Seram Island

Last updated

Seram
Seram en.png
Seram Island
Indonesia Maluku location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Seram
Geography
Location Southeast Asia
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 estimated total in mid 2023 was 214,979. 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 much of 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 11,595.57 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. The portion of the regency on Seram Island itself covers 10,680.55 km2, and had an estimated 213,694 inhabitants in mid 2023. [19]
  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. Excluding the Gorom and Watubela archipelagoes, the 'mainland' of East Seram covered 5,577 km2 and had a population of 92,500 in mid 2023.

Religion

Religion in Seram Island (2023) [20]

   Islam (68.66%)
   Protestantism (30.00%)
   Roman Catholic (0.80%)
   Hinduism (0.36%)
  Confucianism (0.15%)
   Buddhism (0.02%)
  Folk/Others (0.01%)
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. [21] 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 [22] 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. [23]

Economy

Copra, resin, sago, and fish are important products. Oil is produced in the northeast near Bula by CITIC Seram Energy [24] who took over from KUFPEC (Indonesia) Limited in 2006. [25] The Oseil oil field is located onshore in the northeast of the island in the Seram Non-Bula Production Sharing Contract area. [24] The discovery well was drilled in 1993. [24] As of end 2010 the Seram Non-Bula Block had estimated proven oil reserves of 9.7 million barrels. [24] Most production comes from the Jurassic Manusela carbonate formation. [26] [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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. The province's land area is 19,675.89 km2. The two largest islands by far in the province are the smaller but much more populated Lombok in the west and the much larger in area but much less densely populated Sumbawa island in the east. 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.

<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 small island of Maolana is located near its southwestern side and Nusa Laut off its southeastern tip.

<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 57803.81 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 2023 was 1,908,753. Maluku is located in Eastern Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obi Islands</span> Group of islands in North Maluku, Indonesia

The Obi Islands are a group of 42 islands in the Indonesian province of North Maluku, north of Buru and Ceram, and south of Halmahera. With a total area of 3,048.08 km2, they had a population of 41,455 at the 2010 Census and 50,760 at the 2020 Census. The official estimate as at mid 2023 was 53,182.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Aceh Regency</span> Regency in Sumatra, Indonesia

Southwest Aceh Regency is a regency in the Aceh Province of Indonesia. The regency was created on 10 April 2002 from the northwestern districts of South Aceh Regency. It is located on the west side of the island of Sumatra. The regency covers an area of 1,882.99 square kilometres and according to the 2010 census had a population of 126,036; this rose to 140,366 at the 2015 Census, and to 150,775 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 156,990. The seat of the regency government is the town of Blangpidie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Sumba Regency</span> Regency in Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

Central Sumba Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara of Indonesia. The new Central Sumba Regency was established on the island of Sumba when West Sumba Regency was split into two regencies on 22 May 2007 and a further Regency was created in Central Sumba from parts of both West Sumba and East Sumba Regencies. The new Regency covers 2,060.54 km2 and had a population of 62,485 at the 2010 Census and 85,482 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 90,521. The seat (capital) of its government is located at Waibakul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Sumbawa Regency</span> Regency in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

West Sumbawa Regency is a Regency (Kabupaten) of the Indonesian Province of West Nusa Tenggara. It is located on the island of Sumbawa and has an area of 1,743.58 km2. The regency was created on 18 December 2003 from what were at that time the westernmost five districts (kecamatan) of Sumbawa Regency. The population at the 2010 Census was 114,754, and at the 2020 Census was 145,798; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 152,950 comprising 77,030 males and 75,920 females. The capital is the town of Taliwang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manggarai Regency</span> Regency in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Manggarai Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, situated on the island of Flores. Established in 1958 the regency was reduced in size and population by the separation of the more western districts to form West Manggarai Regency in 2003 and of the more eastern districts to form East Manggarai Regency in 2007. The area of the residual Manggarai Regency is 1,343.83 km2 and its population was 292,037 at the 2010 census and 312,855 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 328,758. The capital of the regency is the town of Ruteng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Sumba Regency</span> Regency in Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

Southwest Sumba Regency is a regency on Sumba Island in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Established on 2 January 2007 out of parts of West Sumba Regency, the regency has its seat (capital) in Tambolaka. Its population was 283,818 in the 2010 decennial census and had risen to 303,650 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 322,073 (comprising 164,825 males and 157,248 females

West Halmahera Regency is a regency in North Maluku Province of Indonesia. The regency was created on 25 February 2003 from the western districts of the former North Maluku Regency, and is now bounded by North Halmahera Regency to the north and east, while to the south it borders both East Halmahera Regency and that portion of the city of Tidore on the mainland of Halmahera. It covers an area of 2,239.11 km2, and it had a population of 100,424 people at the 2010 Census and 132,349 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 137,543. The capital lies at Jailolo (town).

