North Maluku
Encyclopedia
North Maluku is a province
of northeastern Indonesia
. It covers the northern part of the Maluku Islands
, which are split between it and the province of Maluku
. Maluku province used to cover the entire group. The planned provincial capital is Sofifi
, on Halmahera
the largest island, but the current capital and largest population center is the island of Ternate
while the largest settlement on Halmahera is Tobelo
.
". At the time, the region was the sole source of cloves. The Dutch
, Portuguese
, Spanish
, and local sultanates including Ternate
and Tidore
fought each other for control of the lucrative trade in these spices. Clove
trees have since been transported and replanted all around the world and the demand for clove from the original spice islands has ceased, greatly reducing North Maluku's international importance.
The population of North Maluku is 1,035,478 (according to the 2010 Census), making it one of the least populous provinces in Indonesia.
on Halmahera, Gamalama
on Ternate still active and the whole of Tidore consisting of a large stratovolcano
. The rainforest
s of Halmahera
, Morotai
, the Obi Islands
, the Bacan
islands and other islands of North Maluku have been described by the World Wildlife Fund as the Halmahera rain forests ecoregion
and are home to a number of unique plant and animal species unique to the islands, which are in the Wallacea
transition zone containing a mixture of species of Asian and Australasian
origin. The predominant trees of the forest are Anisoptera thurifera, Hopea gregaria
, Hopea iriana, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
, Shorea selanica
, and Vatica rassak
.
The endemic mammals found here include the Obi Mosaic-tailed Rat
(Melomys obiensis), Masked Flying Fox
(Pteropus personatus), and three arboreal marsupial
s, the Ornate
(Phalanger ornatus), Rothschild's
(P. rothschildi), Blue-eyed
(P. matabiru) and Gebe
(P. alexandrae) cuscus
es. There are over two hundred different birds on the islands, twenty-six of which are endemic, a large number for this small island group. The endemics include four birds which are the only species in their genera
, including the elusive Invisible Rail
(Habroptila wallacii), the White-streaked Friarbird
(Melitograis gilolensis), and two birds of paradise, the Paradise-crow (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus) and Wallace's Standardwing
(Semioptera wallacii). The islands are also home to the largest bee in the world, Wallace's giant bee (Megachile pluto).
The islands have an tropical rainforest climate
.
Most of the natural forest remains on these mountainous islands although much of the coastal and lowland areas have been cleared for clove planting since the sixteenth century, especially on the islands of Ternate and Tidore
, while logging has occurred more recently on Halmahera and Morotai.
: Four Moluccan Mountains). While no longer hold official or political power these sultanates still hold enormous cultural respect.
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...
of northeastern Indonesia
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...
. It covers the northern part of the Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
, which are split between it and the province of Maluku
Maluku (Indonesian province)
Maluku is a province of Indonesia, comprising, broadly, the central and southern parts of the Maluku Islands , which are culturally and geographically associated with Melanesia....
. Maluku province used to cover the entire group. The planned provincial capital is Sofifi
Sofifi
Sofifi is a settlement on the west coast of the Indonesian island of Halmahera, and since 2010 has been the capital of the province of North Maluku. Previously, Ternate City had been the capital....
, on Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
the largest island, but the current capital and largest population center is the island of Ternate
Ternate
Ternate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the center of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate....
while the largest settlement on Halmahera is Tobelo
Tobelo
Tobelo is a town and also a district on the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera. It is the capital of the regency of North Halmahera, part of the province of North Maluku. The city was formalised as the capital of North Halmahera in the district elections held in 2004...
.
History
In the sixteenth and seventeenth century, the islands of North Maluku were the original "Spice IslandsMaluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
". At the time, the region was the sole source of cloves. The Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and local sultanates including Ternate
Ternate
Ternate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the center of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate....
and Tidore
Tidore
Tidore is a city, island, and archipelago in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia, west of the larger island of Halmahera. In the pre-colonial era, the kingdom of Tidore was a major regional political and economic power, and a fierce rival of nearby Ternate, just to the north.-Geography:Tidor...
fought each other for control of the lucrative trade in these spices. Clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
trees have since been transported and replanted all around the world and the demand for clove from the original spice islands has ceased, greatly reducing North Maluku's international importance.
