Seram Island

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Seram
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Seram Island
Indonesia Maluku location map.svg
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Seram
Geography
Location Oceania
Coordinates 3°08′S129°30′E / 3.133°S 129.500°E / -3.133; 129.500
Archipelago Maluku Islands
Area17,100 km2 (6,600 sq mi)
Area rank 52nd
Highest elevation3,027 m (9931 ft)
Highest point Mount Binaiya
Administration
Indonesia
ProvinceMaluku
Regencies Central Maluku, East Seram, West Seram
Demographics
Population434,113 (2010)
Pop. density25.4/km2 (65.8/sq mi)
Ethnic groups Manusela, Nuaulu, Alune, Wemale, Ambonese
Additional information
Time zone

Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent islands, such as Saparua, Haruku, Nusa Laut and the Banda Islands.

Contents

Geography and geology

Seram is traversed by a central mountain range, the highest point of which, Mount Binaiya, is covered with dense rain forests. Its remarkably complex geology is because of its location at the meeting of several tectonic microplates, which have been described as "one of the most tectonically complex areas on Earth". [1] Seram falls on its microplate, which has been twisted around by 80° in the last 8 million years [2] by the relatively faster movement of the Papua microplate. Meanwhile, along with the northward push of the Australian Plate, this has resulted in the uplift that gives north-central Seram peaks of over 3000 m. On the island, there are important karst areas. In the mountains, near Sawai, there is the cave Hatu Saka, currently the deepest cave in Indonesia (-388 m). In Taniwel district, on the north coast, is the underground river Sapalewa, one of the largest underground rivers on the planet. [3] [4] [5]

The population of the island and the neighbouring smaller islands in the 2020 Census was 773,459 people, [6] administered among three regencies (kabupaten), namely Maluku Tengah Regency (which had 204,907 people on Seram Island itself [7] and 218,185 on the lesser islands, the majority on Ambon Island), Seram Bagian Barat Regency and Seram Bagian Timur Regency. [8]

Ecology

Seram Island is remarkable for its high degree of localised bird endemism. [9] There are 117 species of birds on the island; 14 species and subspecies are endemic, including the eclectus, great-billed and Moluccan king parrot, purple-naped and red lories, salmon-crested cockatoo, Seram masked owl, collared, sacred and lazuli kingfishers, long-crested myna, elegant imperial-pigeon, Seram oriole, metallic starlings and grey-necked and Seram friarbirds. [10]

The mammals found on Seram include Asian murid rodents as well as Australasian marsupials, including the common spotted cuscus and several species of Phalanger . The mountain area of Seram supports the greatest number of endemic mammals of any island in the region. It harbors 38 mammal species and includes nine species that are endemic or near-endemic, several of which are limited to montane habitats. These include the Seram bandicoot, several bat species including Moluccan and Seram flying foxes, Manusela mosaic-tailed rat, spiny Ceram rat and the Ceram rat, all considered threatened. [11]

Herpetiles are highly prevalent on the islands. The largest and most dangerous to humans is the saltwater crocodile, found within the island's coastal brackish waters and deltas; some are known to swim inland via freshwater routes, such as the Salawai River. Other reptiles of the island include Amboina sailfin lizards, Bronchocela sp., the brown tree snake, emerald tree skinks, green sea turtles, Indonesian blue-tongued skinks, Moluccan flying snakes and the tokay gecko, among numerous other species of gecko and skink. Amphibians include Fejervarya , fork-tongued frogs and Horst’s and white-lipped tree frogs. [12]

In the eastern part of the island, Manusela National Park was established in 1997, covering an area of 1,890 km² (11% of the island). [10]

History

Dutch fort at Loki and Company troops in the interior, c. 1652 AMH-4719-NA The fort at Loki and Company troops in the interior.jpg
Dutch fort at Loki and Company troops in the interior, c. 1652

Most central Moluccans consider Seram to be their original ancestral home and it is still known colloquially as Nusa Ina (Mother Island). [13] [14] In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Seram was generally within the sphere of influence of Ternate, although it was often ruled more directly by the Ternaten vassal state of Buru. The expedition of António de Abreu (as captain) and Francisco Serrão sighted and explored the entire southern coast of Seram in early 1512, for the first time for Europeans. [15] Portuguese missionaries were active there in the 16th century. Dutch trading posts were opened in the early 17th century, and the island came under nominal Dutch control c. 1650. The Tidore Sultanate made periodical claims on Seram and were accorded suzerainty in the eastern part of the island from 1700 to 1768. In the 1780s, Seram provided a key base of support for Prince Nuku of Tidore's long-running rebellion against Dutch rule. [16] From 1954 until 1962 the island's mountain terrain was the scene of an armed guerilla struggle against Indonesian rule by the counter revolutionary Republic of South Moluccas movement led by Soumokil.

