Nias
Encyclopedia
Nīas is an island off the western coast of Sumatra
, Indonesia. Nias (Kepulauan Nias) is also the name of the archipelago, containing the Hinako
archipelago.
Nias Island covers an area of 5121.3 sqkm (including minor offshore islands) which is mostly a lowland area on average 800 m (2,624.7 ft) above sea level. There were 756,762 inhabitants on the island (including minor offshore islands) at the 2010 Census.
; Simeulue
is about 140 km (87 mi) northwest, and the Batu Islands
are located about 80 km (49.7 mi) southeast. This chain, which resurfaces in Nusa Tenggara in the mountainous islands of Sumba
and Timor
, is the forearc
of the South Sumatra Basin along the Sunda Trench subduction zone.
At Nias the oceanic plate is being obliquely subducted under the Asian Plate at the rapid rate of 52 mm (2 in) a year (Milsom).
province. This area consists of 131 islands and Nias Island is the biggest. The population in this area is about 639,675 people (including Ono Niha – the native inhabitant of the Island, Malay, Batak
, and Chinese
).
Until 2003 Nias
was an administrative regency (kabupaten), part of the province of North Sumatra
. In 2003 it was split into two regencies, Nias and Nias Selatan (Southern Nias). Subsequently the island was divided further, with the creation of two further regencies from parts of the former Niass Regency – Nias Barat (West Nias) and Nias Utara (North Nias) – and the designation of Gunungsitoli as an autonomous city independent of the four regencies. Gunungsitoli remains the capital city of Nias regency and it is the center of administration and business affairs of the Nias regency. Teluk Dalam
is the capital of Nias Selatan.
Isolated yet worldly, the Nias Island chain has been trading since prehistory with other cultures, other islands, and even mainland Asia. Some historians and archaeologists have cited the local culture as one of the few remaining Megalithic cultures in existence today. While this point of view is hotly debated, there is no doubt that Nias' relative geographic isolation has created a unique culture. As a culture of traders, the people of Nias find tourists to be a welcome – and historically familiar – phenomenon.
Nias is best-known for its diversity of festivals and celebration. The most well-known events are War Dances, performed regularly for tourists, and Stone Jumping, a manhood ritual that sees young men leaping over two meter stone towers to their fate. In the past the top of the stone board is covered with spikes and sharp pointed bamboo. The music of Nias, performed mostly by women, is noted worldwide for its haunting beauty.
Gunungsitoli is home to Nias's only museum, the Museum Pusaka Nias (Nias Heritage Foundation), which houses over 6000 objects related to Nias's cultural heritage. The museum had recently built a new building and had improved their storage and exhibitions when the 2004 earthquake and tsunami occurred. The museum suffered some damage to the grounds and collections, but museum staff are working to recover from this devastating event
The predominant religion is Protestant Christianity
. Six out of seven Niasans are Protestant; the remainder are about evenly divided between Muslim (mostly immigrants from elsewhere in Indonesia) and Catholic. However adherence to either Christian or Muslim religions is still largely symbolic; Nias continues into current day celebrating its own indigenous culture and traditions as the primary form of spiritual expression.
The people of Nias build omo sebua
houses on massive ironwood pillars with towering roofs. Not only were they almost impregnable to attack in former tribal warfare, their flexible nail-less construction provide proven earthquake durability.
Nias is home not only to a unique human culture but also endemic fauna which differ from other areas of North Sumatra because of the island's remote location separate from Sumatra.
to Gunung Sitoli; there were ferries from Sibolga to Gunung Sitoli, Teluk Dalam, or Lahewa every day; before the Asian financial crisis hit Indonesia, there was a daily flight from Medan to Gunungsitoli. This became less frequent following the crisis.