The population of North Maluku is 1,035,478 (according to the 2010 Census), making it one of the least populous provinces in Indonesia.
Geography
The islands of North Maluku are mostly of volcanic origin, with the volcanoes of DukonoDukono
Dukono is a volcano located at the northernmost corner of Halmahera island. It has a broad profile and is capped by compound craters. Dukono is an active volcano. During the major eruption in 1550, a lava flow filled in the strait between Halmahera and the north flank cone of Mount Mamuya. It was...
on Halmahera, Gamalama
Gamalama
Gamalama is a near-conical stratovolcano that comprises the entire Ternate island in Indonesia. The island lies off the western shore of Halmahera island in the north of Molucca Islands. For centuries, Ternate was a center of Portuguese and Dutch forts for spice trade, which have accounted for...
on Ternate still active and the whole of Tidore consisting of a large stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
. The rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s of Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
, Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
, the Obi Islands
Obi Islands
The Obi Islands are a group of islands in the Indonesian province of Maluku. They lie north of Buru and Ceram....
, the Bacan
Bacan
Bacan refers to a group of islands in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia and to that group's largest island. The islands are mountainous and forested. The islands lie south of Ternate and west of Halmahera's southernmost arm...
islands and other islands of North Maluku have been described by the World Wildlife Fund as the Halmahera rain forests ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
and are home to a number of unique plant and animal species unique to the islands, which are in the Wallacea
Wallacea
Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of Indonesian islands separated by deep water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Timor, Halmahera, Buru, Seram, and...
transition zone containing a mixture of species of Asian and Australasian
Australasia ecozone
The Australasian zone is an ecological region that is coincident, but not synonymous , with the geographic region of Australasia...
origin. The predominant trees of the forest are Anisoptera thurifera, Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru island.It is an Endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 21 August 2007.*...
, Hopea iriana, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . - Downloaded on 23 August 2007.*...
, Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.It is a Critically endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 23 August 2007*...
, and Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Buru, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.-References:* Ashton, P. 1998. . Downloaded on 24 August 2007....
.
The endemic mammals found here include the Obi Mosaic-tailed Rat
Obi Mosaic-tailed Rat
The Obi Mosaic-tailed Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Indonesia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 9 July 2007....
(Melomys obiensis), Masked Flying Fox
Masked Flying Fox
The Masked Flying Fox or Masked Fruit Bat is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.-References:* Chiroptera Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Pteropus personatus), and three arboreal marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
s, the Ornate
Ornate Cuscus
The Ornate Cuscus or Molluccan Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on the North Maluku islands of Halmahera, Bacan and Morotai, at elevations from sea level to 1000 m....
(Phalanger ornatus), Rothschild's
Rothschild's Cuscus
Rothschild's Cuscus , also called the Obi Island Cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the islands of Obi, Bisa and Obilatu in the Obi Islands of Maluku province, Indonesia....
(P. rothschildi), Blue-eyed
Blue-eyed Cuscus
The Blue-eyed Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the two small islands of Ternate and Tidore, west of the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, Indonesia....
(P. matabiru) and Gebe
Gebe Cuscus
The Gebe Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the island of Gebe Umera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, where it lives at elevations from sea level to 300 m....
(P. alexandrae) cuscus
Cuscus
Cuscus is the common name generally given to the species within the four genera of Australasian possum:* Ailurops* Phalanger* Spilocuscus* Strigocuscus...
es. There are over two hundred different birds on the islands, twenty-six of which are endemic, a large number for this small island group. The endemics include four birds which are the only species in their genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
, including the elusive Invisible Rail
Invisible Rail
The Invisible Rail is a flightless species of bird in the family Rallidae , endemic only to Halmahera, north Maluku, Indonesia, especially its swamp forests, wetlands, and forest edges. The Invisible Rail is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species...
(Habroptila wallacii), the White-streaked Friarbird
White-streaked Friarbird
The White-streaked Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Melitograis...
(Melitograis gilolensis), and two birds of paradise, the Paradise-crow (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus) and Wallace's Standardwing
Wallace's Standardwing
The Standardwing also known as Wallace’s Standardwing, is a medium-sized, approximately 28 cm long, olive-brown bird of paradise. It is the only member in monotypic genus Semioptera. The male has a gloss violet-and-lilac colored crown and emerald green breast-shield...