Administration

Seram includes three of the regencies within the province of Maluku, but administratively each of these regencies includes a number of smaller islands adjacent to Seram.

  1. West Seram Regency (Kabupaten Seram Bagian Barat) is mainly located on the island of Seram, but includes various islands lying to the west of Seram - Manipa, Kelang, Boano and the smaller Babi, Pua and Marsegu. It covers a land area of 6,948.40 km2, and had a population of 164,654 at the 2010 Census [17] and 212,393 at the 2020 Census. [18] The principal town lies at Piru.
  2. Central Maluku Regency (Kabupaten Maluku Tengah), with its capital at Masohi, includes the middle part of Seram, as well as Ambon Island (apart from the City of Ambon which forms the southern half of that island), the Lease Islands (Saparua, Haruku, Nusa Laut) and some other smaller offshore islands, plus the Banda Islands further to the south. It covers 7,963.81 km2 and had a population of 423,094 at the 2020 Census; this excludes the City of Ambon, which occupies the southern half of Ambon Island but is administratively not part of the regency.
  3. East Seram Regency (Kabupaten Seram Bagian Timur) is mainly located on the island of Seram, but also includes smaller islands to the southeast comprising the Gorom and Watubela archipelagoes. The regency covers a land area of 5,779.12 km2, and had a population of 99,065 at the 2010 Census [17] and 137,972 at the 2020 Census. [18] The principal town lies at Bula.

Religion

View from a boat towards Tulehu, on the North Seram coast Tulehu.png
View from a boat towards Tulehu, on the North Seram coast

Seram has been traditionally associated with the animism of the indigenous Alfur (or Nuaulu), a West Melanesian people who reputedly retained a custom of headhunting until the 1940s. [19] Today, however, most of the population of Seram is either Muslim or Christian due to both conversion and immigration. Seram was affected by the violent inter-religious conflict that swept Maluku province starting in late 1998, resulting in tens of thousands of displaced persons across the province [20] but after the Malino II Accord of 2002 tempers cooled. Seram has been peaceful for many years but towns like Masohi remain informally divided into de facto Christian and Muslim sections.[ citation needed ] Around 7,000 people belonging to the Manusela tribe follow Hinduism. [21]

Economy

Copra, resin, sago, and fish are important products. Oil is produced in the northeast near Bula by CITIC Seram Energy [22] who took over from KUFPEC (Indonesia) Limited in 2006. [23] The Oseil oil field is located onshore in the northeast of the island in the Seram Non-Bula Production Sharing Contract area. [22] The discovery well was drilled in 1993. [22] As of end 2010 the Seram Non-Bula Block had estimated proven oil reserves of 9.7 million barrels. [22] Most production comes from the Jurassic Manusela carbonate formation. [24] [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Maluku Islands or the Moluccas are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located east of Sulawesi, west of New Guinea, and north and east of Timor. Lying within Wallacea, the Moluccas have been considered a geographical and cultural intersection of Asia and Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambon Island</span> One of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia

Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of 743.37 km2 (287.02 sq mi) and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon to the south and various districts (kecamatan) of the Central Maluku Regency to the north. The main city and seaport is Ambon, which is also the capital of Maluku province, while those districts of Maluku Tengah Regency situated on Ambon Island had a 2020 Census population of 128,069. Ambon has an airport and is home to the Pattimura University and Open University, state universities, and a few private universities, which include Darussalam University and Universitas Kristen Indonesia Maluku (UKIM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Nusa Tenggara</span> Province of Indonesia

West Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia. It comprises the western portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the exception of Bali which is its own province. Mataram, on Lombok, is the capital and largest city of the province. It shares maritime borders with Bali to the west and East Nusa Tenggara to the east. The 2010 census recorded the population at 4,500,212; the total rose to 4,830,118 at the 2015 Intermediate Census and 5,320,092 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 5,473,671. The province's area is 20,153.15 km2. The two largest islands by far in the province are Lombok in the west and the larger Sumbawa island in the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saparua</span> Island in Maluku, Indonesia

Saparua is an island east of Ambon Island in the Indonesian province of Maluku; the island of Haruku lies between Saparua and Ambon. The main port is in the south at Kota Saparua. The island of Maolana is located near its southwestern side and Nusa Laut off its southeastern tip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buru</span> Island in Maluku, Indonesia

Buru is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies. Their administrative centers, Namlea and Namrole, respectively, have ports and are the largest towns of the island, served by Namlea Airport and Namrole Airport respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maluku (province)</span> Province of Indonesia

Maluku is a province of Indonesia. It comprises the central and southern regions of the Maluku Islands. The largest city and capital of Maluku province is Ambon on the small Ambon Island. It is directly adjacent to North Maluku, Southwest Papua, and West Papua in the north, Central Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi in the west, Banda Sea, Australia, East Timor and East Nusa Tenggara in the south and Arafura Sea, Central Papua and South Papua in the east. The land area is 46,150.92 km2, and the total population of this province at the 2010 census was 1,533,506 people, rising to 1,848,923 at the 2020 census, the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 1,881,727. Maluku is located in Eastern Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Binaiya</span> Mountain on Seram island in Indonesia

Mount Binaiya is the highest point on the Indonesian island of Seram and the highest mountain in the province of Maluku. With an elevation of 3,027 metres (9,931 ft), it is the 88th most topographically prominent peak on Earth.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manusela National Park</span>

Manusela National Park is located on Seram island, in the Maluku archipelago of Indonesia. It is made up of coastal forest, swamp forest, lowland and montane rainforest ecosystem types. Mount Binaiya at 3,027 meters, is the highest of the park's six mountains. Seram is remarkable for its high degree of localised bird endemism. The park also includes important karst landscapes. On Mount Hatu Saka, near the coast of Saleman-Sawai, it is the Goa Hatusaka, currently the deepest cave of the whole Indonesia.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Maluku Regency</span> Regency in Maluku, Indonesia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Seram Regency</span> Regency in Maluku, Indonesia

West Seram Regency is a regency of Maluku, Indonesia. It is mainly located on Seram, but includes various islands lying to the west of Seram -- Manipa, Kelang, Boano, as well as the smaller islets of Babi, Pua, Masowoi, and Marsegu. It covers a land area of 6,948.40 km2, and had a population of 164,654 at the 2010 Census and 212,393 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 212,960. The principal town lies at Piru, a port at the northern coast of Latira Bay which almost separates the Huamual Peninsula from the rest of Seram Island. The western sector of the Regency occupies just under 25% of the land area, but held over 42% of the Regency's population at the 2020 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Seram Regency</span> Regency in Maluku, Indonesia

East Seram Regency is a regency of Maluku, Indonesia. It is mainly located on the island of Seram, but also includes smaller islands to the southeast comprising the Gorom and Watubela archipelagoes. The regency covers a land area of 5,779.12 km2, and had a population of 99,065 at the 2010 Census and 137,972 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 143,438. The principal town lies at Bula, on Seram Island.

Masohi is a coastal town on the Indonesian island of Seram. It is the capital of the Central Maluku Regency. It was the site of a detention camp for political prisoners in the 1970s. It had 36,433 inhabitants at the 2020 Census. The headquarters of Manusela National Park is located in Masohi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haruku Island</span> Island in Maluku, Indonesia

Haruku Island is an island in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia - lying east of Ambon Island, off the southern coast of Seram and just west of Saparua. It is administered as a single district, Haruku Island District, with a land area of 150 km2 and a population of 24,207 at the 2010 census and 27,390 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 27,409. The inhabitants of Haruku speak the Haruku language, as well as Indonesian and Ambonese Malay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lease Islands</span> Island group in Maluku, Indonesia

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References

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  21. Note: the Indonesia definition of Hinduism is a complex legal matter; in effect Hinduism was a supercategory used to define non Islamic and Christian religions hence any pagan style religion. This is not to say that it is not related to Hinduism at its root, however.
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