Central Halmahera Regency is a regency of North Maluku Province, Indonesia. The regency was originally formed on 15 August 1990 from part of the former North Maluku Regency, but on 25 February 2003 parts of the new regency were split off to form a separate East Halmahera Regency and the city of Kota Tidore Kepulauan. It now comprises just the southern half of the southeastern peninsula of Halmahera Island, together with part of the southern peninsula of that island.

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

Central Maluku Regency is a regency of Maluku Province of Indonesia. The Regency covers an area of 11,595.57 km2, and had a population of 361,698 at the 2010 Census, and 423,094 at the 2020 Census. The official estimate as at mid 2023 was 430,798. The principal town lies at Masohi, on Seram Island. The regency (kebupaten) is composed of the central part of the island of Seram, the Banda Islands, and the Lease Islands, together with those parts of Ambon Island which are outside the City of Ambon.

<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 - the largest being Manipa, Kelang and 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 2023 was 214,979. The principal town lies at Piru, a port at the northern coast of Latira Bay which is a northwards extension of Piru Bay and 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 (province), in 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 2023 was 138,580. 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 2023 was 26,551. 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

The Lease Islands, formerly called the Uliasers or Uliassers, are a group of three inhabited islands, lying immediately to the south of Seram and east of Ambon Island in the province of Maluku, in Indonesia. The three inhabited islands, from west to east, are Haruku, Saparua and Nusa Laut, while tiny uninhabited Molana is administratively part of Saparua District; these islands constitute four administrative districts (kecamatan) within Central Maluku Regency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Muna Regency</span> Regency in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

West Muna Regency is a regency of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. It comprises the northwest portion of Muna Island and islands in the Straits of Tiworo. It was established under Act No.14 of 2014, dated 23 July 2014 by separation from the Muna Regency. It covers an area of 906.28 km2, and reported a population of 71,632 at the 2010 Census; the 2020 Census recorded a population of 84,590, and the official estimate as of mid-2022 was 85,706, comprising 42,242 males and 43,464 females. Its administrative centre is Laworo in the Tiworo Islands District.

References

  1. ↑ Cooper, Ian. "Seram Geology". Archived from the original on 6 January 2002.
  2. ↑ Linthout, Kees; Hendrik Helmers (January–February 1994). "Pliocene obducted, rotated and migrated ultramafic rocks and obduction-induced anatectic granite, SW Seram and Ambon, Eastern Indonesia". Journal of Southeast Asian Earth Sciences. 9 (1–2): 95–109. Bibcode:1994JAESc...9...95L. doi:10.1016/0743-9547(94)90068-X.
  3. ↑ Baroncini-Turricchia, Guido; Benassi, Andrea (2012), Cave and Karst Prospecting within Seram Island (Maluku Province) Indonesia , retrieved 5 January 2016
  4. ↑ Benassi, Andrea (2015), Seram 2015: Seram Barat, Maluku, Indonesia Sapalewa
  5. ↑ Benassi, Andrea; Pasquini, Thomas (June 2017). "Seram: l'isola dei fiumi perduti" [Seram: The island of lost rivers]. Speleologia (in Italian). No. 76. p. 34.
  6. ↑ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. This figure excludes the population of Ambon city.
  7. ↑ "Hasil Sensus Penduduk 2010 : Agregat Data per Kecamatan" (PDF). Sp2010.bps.go.id. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Statistics Indonesia". Bps.go.id. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  9. ↑ BirdLife International: Saving Asia's threatened birds Archived 30 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine , 2003, retrieved 19 May 2010
  10. 1 2 "Manusela National Park". Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010.,
  11. ↑ "Seram rain forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "Observations – Saram Bagian Barat (location)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Homepage". Ema-huaresi.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  14. ↑ Lonely Planet Indonesia 7th Edition, page 840
  15. ↑ Cortesão, Armando (1944). The Suma Oriental of Tomé Pires: an account of the east, from the Red Sea to Japan, written in Malacca and India in 1512–1515/The Book of Francisco Rodrigues rutter of a voyage in the Red Sea, nautical rules, almanack and maps, written and drawn in the east before 1515. The Hakluyt Society. ISBN   9788120605350.
  16. ↑ Widjojo, Muridan. 2009. The Revolt of Prince Nuku; Cross-cultural Alliance-making in Maluku C. 1780-1810. Leiden: Brill.
  17. 1 2 Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  18. 1 2 Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  19. ↑ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Maluku Tengah Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8101)
  20. ↑ "Religion in Indonesia".
  21. ↑ Lonely Planet Indonesia, 8th edition p762
  22. ↑ "Indonesia". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Oil". Seram Non-Bula Block, Indonesia. CITIC Resources Holdings Limited. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013.
  25. ↑ "Indonesia". Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010.
  26. ↑ Hu xueyan (May 2011). "The application of seismic anisotropy technology in fractured carbonate reservoir" (PDF). 73rd EAGE Conference & Exhibition. Vienna: LandOcean Energy Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2013.
  27. ↑ "Seram (non-Bula) projects". Lion Energy Limited. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Seram at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.