(Semioptera wallacii). The islands are also home to the largest bee in the world, Wallace's giant bee (Megachile pluto).
The islands have an tropical rainforest climate
Tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
.
Most of the natural forest remains on these mountainous islands although much of the coastal and lowland areas have been cleared for clove planting since the sixteenth century, especially on the islands of Ternate and Tidore
Tidore
Tidore is a city, island, and archipelago in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia, west of the larger island of Halmahera. In the pre-colonial era, the kingdom of Tidore was a major regional political and economic power, and a fierce rival of nearby Ternate, just to the north.-Geography:Tidor...
, while logging has occurred more recently on Halmahera and Morotai.
Regencies
- Central HalmaheraCentral Halmahera RegencyCentral Halmahera Regency or Halmahera Tengah is a regency of Halmahera in North Maluku Province, Indonesia. As of 2004 it had a population of 30,234 people. The capital lies at Weda....
- capital SoasiuSoasiuSoasiu is a small coastal town on the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera. It is located in the North Halmahera Regency, part of the province of North Maluku, and lies on the northwestern coast. A market is held in Soasiu every Tuesday and Friday. The Sonyine Malige Sultan's Museum is located in... - East HalmaheraEast Halmahera RegencyEast Halmahera Regency or Halmahera Timur is a regency of Halmahera in North Maluku Province, Indonesia. As of 2004 it had a population of 38,681 people. The capital lies at Maba....
- capital MabaMabaMaba is an ethnic minority in Chad and Sudan. Their population is estimated at several hundred thousand. All of them belong to Islam. By some accounts, they are the most educated people in Chad, and were the first people in Chad to convert to Islam. They founded the Ouaddai Empire in the 15th... - Morotai Island - capital Daruba
- North HalmaheraNorth Halmahera RegencyNorth Halmahera Regency or Halmahera Utara is a regency of Halmahera in North Maluku Province, Indonesia. It was declared a Regency on 31 May 2003. The capital town of the regency lies at the port of Tobelo. The regency covers an area of – of sea area and land area – and as of 2006 had a...
- capital TobeloTobeloTobelo is a town and also a district on the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera. It is the capital of the regency of North Halmahera, part of the province of North Maluku. The city was formalised as the capital of North Halmahera in the district elections held in 2004... - South HalmaheraSouth Halmahera RegencySouth Halmahera Regency or Halmahera Selatan is a regency of Halmahera in North Maluku Province, Indonesia. As of 2004 it had a population of 147,919 people. The capital lies at Labuha....
- capital LabuhaLabuhaLabuha is a small port town on the eastern Indonesian island of Pulau Bacan. It is the capital of the South Halmahera Regency, part of the province of North Maluku. The town is served by Labuha Airport.... - Sula Islands - capital Sanana
- West HalmaheraWest Halmahera RegencyWest Halmahera Regency or Halmahera Barat is a regency of Halmahera in North Maluku Province, Indonesia.As of 2004 it had a population of 94,644 people. The capital lies at Jailolo....
( - capital JailoloJailolo (town)Jailolo is a town and former sultanate on Halmahera in Indonesia's Maluku Islands. It is located on the island's west coast approximately 20 km north of Ternate. Jailolo is a small port that serves Halmahera's northwestern coastal villages....
Sultanates
Northern part of Maluku island is location of four major sultanates, locally known as Maluku kie raha (Ternate languageTernate language
Ternate of eastern Indonesia is a language centered on the island of Ternate but also spoken in neighboring areas such as Kayoa, Bacan, Halmahera and other areas in North Maluku. It is used by Sultanate of Ternate, famous for its role in spice trade....
: Four Moluccan Mountains). While no longer hold official or political power these sultanates still hold enormous cultural respect.
- Sultanate of TernateSultanate of TernateThe Sultanate of Ternate was originally named the Kingdom of Gapi, but later change the name base of its capital, Ternate. The sultanate is one of the oldest Muslim kingdoms in Indonesia, established by Baab Mashur Malamo in 1257...
- Tidore Sultanate
- Bacan Sultanate
- Jailolo Sultanate