Bird's Head Peninsula
Encyclopedia
The Bird's Head Peninsula or Doberai Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the northwest portion of the Province of West Papua, Indonesia
.
. To the east is Cenderawasih Bay
and to the south Bintuni Bay
.
To the west, across the Dampier Strait
is Waigeo
island of Raja Ampat, and Batanta
island lies just off the northwest tip. The peninsula south is Bomberai Peninsula
.
The peninsula is around 200 by 300 kilometres, and is bio-geographically diverse, containing coastal plains to the south. The Arfak Mountains
are a 3000 metre high mountain range that are found in the east. Slightly shorter than the Arfak Mountains, the Tamrau Mountains are found in the north. Bon Irau, a 2420 meter high mountain, is found in the Tamrau Mountains and is the highest mountain. The highest mountain on the Bird's Head Peninsula is Pegunungan Arfak. It is 2920 meters (9582 feet) high and is located 24 miles southwest of Manokwari.
, Vogelkop Bowerbird
, and the King Bird-of-paradise.
Road construction, illegal logging, commercial agricultural expansion and ranching potentially threaten the integrity of the ecoregion. The south-western coast of the peninsula forms part of the Teluk Cenderawasih National Park
.
of copra, rice, corn and peanuts, as well as hunting. There are more than 80 villages scattered around the peninsula. There are about 18 main settlements that are the principal town of one of the five regencies found on the peninsula. These cities include Bintuni
, Teminabuan
, Sorong
, Aimas, and Manokwari
. Although, the largest settlements are the city of Sorong on the west coast and Manokwari
on the east coast. Manokwari is the largest city with as of 2010 a population of 135,000 and a metropolitan area of 155,000. The city of Sorong has a population of 125,000 and a metropolitan area of 170,000. This city also has the largest metropolitan area.
There are a large number of traditional languages spoken on the peninsula, classified as South Bird's Head languages
, East Bird's Head languages
, or West Papuan languages
.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Location and geography
The Bird's Head Peninsula forms the north-western end of the island of New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. To the east is Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay , also Teluk Sarera , formerly Geelvink Bay is a large bay in northern Province of Papua and West Papua, New Guinea, Indonesia, at . The Dutch name comes after a Dutch ship and family called Geelvinck...
and to the south Bintuni Bay
Bintuni Bay
Bintuni Bay is the eastward extension or inner bay of Berau Bay off Bird's Head Peninsula of New Guinea. Administratively it is part of West Papua , Indonesia. The bay is wide at its entrance and the land on both sides is marsh....
.
To the west, across the Dampier Strait
Dampier Strait (Indonesia)
Dampier Strait in Indonesian province of West Papua is a strait that separates Bird's Head Peninsula and the Raja Ampat islands of Waigeo and Batanta....
is Waigeo
Waigeo
Waigeo is an island in West Papua province of eastern Indonesia. The island is also known as Amberi, or Waigiu. It is the largest of the four main islands in the Raja Ampat Islands archipelago, between Halmahera and about 65 km to the northwest coast of New Guinea...
island of Raja Ampat, and Batanta
Batanta
Batanta is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in Papua province, Indonesia. Its area is 453 km² and its highest point is 1184 m.- Fauna :The following mammals are found on the island:...
island lies just off the northwest tip. The peninsula south is Bomberai Peninsula
Bomberai Peninsula
Bomberai Peninsula is located on the Western New Guinea region at the opposite south of the Bird's Head Peninsula in South East Asia. To the west lies the Sebakor Bay and the south Kamrau Bay. Sabuda island lies off the western tip of the peninsula, which is separated from the mainland by Berau...
.
The peninsula is around 200 by 300 kilometres, and is bio-geographically diverse, containing coastal plains to the south. The Arfak Mountains
Arfak Mountains
The Arfak Mountains are a mountain range found on the Bird's Head Peninsula in the Province of West Papua, Indonesia. The mountain range is rugged and remote, rising up to 7,700 feet above sea level...
are a 3000 metre high mountain range that are found in the east. Slightly shorter than the Arfak Mountains, the Tamrau Mountains are found in the north. Bon Irau, a 2420 meter high mountain, is found in the Tamrau Mountains and is the highest mountain. The highest mountain on the Bird's Head Peninsula is Pegunungan Arfak. It is 2920 meters (9582 feet) high and is located 24 miles southwest of Manokwari.
