial on Atauro's poverty]
* [http://www.atauroisland.com Community Run Eco Tourism on Atauro Island]
* [http://www.bonecasdeatauro.com Atauro dolls project]