Since the 1998 Reformation, however, transport links on and to the island have become poor. Internally, the road system is in a very bad condition. Externally the air and ferry links are unreliable. There are two ferry terminals (Gunungsitoli and Teluk Dalam) and an airport (Binaka, near G. Sitoli) on the island, serviced mainly from Sibolga
and Medan respectively. However, local ferry companies regularly go out of business (or their boats sink), so only one terminal may be active at any given time. Since the 2005 earthquake, transportation has improved to cope with the increase in travel needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Susi Air
, SMAC, Merpati Air and UNHAS are the airlines that fly to Gunungsitoli.
destination. The best known surfing area is Sorake Bay, close to the town of Teluk Dalam
, on the southern tip. Enclosed by the beaches of Lagundri and Sorake, the bay has both left and right-hand breaks. As they wait for waves, surfers can often see sea turtle
s swimming below. There are also two consistent, world-class waves in the nearby Hinako Islands, Asu and Bawa. Many lesser-known, high-quality surf spots with low crowds await adventurous travelers.
Nias was part of the famous Hippie trail
of the 1960s, particularly traveled by surfers, which led to Bali
. Some claim that the waves at the southern beach of Sorake are better than the ones in Maui
. It has been the site of several international surfing
competitions in the past, particularly before the 1998 Indonesian Reformation Movement
.
Despite the storied history of surfing in Nias, international surfing in Nias has slowed down especially (but not specifically) due to the recent earthquakes. The situation is slowly changing, however.
struck a few kilometers north of the island, creating tsunami
s as high as 10 metres (32.8 ft). 122 people were killed and hundreds more rendered homeless.
On March 28, 2005, the island was again hit by the 2005 Sumatra earthquake
, initially presumed to be an aftershock of the 2004 quake, but now regarded as the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Indonesia and among the top 10 most powerful recorded world wide since 1900. At least 800 people were reported dead, with the possibility of more than 2,000 casualties. Hundreds of buildings were toppled and many thousands of people were made homeless. In 2007, almost two years after the earthquake, there were still tens of thousands of internally displaced persons living in camps throughout Nias.
Nias's coastline has changed markedly with the tsunami and earthquake. In some areas, the coast has moved over 50 m (164 ft) inland. In other areas, as much as a further 100 m (328.1 ft) of land is exposed from the sea. The uplift of land has been recorded as being as much as 2.9 m (9.5 ft).
Following the earthquake, many international aid agencies have moved in to assist in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Oxfam
, International Aid, Giving Children Hope, Save the Children Fund, World Vision
, Surf Aid, Safe Harbor International and Caritas International are some of the international NGOs represented in Nias. UN agencies represented include UNORC, UNDP, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, WFP, IOM and UNIDO.
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia. Nias (Kepulauan Nias) is also the name of the archipelago, containing the Hinako
Hinako
Hinako Islands is a group of small islands off the coast of Nias in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia.The islands are a popular surfing destination, especially the largest island of Bawa, and nearby Asu.- Surfing :...
archipelago.
Nias Island covers an area of 5121.3 sqkm (including minor offshore islands) which is mostly a lowland area on average 800 m (2,624.7 ft) above sea level. There were 756,762 inhabitants on the island (including minor offshore islands) at the 2010 Census.
Geography
It is located in a chain of islands parallel to the west coast of SumatraSumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
; Simeulue
Simeulue
Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It occupies the whole island of Simeulue , 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra, with a population of 80,279 ....
is about 140 km (87 mi) northwest, and the Batu Islands
Batu Islands
The Batu Islands are an archipelago of Indonesia located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra, between Nias and Siberut. The three primary islands, of approximately equal size, are Pini, Tanahmasa, and Tanahbala. There are forty-eight smaller islands, of which less than half are...
are located about 80 km (49.7 mi) southeast. This chain, which resurfaces in Nusa Tenggara in the mountainous islands of Sumba
Sumba
Sumba is an island in eastern Indonesia, is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of 11,153 km², and the population was officially at 611,422 in 2005...
and Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
, is the forearc
Forearc
A forearc or forarc, also called arc-trench gap is a depression in the sea floor located between a subduction zone and an associated volcanic arc. It is typically filled with sediments from the adjacent landmass and the island arc in addition to trapped oceanic crustal material...
of the South Sumatra Basin along the Sunda Trench subduction zone.
