Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Administratively, it forms the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara Province. Including Komodo and Rinca islands off its west coast, the land area is 14,731.67 km2, and the population was 1,878,875 in the 2020 Census ; the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 1,962,405. The largest towns are Maumere and Ende. The name Flores is of Portuguese origin, meaning "Flowers".
Alor is the largest island in the Alor Archipelago and is one of the 92 officially listed outlying islands of Indonesia. It is located at the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands that runs through southeastern Indonesia, which from the west include such islands as Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, and Flores.
East Nusa Tenggara is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It comprises the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, facing the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the north. It consists of more than 500 islands, with the largest ones being Sumba, Flores, and the western part of Timor; the latter shares a land border with the separate nation of East Timor. The province is subdivided into twenty-one regencies and the regency-level city of Kupang, which is the capital and largest city.
Kupang, formerly known as Koepang or Coupang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 Census, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 466,632. It is the largest city and port on the island of Timor, and is a part of the Timor Leste–Indonesia–Australia Growth Triangle free trade zone. Geographically, Kupang is the southernmost city in Indonesia.
Pantar is the second largest island in the Indonesian Alor Archipelago, after Alor. To the east is the island of Alor and other small islands in the archipelago; to the west is the Alor Strait, which separates it from the Solor Archipelago. To the south is the Ombai Strait, and 72 kilometres (45 mi) away, the island of Timor. To the north is the Banda Sea. Pantar is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north-to-south, and varies from 11 to 29 kilometres in east–west width. It has an area of 776.12 square kilometres (299.66 sq mi). The main towns on the island are Baranusa and Kabir. Administratively, the island is part of the Alor Regency.
Solor is a volcanic island located off the eastern tip of Flores island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, in the Solor Archipelago. The island supports a small population that has been whaling for hundreds of years. They speak the languages of Adonara and Lamaholot. There are at least five volcanoes on this island which measures only 40 kilometres by 6 kilometres. The island's area is 226.34 square kilometres, and it had a population of 34,029 at the 2020 Census. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 35,891.
Lembata is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands, also known as Lomblen island; it is the largest island of the Solor Archipelago, in the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. It forms a separate regency of the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur. The length of the island is about 80 km from the southwest to the northeast and the width is about 30 km from the west to the east. It rises to a height of 1,533 metres.
The Solor Archipelago is a group of islands in the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia, lying to the east of Flores and the west of the Alor Strait and the Alor Archipelago. To the north is the west part of the Banda Sea, while to the south across the Savu Sea lies the island of Timor. The largest islands are, from west to east, Solor, Adonara, and Lembata, although there are many small islands as well.
Maumere is the administrative seat of the Sikka Regency and the second largest town on Flores Island, Indonesia. It lies on the north coast of the island and the port is in the north-west part of the town. Administratively the town is not a single district (kecamatan) within the regency, but is divided into three districts – Alok Barat, Alok and Alok Timur – although the latter two districts also include a number of substantial islands off the north coast of Flores.
Larantuka is a kecamatan (district) and the seat of East Flores Regency, on the eastern end of Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Like much of the region, Larantuka has a strong colonial Portuguese influence. The town had 37,348 inhabitants at the 2010 census and 40,828 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 41,500. This overwhelmingly (95.4%) Roman Catholic area enjoys some international renown for its Holy Week celebrations.
East Flores Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Established in 1958, the regency has its seat (capital) in Larantuka on Flores Island. It covers a land area of 1,812.58 km2, and it had a population of 232,605 as of the 2010 census and 276,896 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 288,310 - comprising 141,738 males and 146,572 females. The regency encompasses the eastern tip of the island of Flores, together with all of the adjacent islands of Adonara and Solor to the east of Flores, with some much smaller offshore islands. On 4 October 1999, the island of Lembata at the eastern end of the Solor Archipelago was separated from the East Flores Regency to create its own Regency.
Lembata Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Established on 4 October 1999 from the most easterly part of East Flores Regency, the regency covers the island of Lembata, together with three small offshore islands together forming the eastern part of the Solor Archipelago, and has its administrative seat (capital) in Lewoleba. The population of the Regency was 117,829 at the 2010 decennial census and at the 2020 census was 135,930; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 141,391 - comprising 68,409 males and 72,982 females.
Larantuka Malay is a contact variety of Malay spoken in and around the city of Larantuka on the island of Flores in Indonesia, and in two enclaves: the village of Wure on the island of Adonara and four villages on Konga Bay, about 40 kilometers south of Larantuka on Flores, and serves more generally as a lingua franca on the eastern tip of Flores and nearby islands. There are approximately 23,000 native speakers of Larantuka Malay. Second language speakers of Larantuka Malay are primarily found in and around the city of Larantuka and through the eastern part of Flores island, as well as the nearby islands of Adonara, Solor and Lembata (Lomblen), and natively speak Lamaholot or other languages closely related to Lamaholot, which, until recently, were believed to be dialects of Lamaholot.
The Lamahalot or Solorese people are an indigenous tribe located on Flores Island, Indonesia, and some smaller islands around it. Lamaholot people speak the Lamaholot language with different dialects, the number of speakers counts between 150,000 and 200,000.
Waiwerang is a town on Adonara Island, Indonesia. It is the largest community on Adonara. In the center of Waiwerang stands an obelisk built from September 1960 to August 1961 in a square beside another square that hosts government and social events.
Lamaholot, also known as Solor or Solorese, is a Central Malayo-Polynesian dialect cluster of Flores, Indonesia. The varieties may not be all mutually intelligible; Keraf (1978) reports that there are 18 languages under the name.
Portuguese Indonesians are native Indonesians with Portuguese ancestry or have had adopted Portuguese customs and some practices such as religion.
The Kingdom of Larantuka was a historical monarchy in present-day East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It was one of the few, if not the only, indigenous Catholic polities in the territory of modern Indonesia. Acting as a tributary state of the Portuguese Crown, the Raja (King) of Larantuka controlled holdings on the islands of Flores, Solor, Adonara and Lembata. It was later purchased by Dutch East Indies from the Portuguese, prior to its annexation in 1904.
Paledang, peledang, or pledang is a type of Indonesian sailing vessel used for aboriginal whaling from the communities of Lamalera and Lamakera in the islands of Lembata and Solor, respectively. It is propelled by sails made from woven pandan leaves and by paddles. The boat is equipped with a bamboo harpoon, whose hook is attached to the boat using the "sacred rope" called leo, which is made from the leaves of the gebang palm and fiber from waru bark. The boat's crew of around 6 to 10 people also wear a leo aka sacred rope made from cotton and turi bark for luck. The person tasked with the harpoon is called the Lamafa, a position of great importance. Alongside him is an assistant who handles the leo, who also has a high status along with the person who controls the boat. Paledang are made by traditional boat-makers called the Ata Molan. He decides on which part of a hunted whale goes to which crew member.
