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Halmahera

Coordinates:0°39′N127°54′E/ 0.65°N 127.90°E/0.65; 127.90
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Halmahera
Coastline of Halmahera
Small scale map of the island
Halmahera is located in North Maluku
Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is located in Maluku and Western New Guinea
Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is located in Indonesia
Halmahera
Halmahera
Geography
LocationSouth East Asia
Coordinates0°39′N127°54′E/ 0.65°N 127.90°E/0.65; 127.90
ArchipelagoMaluku Islands
Area17,780 km2(6,860 sq mi)
Area rank51st
Highest elevation1,560 m (5120 ft)
Highest pointMount Gamkonora
Administration
ProvinceNorth Maluku
Largest settlementTobelo
Demographics
Population449,938 (2010)
Pop. density25.3/km2(65.5/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsTobelo,Bugis,Togutil,Galela,Sahu, Waioli,Modole,Pagu, Kao Islam,Sawai,Gane,Buli,Maba,Loloda,Tabaru,Patani,Bicoli. Significant migrant groups includeSangir,Ternate, Tidore, Makian, and Javanese.

Halmahera,formerly known asJilolo,Gilolo,orJailolo,is the largestislandin theMaluku Islands.It is part of theNorth MalukuprovinceofIndonesia,andSofifi,the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island.

Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km2(6,860 sq mi);[1]it is the largest island of Indonesia outside the five main islands. It had a population of 162,728 in 1995; by 2010, it had increased to 449,938 for the island itself (excluding the tip which is considered part of the Joronga Islands, but includingGebeand Ju islands) and 667,161 for the island group (including all of South Halmahera andTidore,but notTernate).[2][3]Approximately half of the island's inhabitants areMuslimand half areChristian.

History

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ATogutilman of Halmahera island

Sparsely-populated Halmahera's fortunes have long been closely tied to those of the smaller islands ofTernateandTidore,both off its west coast. This island was the site ofSultanate of Jailolo,one of the four kingdoms of Maluku (Maloko Kië Raha,ofTernate,Tidore,Bacan,and Jailolo) in the era beforeDutch East India Companycolonizedthe entire archipelago. The north of the island is also the base ofLoloda Kingdom[id],one of the earlier 13th century Moluccan kingdom, but not recognized as one of the prominent four.[4]

DuringWorld War II,Halmahera was the site of aJapanesenaval base atKaoBay.

In 1999 and 2000, Halmahera was the site of violence that began as a purely ethnic dispute between residents of (mainly Christian)Kaoand (entirely Muslim)Malifutsub-districts and then took on a religious nature as it spread through much of the North Moluccas, called theMaluku sectarian conflict.Thousands of people on Halmahera were killed in the fighting between religious militias. In June 2000, about five hundred people were killed when aferrycarryingrefugeesfrom the fighting on Halmahera sank off the northeast tip ofSulawesiisland. Conspiracy theories about this event abound. A memorial to this tragedy can be found in Duma village in North Halmahera district.

Today, much transportation to the rest of Indonesia is through connections on the provincial capital,Ternateisland althoughTobelo,the largest town on Halmahera, also has direct ferry and cargo sea links toSurabayaandManado.[citation needed]

Particularly, since the inauguration of the first ever directly electedBupati(Regent or District Head), Tobelo is undergoing rapid development and is aiming at rivaling Ternate's historical dominance.[citation needed]As it is surrounded by flat land, Tobelo has the potential for expansion.[citation needed]Ternate is limited by its size, being a small island which can be driven around in forty-five minutes. Also, in 2010, the provincial government has moved the provincial capital from Ternate City toSofifi,a small village on the Halmahera coast oppositeTidoreisland.

North Maluku Province consists of eight regencies and two municipalities (cities); five of the regencies and one municipality include a part of Halmahera island. The regencies areNorth Halmahera,West Halmahera,East Halmahera,Central Halmahera,South Halmahera,Morotai,Sula IslandsandTaliabu,while the municipalities areTernateandTidore Islands.Only Ternate Municipality, and Morotai, the Sula Islands and Taliabu regencies do not include any part of Halmahera.