At Nias the oceanic plate is being obliquely subducted under the Asian Plate at the rapid rate of 52 mm (2 in) a year (Milsom).
Administration
Nias is the largest of the islands off Sumatra that are part of North SumatraNorth Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
province. This area consists of 131 islands and Nias Island is the biggest. The population in this area is about 639,675 people (including Ono Niha – the native inhabitant of the Island, Malay, Batak
Batak (Indonesia)
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing, each of which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and...
, and Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
).
Until 2003 Nias
Nias Regency
Nias Regency is a regency in North Sumatra. The regency covers an area of 3,799 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 678,347 people...
was an administrative regency (kabupaten), part of the province of North Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
. In 2003 it was split into two regencies, Nias and Nias Selatan (Southern Nias). Subsequently the island was divided further, with the creation of two further regencies from parts of the former Niass Regency – Nias Barat (West Nias) and Nias Utara (North Nias) – and the designation of Gunungsitoli as an autonomous city independent of the four regencies. Gunungsitoli remains the capital city of Nias regency and it is the center of administration and business affairs of the Nias regency. Teluk Dalam
Teluk Dalam
Teluk Dalam is a sub-district in the South Nias regency, North Sumatra province, Indonesia. Its area is 490 km². In English, "Teluk Dalam" means Deep Gulf....
is the capital of Nias Selatan.
| Name | Capital | Area (km²) | Population 2010 Census |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nias Utara Regency | (included in Nias Regency) | ||
| Nias Regency Nias Regency Nias Regency is a regency in North Sumatra. The regency covers an area of 3,799 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 678,347 people... |
Gunungsitoli | ||
| Nias Barat Regency | (included in Nias Regency) | ||
| Nias Selatan Regency | Teluk Dalam Teluk Dalam Teluk Dalam is a sub-district in the South Nias regency, North Sumatra province, Indonesia. Its area is 490 km². In English, "Teluk Dalam" means Deep Gulf.... |
||
| Gunungsitoli | * | (included in Nias Regency) |
- * Autonomous city
Culture
Nias is best-known for its diversity of festivals and celebration. The most well-known events are War Dances, performed regularly for tourists, and Stone Jumping, a manhood ritual that sees young men leaping over two meter stone towers to their fate. In the past the top of the stone board is covered with spikes and sharp pointed bamboo. The music of Nias, performed mostly by women, is noted worldwide for its haunting beauty.
Gunungsitoli is home to Nias's only museum, the Museum Pusaka Nias (Nias Heritage Foundation), which houses over 6000 objects related to Nias's cultural heritage. The museum had recently built a new building and had improved their storage and exhibitions when the 2004 earthquake and tsunami occurred. The museum suffered some damage to the grounds and collections, but museum staff are working to recover from this devastating event
The predominant religion is Protestant Christianity
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. Six out of seven Niasans are Protestant; the remainder are about evenly divided between Muslim (mostly immigrants from elsewhere in Indonesia) and Catholic. However adherence to either Christian or Muslim religions is still largely symbolic; Nias continues into current day celebrating its own indigenous culture and traditions as the primary form of spiritual expression.
The people of Nias build omo sebua
Omo sebua
The Omo sebua is a traditional house style from Nias island, Indonesia. They are built only for the houses of village's chiefs. Situated in the centre of a village, omo sebua are built on massive ironwood piles and have towering roofs. Nias culture, with former frequent inter-village warfare, has...
houses on massive ironwood pillars with towering roofs. Not only were they almost impregnable to attack in former tribal warfare, their flexible nail-less construction provide proven earthquake durability.
Nias is home not only to a unique human culture but also endemic fauna which differ from other areas of North Sumatra because of the island's remote location separate from Sumatra.
Transportation
To reach Nias, there is a weekly ship from JakartaJakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
to Gunung Sitoli; there were ferries from Sibolga to Gunung Sitoli, Teluk Dalam, or Lahewa every day; before the Asian financial crisis hit Indonesia, there was a daily flight from Medan to Gunungsitoli. This became less frequent following the crisis.