Flora and fauna
The peninsula is covered by the Vogelkop Montane Rain Forests Ecoregion. It includes more than 22,000 km² of montane forests at elevations of 1,000 m and higher. Over 50% of these forests are located within protected areas. There are over 300 bird species on the peninsula, of which at least 20 are unique to the ecoregion, and some live only in very restricted areas. These include the Grey-banded MuniaGrey-banded Munia
The Grey-banded Munia, Lonchura vana is a species of estrildid finch is known to be found in Anggi Gigi, Tamrau Mountains and Arfak Mountains in the Vogelkop Peninsula in north-west Papua, Indonesia. This species inhabits at mid-mountain wet grassland and marshland...
, Vogelkop Bowerbird
Vogelkop Bowerbird
The Vogelkop Bowerbird , also known as the Vogelkop Gardener Bowerbird, is a medium-sized, bowerbird of the mountains of the Vogelkop Peninsula at Western New Guinea, Indonesia.-Description:...
, and the King Bird-of-paradise.
Road construction, illegal logging, commercial agricultural expansion and ranching potentially threaten the integrity of the ecoregion. The south-western coast of the peninsula forms part of the Teluk Cenderawasih National Park
Teluk Cenderawasih National Park
Teluk Cenderawasih National Park is the largest marine national park of Indonesia, located in Cenderawasih Bay, south-east of Bird's Head Peninsula. It includes the islands of Mioswaar, Nusrowi, Roon, Rumberpon and Yoop...
.
Culture
Archaeological findings indicate that local settlement dates back at least 26,000 years BP. Today, most people live in villages along the coast, with small concentrations inland. Villagers practise subsistence farming by shifting cultivationShifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned. This system often involves clearing of a piece of land followed by several years of wood harvesting or farming, until the soil loses fertility...
of copra, rice, corn and peanuts, as well as hunting. There are more than 80 villages scattered around the peninsula. There are about 18 main settlements that are the principal town of one of the five regencies found on the peninsula. These cities include Bintuni
Bintuni
Bintuni is a small town in West Papua, Indonesia and seat of the Teluk Bintuni Regency. The village is located near southeast coast of the Bird's Head Peninsula on Bintuni Bay. It is served by Bintuni Airport....
, Teminabuan
Teminabuan
Teminabuan is a small town in South Sorong Regency, West Papua, Indonesia. The town serves as the capital city of South Sorong Regency. As of 2005 it had a population of 7969. The town is located in the southwestern-central part of the Bird's Head Peninsula. The area was bombed between January and...
, Sorong
Sorong
Sorong is a chartered coastal city in the eastern Indonesian province of West Papua. Its only land borders are with Sorong Regency. It is the gateway to Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands, species rich coral reef islands in an area considered the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity. It also...
, Aimas, and Manokwari
Manokwari
Manokwari is a city in Indonesia. It is the largest city and, since 2003, the capital of the province of West Papua, at the western end of New Guinea. The city has many resorts and is a major tourist area. It is one of the seats of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manokwari–Sorong. It is also the...
. Although, the largest settlements are the city of Sorong on the west coast and Manokwari
Manokwari
Manokwari is a city in Indonesia. It is the largest city and, since 2003, the capital of the province of West Papua, at the western end of New Guinea. The city has many resorts and is a major tourist area. It is one of the seats of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manokwari–Sorong. It is also the...
on the east coast. Manokwari is the largest city with as of 2010 a population of 135,000 and a metropolitan area of 155,000. The city of Sorong has a population of 125,000 and a metropolitan area of 170,000. This city also has the largest metropolitan area.
There are a large number of traditional languages spoken on the peninsula, classified as South Bird's Head languages
South Bird's Head languages
The South Bird's Head or South Doberai languages are a well-established family of Papuan languages. They form part of the Trans–New Guinea languages in the classification of Malcolm Ross.* South Bird's Head family...
, East Bird's Head languages
East Bird's Head languages
The East Bird's Head languages form a language family of three languages in the "Bird's Head" Peninsula of western New Guinea, spoken by only 20,000 people in all....
, or West Papuan languages
West Papuan languages
The West Papuan languages are a hypothetical language family of about two dozen Papuan languages of the Bird's Head Peninsula of far western New Guinea and the island of Halmahera, spoken by about 220 000 people in all....
.