The coastal area of Halmahera inhabited by theTobelo people(or theO’Hoberera Manyawa(literally "people that live outside of the forest" )),[5]while a small semi-nomadic related population living on the inner parts of Halmahera, the number ofTogutil people(or theO'Hongana Manyawa(literally "people that live inside of the forest" )) is estimated between 1500 and 3000 people (according to studies of ethnologists since 2001).[6]'[7]From 300 to 500, (also an estimatation), live in isolation in the forest in theAketajawe-Lolobata National Parkwhere they obtain their means of subsistence.[8]Uncontacted members are being threatened by a massive Indonesian mining project to produce nickel for electric car batteries.[9]

Geology

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Topography of Halmahera

The volcanic island lies on anisland arcthat includes theRaja Ampat Islands,all uplifted by the northward migration of thecontinent of Australiaand subduction of thePacific Plate.Dukonois an active volcano at the north end of the island.Mount Ibuis an active volcano on the island's northwest coast.

Ecology

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Semioptera wallaciibyRichard Bowdler Sharpe(1847–1909)
Main article:Halmahera rain forests

Theflightlessinvisible railisendemicto the island.[10]The recently discovered palm treeJailoloa halmaherensisis also endemic to Halmahera.[11]

The naturalistAlfred Russel Wallacevisited Halmahera, as described in his 1869 bookThe Malay Archipelago.He considered thestandardwingbird of paradise,Semioptera wallacii,to be his greatest prize.[12]It was in February 1858, on the island ofTernate(or perhaps while on Halmahera itself), between bouts of fever, that Wallace came to the idea of natural selection via the survival of the fittest. Wallace wrote his ideas during the next couple of days, and sent the historical letter toDarwin.

Mining

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Halmahera is the site of severalminingprojects.

PT Weda Bay Nickel operates a nickel and cobalt mining project in North and Central Halmahera Regencies, theWeda Bay Industrial Park.

[edit]
  • A Weda Bay nickel camp site at Tanjung Ulie cape on Halmahera island
    A Weda Bay nickel camp site at Tanjung Ulie cape on Halmahera island
  • A rig crew looking for minerals
    A rig crew looking for minerals

References

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  1. ^"Halmahera | Largest of the Spice Islands | Britannica".www.britannica.com.Retrieved2023-06-18.
  2. ^"Indonesia: Administrative Division (Provinces, Regencies and Cities) – Population Statistics, Charts and Map".www.citypopulation.de.Archivedfrom the original on 3 October 2014.Retrieved11 April2018.
  3. ^"Penduduk Halsel".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-10-04.Retrieved2013-07-01.
  4. ^Handoko, Wuri (2017)."Kerajaan Loloda: Melacak Jejak Arkeologi Dan Sejarah".Kapata Arkeologi(in Indonesian).13(2): 179–194.doi:10.24832/kapata.v13i2.423.ISSN2503-0876.
  5. ^"Mengenal O'Hongana Manyawa di Hutan Halmahera yang 'Dikepung' Tambang Nikel".ppman(in Indonesian). 2024-03-23.Retrieved2024-06-12.
  6. ^Tamalene, M. Nasir (January 2014)."The Practice of Local Wisdom of Tobelo Dal a m ( Togutil ) Tribal Community in Forest Conservation in Halmahera, Indonesia".
  7. ^https://www.academia.edu/1933038/Duncan_Christopher_R_2001_Savage_Imagery_Mis_Representations_of_the_Forest_Tobelo_of_Indonesia_The_Asia_Pacific_Journal_of_Anthropology_2_1_45_62
  8. ^https://www.academia.edu/34706882/LOCAL_KNOWLEDGE_OF_MANAGEMENT_SYSTEM_OF_FOREST_ECOSYSTEM_BY_TOGUTIL_ETHNIC_GROUP_ON_HALMAHERA_ISLAND_INDONESIA_TRADITIONAL_UTILIZATION_AND_CONSERVATION
  9. ^"NEWS: Indonesia: Uncontacted tribe being destroyed for electric car batteries".Survival International.4 April 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 6 April 2023.Retrieved6 April2023.
  10. ^BirdLife International (2016)."Habroptila wallacii".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2016:e.T22692781A93369321.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692781A93369321.en.Retrieved11 November2021.
  11. ^Heatubun, Charlie D.; Zona, Scott; Baker, William J. (2014). "Three new genera of arecoid palm (Arecaceae) from eastern Malesia".Kew Bulletin.69(3): 9525.Bibcode:2014KewBu..69.9525H.doi:10.1007/s12225-014-9525-x.S2CID24848021.
  12. ^"Halmahera and Wallace's Greatest Prize: The Standardwing Bird of Paradise".Wallace Fund. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2018.Retrieved1 April2015.
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