Since the 1998 Reformation, however, transport links on and to the island have become poor. Internally, the road system is in a very bad condition. Externally the air and ferry links are unreliable. There are two ferry terminals (Gunungsitoli and Teluk Dalam) and an airport (Binaka, near G. Sitoli) on the island, serviced mainly from Sibolga
Sibolga
Sibolga is a city and a port on the west coast of North Sumatra province, in Indonesia. It is located on the western side of North Sumatra, facing the Indian Ocean and is a transit harbour to Nias island. It was hard hit during the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake.- History :Poncan Ketek Island in...
and Medan respectively. However, local ferry companies regularly go out of business (or their boats sink), so only one terminal may be active at any given time. Since the 2005 earthquake, transportation has improved to cope with the increase in travel needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Susi Air
Susi Air
PT ASI Pujiastuti Aviation is a scheduled and charter airline based in Pangandaran, West Java, Indonesia. The company currently operates from 4 main bases across the Indonesian archipelago...
, SMAC, Merpati Air and UNHAS are the airlines that fly to Gunungsitoli.
Surfing
Nias is an internationally famous surfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
destination. The best known surfing area is Sorake Bay, close to the town of Teluk Dalam
Teluk Dalam
Teluk Dalam is a sub-district in the South Nias regency, North Sumatra province, Indonesia. Its area is 490 km². In English, "Teluk Dalam" means Deep Gulf....
, on the southern tip. Enclosed by the beaches of Lagundri and Sorake, the bay has both left and right-hand breaks. As they wait for waves, surfers can often see sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s swimming below. There are also two consistent, world-class waves in the nearby Hinako Islands, Asu and Bawa. Many lesser-known, high-quality surf spots with low crowds await adventurous travelers.
Nias was part of the famous Hippie trail
Hippie trail
The hippie trail is a term used to describe the journeys taken by hippies and others in the 1960s and 1970s from Europe overland to and from southern Asia, mainly India, Pakistan and Nepal...
of the 1960s, particularly traveled by surfers, which led to Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
. Some claim that the waves at the southern beach of Sorake are better than the ones in Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. It has been the site of several international surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
competitions in the past, particularly before the 1998 Indonesian Reformation Movement
Indonesian Revolution of 1998
Suharto retired as president of Indonesia in May 1998 following the collapse of support for his three-decade long presidency. The resignation followed severe economic and political crises in the previous 6 to 12 months. BJ Habibie continued at least a year of his remaining presidential years,...
.
Despite the storied history of surfing in Nias, international surfing in Nias has slowed down especially (but not specifically) due to the recent earthquakes. The situation is slowly changing, however.
Tsunami and earthquakes of 2004 and 2005
On December 26, 2004 the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
struck a few kilometers north of the island, creating tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
s as high as 10 metres (32.8 ft). 122 people were killed and hundreds more rendered homeless.
On March 28, 2005, the island was again hit by the 2005 Sumatra earthquake
2005 Sumatra earthquake
The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community, was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005, located off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Approximately 1300 people were killed by the earthquake, mostly on the island of Nias...
, initially presumed to be an aftershock of the 2004 quake, but now regarded as the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Indonesia and among the top 10 most powerful recorded world wide since 1900. At least 800 people were reported dead, with the possibility of more than 2,000 casualties. Hundreds of buildings were toppled and many thousands of people were made homeless. In 2007, almost two years after the earthquake, there were still tens of thousands of internally displaced persons living in camps throughout Nias.
Nias's coastline has changed markedly with the tsunami and earthquake. In some areas, the coast has moved over 50 m (164 ft) inland. In other areas, as much as a further 100 m (328.1 ft) of land is exposed from the sea. The uplift of land has been recorded as being as much as 2.9 m (9.5 ft).
Following the earthquake, many international aid agencies have moved in to assist in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
, International Aid, Giving Children Hope, Save the Children Fund, World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
, Surf Aid, Safe Harbor International and Caritas International are some of the international NGOs represented in Nias. UN agencies represented include UNORC, UNDP, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, WFP, IOM and UNIDO.